zoflora as a cage cleaner?!

[Dusty_bugs]

Hey guys,

For years I have been cleaning my cage with soapy water followed by a quick wipe around with a cloth soaked in diluted zoflora. Then I dry with a towel. The smell is divine.. and no where on the packaging does it say that zoflora is harmful to pets (as best I know and I've used it for years) .. so long as it is diluted correctly!

I bought a new cage for the girls a few months back and have cleaned it thoroughly quite a few times, using zoflora each time without any effect to the piggies.. until this past 6 weeks I've had sickness after sickness. Is there a chance of a toxicity build up?

Does anyone else use zoflora?

 

[Ashleigh825]

I'm not familiar with zoflora but if you've been using it for years with no problems, it's hard to see how that could be the cause of your piggies' illnesses. ?/

My suggestion would be to stop using it and try something else to clean your cage with (like the animal-friendly disinfectant wipes you find at the pet store), something that's proven safe for animals and use that for a month or two to see if it improves your piggies' health any. If you see significant improvement coinciding with the change, then I'd get rid of the zoflora for good. If not, then it's likely something else that's causing it. It could be something as simple as a sudden weather change making them feel icky.

 

[Dusty_bugs]

That's a good idea, though I have found the pet cage cleaners are quite weak in smell and cleaning power. It's certainly worth a try anyway. I think maybe I just hadn't dried the cage off properly one time or something, but my vet said that Leeland's necrosis in her mouth was completely baffling, and said it looked like she had almost cooked her tongue to her mouth! It just freaked me out and I wracked my brains for what in the cage could do that and what I might have done to cause it!


I need to find out if there are other cases of necrosis in guineapigs mouths I guess.. but for now.. try out a new cage cleaner!

 

[doglovinpiggylover]

I have just used virkon disinfectant and it was really good, very subtle smell too, I find zoflora extremely strong smelling, but then I have a very sensitive nose lol

 

[Dusty_bugs]

Zoflora can be really strong smelling but you have to dilute it loads.. then it leaves a very pleasant smell.. haha - she says.. I've been using it for years so probably can't smell anything! haha. I guineas tend not to mind.. they can still root out the hidden forage mix in their hay!

We used virkon in our lab at work.. the pink stuff? You have to make it in small batches dont you as it turns clear after a month or so and you know it's degraded.

 

[Amanda1801]

I use F10 - it's a veterinary grade disinfectant, smells great, and kills most things (including fungal if you spray it on and leave it for 30+ mins).

I'd personally never use anything other than animal specific disinfectants, and I even steer clear of things like those highly smelling ones in pet shops - they smell nice to us, but if you think how much better a piggies sense of smell is than ours, and their whole house smelling of it.... ?/

 

[Dusty_bugs]

ooh F10 wipes are £5.85! in amazon. Score!