Do not randomly mix several disinfectants to avoid poisoning

A hygienic living environment is a very important factor for the health of dogs. Reducing the concentration of bacteria in the air can effectively prevent dogs from being invaded by pathogens. However, many issues must also be paid attention to during disinfection to avoid affecting the health of dogs due to incorrect operation.

Incorrect disinfection methods not only fail to achieve disinfection but also cause pathogens to develop resistance, increasing biosafety risks. So we should carefully consider how to choose disinfectants, the correct usage methods, and what effects the disinfectant can achieve.

1. How to disinfect if the dog vomits or has diarrhea

The correct approach is to first clean the vomit, then clean the contaminated area with laundry detergent or dishwashing liquid. After the surface is dry, spray disinfectant. Disinfectants can only work best on a clean surface. For contaminated hair and skin flakes (for example, when there are skin issues), firstly remove the hair (vacuum cleaners are recommended), then clean the environment. However, it is also important to understand why the dog vomited. If caused by normal reasons such as overeating, disinfection is not necessary but timely cleaning is required.

2. Choose suitable disinfectants, do not mix several disinfectants casually

When choosing disinfectants, note that some so-called all-in-one disinfectants may not effectively address specific problems. Therefore, disinfection and cleaning are better done separately. A reference principle when choosing disinfectants is that organic substances like feces and vomit are acidic, so alkaline disinfectants are recommended. Dust and mineral residues are alkaline, so acidic disinfectants are suggested. But be sure not to use the same disinfectant (the same active ingredient) continuously for too long. Bacteria can also develop resistance, and the effectiveness of a disinfectant significantly decreases over time.

3. Higher concentration is not always better

Each disinfectant has different disinfecting effects at different concentrations. Bacteria, viruses, spores, etc., require varying concentrations. Using undiluted solution can force pathogens into defense mode, activating dormancy to wait until conditions are favorable again—which means disinfection has not truly been achieved.

Also, note that disinfectant concentration should not be too high, as excessive concentration can harm both the owner and the dog's health.

Allow disinfectant to act for a period of time after spraying

4. Disinfectants also require contact time

Disinfectants work through a process; it is generally recommended that disinfectants be left to act for 10-15 minutes. Spraying and immediately wiping has little effect. Even traditional boiling disinfection requires more than 30 minutes to be effective. Therefore, it's best to wait a while after spraying disinfectant before wiping.

5. Disinfection frequency should not be too frequent

Disinfection is meant to control microbial quantity within a safe range, not to achieve absolute sterility. So if there are no major problems, routine disinfection once a week is sufficient, and intervals can even be extended.

6. Manage your dog during disinfection

After disinfection, the disinfectant should be washed off and not just air-dried. Allowing your dog to step directly on surfaces with disinfectant can cause the paws to contact the disinfectant, some of which has corrosive effects and is unhealthy for paws. Additionally, some dogs have the habit of chewing their paws, which may lead to poisoning from ingesting disinfectant.