Mouthwash safe for chins?

[LilanChilla]

I heard this long ago, actually when I had rats, so about 12 to 13 years ago. I was told to clean their cage with mouthwash. I put it ina spray bottle of half water half mouthwash. I then spray the cage/waterbottle etc, let it sit for about 10 minutes then rinse with hot water, or washcloth. Are there any harmful chemicals in mouthwash? I just had a rescue kit who keeps licking the walls. I just cleaned his cage yesterday, he is housed with a female who isnt his mom, as I dont have or know where mom is. Is this dangerous? I have never seen any of them do it before. I have been using the solution for years and never seen any ill effects. Any opinions?

Oh, I just use the cheap store brand mouth wash, notin' fancy.
Thanks in advance!

 

[alli713]

I would not use mouthwash to wash a cage down, I imagine he's licking the walls because of the scent of the mouthwash.

To clean a cage I use, and many suggest, a solution of vinegar and water.

 

[LilanChilla]

I only use it on cages if I am switching or moving chins in or out of that cage. I do rinse them with hot water after. He acts fine otherwise and even if you put your nose to the cage you cannot smell the mint flavor. I have also heard of people using vinegar and even vodka. I just find it odd that my oldest chins have experienced this since birth with no problems and I never noticed any of them lick a cage.

I also know nothing about the backround of the kit. He was just dropped of at the shelter.

 

[RDZCRanch]

Considering there are about five different areas on every bottle of mouth wash saying do not swallow/ do not ingest/ or do not use in children under 12, I would not consider it safe by any stretch of the imagination. Just because you have used it for "years" does not mean that it's a good solution. I'm assuming someone thought it would be a great cleaner simply because it says antiseptic on the bottle. I'm sure people think vodka is a good cleaner because it's alcohol and hospitals and vet offices use RUBBING alcohol.

Vinegar and water is proven as a safe and effective cleaner. Stick with that.

 

[LilanChilla]

I just looked on the bottle that I have been using, it says"If more than is used for rinsing is ingested contact a physician."
I dont care if Im worng, and Im not going to use it anymore, but it still doesnt make sense. I mean I've heard of people drinking mouthwash to get drunk, but you never hear of anyone dying of that. Sorry Im just so curious as to why I would have ever been told to use it if its dangerous.

 

[AZChins]

I don't understand why that would be used. Personally, I take my cages out to scrub them down with soapy bleach water, rinse, rub them down with vinegar, rinse and let them dry in the sunlight. I know that pretty much gets everything off the cages and kills bacteria and viruses. UV light kills bacteria, sunlight is great this and for speeding up drying.

Mouth wash is made for disinfecting mouths... Like Tabitha said, it says on the bottle to not swallow it. I am assuming that it is used for it's alcohol content for sterilization?

Vinegar is an excellent way to kill bacteria and clean up cages...I imagine it would be cheaper to use that than mouth wash. It certainly can remove deposits from cages and pans better than anything else. I clean maybe three or four cage pans a day using vinegar to remove urine deposits and they come out perfectly clean each time...I can't imagine that alcohol could clean them nearly as well.

 

[Stackie]

I dont care if Im worng, and Im not going to use it anymore, but it still doesnt make sense. I mean I've heard of people drinking mouthwash to get drunk, but you never hear of anyone dying of that. Sorry Im just so curious as to why I would have ever been told to use it if its dangerous.

That isn't very good logic, as a human weighs about 150 pounds give or take more than a chinchilla. A small drop of mouthwash to them could be as much as a huge amount to us and could have detrimental effects on their small body.

Some people have no clue what kind of advice they are giving. They make up something, tell one person who just doesn't give it second thought, and it spreads.

Chinchillas also have very sensitive respiratory systems, and the fragrance added to mouthwash would I'm sure aggravate their respiratory system. It has a very strong scent.

There are plenty of safe and effective ways to clean out a cage. Mouthwash is definitely not one of them. Vinegar and water works very well.

 

[Claire D]

I heard this long ago, actually when I had rats, so about 12 to 13 years ago. I was told to clean their cage with mouthwash. I put it ina spray bottle of half water half mouthwash. I then spray the cage/waterbottle etc, let it sit for about 10 minutes then rinse with hot water, or washcloth. Are there any harmful chemicals in mouthwash? I just had a rescue kit who keeps licking the walls. I just cleaned his cage yesterday, he is housed with a female who isnt his mom, as I dont have or know where mom is. Is this dangerous? I have never seen any of them do it before. I have been using the solution for years and never seen any ill effects. Any opinions?

You asked for opinions & you're getting them - now you don't care if you're wrong?
Why did you bother asking in the first place if you've already decided not to believe anybody? :hmm:

There are studies which show that the ingredients in mouthwash can cause health problems - for example, alcohol has been linked to an increased risk of mouth/throat cancers.
Children have been poisoned by mouthwash ............. etc etc.

http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/32/6/162/4/


How much "proof" do you need that mouthwash is not a suitable product for cleaning cages? The clue is in the name of the product, is it not?


One example - dogs:

8) Mouthwash: Mouthwash can contain boric acid which is highly toxic to dogs. Symptoms of poisoning by mouthwash include vomiting, drooling, seizures, and coma. You should take your dog to the veterinarian immediately if you suspect poisoning by mouthwash or other household item containing boric acid like contact lens solution or denture cleaner.

Water & white vinegar is safe - why not save your money on buying mouthwash & buy white vinegar instead?

 

[RDZCRanch]

I just looked on the bottle that I have been using, it says"If more than is used for rinsing is ingested contact a physician."
I dont care if Im worng, and Im not going to use it anymore, but it still doesnt make sense. I mean I've heard of people drinking mouthwash to get drunk, but you never hear of anyone dying of that. Sorry Im just so curious as to why I would have ever been told to use it if its dangerous.

