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How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia?

Posted By: Kim Schrader

How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/26/10 03:36 PM

I will give my plan, and you guys can tell me if its a good way or suggest other ways.

I plan on cleaning the travel cages and putting clean linens and toys in there while I treat them for Giardia. In the mean time, I will clean their normal cages and other items. When the treatment is complete, put them back in the usual cages. What do I need to do while they are in the travel cages. Do I change their pouches every day? Do I wash their toys and things every day? What do I do to make sure this booger is gone?
Posted By: wildlifeangel

Re: How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/26/10 04:45 PM

Alright, this is something I know well! I had a group of rescues (7) that had Giardia. From what I understand, you will have them staying full-time in the travel cages? If this is the case, make sure to scrub down the cage EVERY day, and change out everything in the cage. Every surface must be cleaned including linenes. So, during this time, keep the toys and cage set items to a minimum, as they will need to be washed in bleach.

Bleach is about to become your best friend! The biggest thing to remember is to keep any surface they come in contact with clean. Wash clothes that you wear around them right away, also wash their bedding with bleach. Toys should be washed daily. And do not put the toys/dishes in the same wash water (or dishwasher cycle) as anything else. You can get Giardia as well, so wash your hands after handling, and shower after each time playing with them.

So... bleach is your friend!!
Posted By: Kim Schrader

Re: How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/26/10 08:22 PM

THANKS!

I am so dreading this, but I am doing it for my babies. They need me and I need them.

I just bought bleach, and Im already started
Posted By: wildlifeangel

Re: How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/26/10 08:28 PM

you are more than welcome. It was quite a tedious task. I used sponges and scrub brushes to make sure I got everything off the cages. Keep scrubbing the cages like that until you get them re-checked and have a negative result! Good luck!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/27/10 10:23 AM

Kim,
Hang in there. I know all the cleaning will be tough, but worth it in the end. hug2
Posted By: DCMuffin

Re: How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/27/10 12:07 PM

Oh my gosh, I can't imagine...so much work for you! I'm sorry you have to deal with this! Good luck with your babies!!
Posted By: Kim Schrader

Re: How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/27/10 01:29 PM

will washing my linens with my regular detergent and clorox 2x work, will that kill this lastly microscopic thing thats hurting my babies?


thanks for all the support, the real hard part is i live in a second level apt without a wash/dryer hookup, so i go to the mat. then we do not have a water hose hookup either. the girl next door in the duplex is kind enough to let me use hers.
Posted By: tjlong

Re: How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/27/10 03:51 PM

I believe that the ratio is 1 part bleach to 10 parts water to kill it. Also, when you clean their regular cage you have to let the bleach solution sit on the cage at least 10 minutes. Oh, and make sure you rinse it well with clear water after you bleach to get the residue off. If you limit the fleece toys ect. it will make it a lot easier to clean. Maybe have multiple pouches so you can save them together in a plastic bag and do one load a week? Use plastic toys you can soak in the bleach solution to clean. They are much easier to work with than the fleece. If you play with them also cover your hair. It sometimes gets overlooked! You know how they love to hide in hair.

Remember even after you get a negative on the test that they might still carry the giardia around. There is usually a 18 month to 2 year quarantine for them. They can still slough off the bugs so other pets, or you can get them. They really can't socialize until you have multiple negative tests over that period. I believe the only real way to know that it is gone "for sure" is with a blood test. It looks for something that their body creates when the giardia is still there. It doesn't look for the giardia itself.

They are still your babies! They will need lots of TLC. smile
Posted By: Kim Schrader

Re: How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/27/10 04:44 PM

Thanks tjlong for the advice,

everything you described is exactly what i do. well except the hair part. they love to rip in to my pony tail or bun until it is all down. i started double washing all their pouches, hoping to get the stuff off. from what i noticed last night, i didnt hear any of them making noises while they used the bathroom. so thats a good sign the pain is going away. their usual cages are really big and i have tried so many steamers to get the crud off. so thats when i asked my neighbor to use their water hose and just take the cages outside. thanks again.
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/27/10 06:28 PM

http://www.clorox.com/products/faqs.php?prod_id=c2

Clorox 2 is not a disinfectant, Clorox bleach is. However, it is worth mentioning here that although bleach will kill the protozoan that have broken out of their cysts, it will not kill the cysts. A steamer would be a good choice to go over everything as a second line of defense, after you have cleaned.

I think downsizing their cages for ease of cleaning is a good idea. It gives you less to have to clean, since you are cleaning so often. thumb
Posted By: SugarBlossoms

Re: How do I go about cleaning while treating Giardia? - 06/27/10 08:05 PM

You can purchase HIBICLENS at Walgreens and other pharmacies. It kills giardia among many other things, it is what most hospitals use. You only use about one capful (it's small) to 1/2 a bucket of water.

I went through this with 2 rescues years ago. Make sure you change YOUR clothes and wash your hands every single time you clean their cage or handle them! I changed out pouches daily (I made several so I could throw them away instead of worrying about washing!) and only put toys in that were plastic/acrylic so they could be sanitized.

I put them in a smaller cage that I could easily lift myself each day to clean in the bathtub.

Good luck, keep up the good work and they will be well soon!
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