IMO, if it can poison people to the point that this http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/poison/mouthwash-overdose/overview.html pops up in the first 20 or so searches on google, it's not safe for an animal to ingest even in small amounts.

Like Stackie said, chinchillas have VERY delicate respiratory systems. Even if you can't smell it, I'm sure the chins can and I would worry about that. And there's the whole body weight difference. Most chins weigh about a pound and a half, roughly. The average person, like mentioned is probably 150 or more. Even one drop would be a HUGE amount for a chinchilla to ingest.

 

[ticklechin]

I think the OP may have thought the person she talked to meant mouthwash as in any ole mouth wash, there is one I remembered from my days in the human dental field that cleaned everything including the kitchen sink, I don't know if this is the exact brand but the description is close.

http://www.healthy-communications.com/eliminator.html

About the ingrediant from a bird web site

STABILIZED CHLORINE DIOXIDE
BRAND NAMES: Oxyfresh Dent-a-gene (full strength stabilized chlorine dioxide), Oxyfresh Cleansing Gele' (detergent with stabilized chlorine dioxide added)

Stabilized chlorine dioxide is a chlorine derivative which is a powerful oxidizing agent. It can destroy many pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. Many studies have suggested that stabilized chlorine dioxide is a superior disinfecting agent to sodium hypochlorite (bleach). It is used in Europe to treat drinking water because it does not form carcinogenic by-products like sodium hypochlorite does. Stabilized chlorine dioxide has been shown by Dr. Branson Ritchie DVM, to inactivate avian polyoma virus at a level of dilution of 1:200.
A detergent product containing stabilized chlorine dioxide is a good washing/soaking product for syringes, dishes and other hard surfaces, and can also be safely used on the skin of avian caretakers. Chlorine dioxide is an excellent deodorizer; the oxidizing properties destroy odor-causing molecules.
ADVANTAGES
Safe for use around birds and humans at recommended working dilutions; deactivates avian polyoma virus in 1 minute contact time; diluted solution creates no harmful fumes and is safe to use on skin or other surfaces; diluted solution at 1:200 is good for 7 days once mixed if kept sealed and out of direct sunlight; when first mixing up solution, the fumes created may be used to fumigate brooders. Medium cost--1 pint makes up to 16 gallons of diluted solution.
DISADVANTAGES
In undiluted form, fumes of stabilized chlorine dioxide may be toxic to living tissue; rapidly deactivated by organic debris and exposure to sunlight.

 

[InkedupTara]

People are often told a lot of things that are wrong. I know I was given a lot of bad advice when I first brought my chinchilla home. We all make mistakes. Now you know some better options and your babies will thank you

 

[Claire D]

Chlorine Dioxide is used in water purification & also for cleaning/disinfection in health care in the UK.

 

[Essentia]

I agree with Tara. No one here is jumping on you due to you not knowing better. They are just concerned that with the advice given you still felt like it was ok to use. We have all made mistakes in the past, especially in the begining.

I use vinegar for normal cleaning. For my really messy boys that pee EVERYWHERE I use peroxide on the pee areas. I leave it be for about 10 min. and let it do what it does. Then just go back and wipe it off with a damp washcloth. Peroxide is my new best friend.

 

[ruoc]

You asked for opinions & you're getting them - now you don't care if you're wrong?
Why did you bother asking in the first place if you've already decided not to believe anybody? :hmm:

There are studies which show that the ingredients in mouthwash can cause health problems - for example, alcohol has been linked to an increased risk of mouth/throat cancers.
Children have been poisoned by mouthwash ............. etc etc.

http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/32/6/162/4/


How much "proof" do you need that mouthwash is not a suitable product for cleaning cages? The clue is in the name of the product, is it not?


One example - dogs:



Water & white vinegar is safe - why not save your money on buying mouthwash & buy white vinegar instead?

I think she just meant she was o.k. with being told using mouthwash was wrong, she said she will stop using it. That's the way I read it.

 

[starleomach]

I agree Mouthwash is not safe. Not to mention I am notsure how well it would really work any way

 

[InkedupTara]

I think she just meant she was o.k. with being told using mouthwash was wrong, she said she will stop using it. That's the way I read it.

That is how she meant it. If you read it, that is how she worded it. Glad she is open to learning :thumbsup: That is always key to good chin mama and papa's!

 

[LilanChilla]

Thanks Claire...... because I didn’t feel like a big enough idiot already.

So, thanks for all the input, I am **NOT** using it anymore, and just to clarify, when I used the mouthwash, I sprayed it into the pan, let it sit. Scrubbed, poured HOT water into the pan, scrubbed, dumped then hosed off. Ok? I'm not pouring it into their water bottles and saying hey take a sip.

Also as soon as I read about the mouthwash used for birds I realized it was my aunt who owned an aviary who told me to use mouthwash. I obviously misunderstood to some degree.

 

[ticklechin]

It happens, I used tea tree oil diluted for a couple of years to clean cages because someone who I thought knew chins well used it, found out it can cause issues in animals by another person on the net who provided links to the issue-I learned then to never assume anything is OK until you do your own research.

 

[musherbob]

mouth wash

If you want us to see a post from you under chinchilla emergencies,then I would not listen to anyones advice about the dangers of using mouth wash.I cannot understand why new owners do not like to take advice from the more experienced ranchers.

 

[ticklechin]

The OP is listening to our advice if you actually read the thread. Its good she ASKED about it and should not be put down for asking a question, no one should and no one is perfect.