Hose end sprayer suggestions (veterinary, black, treatment, kennel)
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Hey everyone. I work at an animal shelter and we have had a few cases of parvovirus recently. We have outside pens with rocks on the ground which we call our "rock yards". These yards allow to dogs to run around and have some freedom, but I'm afraid the parvovirus may be in the soil, and right now I'm hesitant to even use them. I have been using a pump up sprayer with bleach solution to spray the rocks, but I'm just not sure it's effective enough as it only wets the very top layer. I've thought about using a hose end sprayer with bleach to sterilize the yards, but I'm not sure what type to get. Any suggestions, or is this even a good idea?
Hey everyone. I work at an animal shelter and we have had a few cases of parvovirus recently. We have outside pens with rocks on the ground which we call our "rock yards". These yards allow to dogs to run around and have some freedom, but I'm afraid the parvovirus may be in the soil, and right now I'm hesitant to even use them. I have been using a pump up sprayer with bleach solution to spray the rocks, but I'm just not sure it's effective enough as it only wets the very top layer. I've thought about using a hose end sprayer with bleach to sterilize the yards, but I'm not sure what type to get. Any suggestions, or is this even a good idea?
I work at a boarding kennel and we use the same ones you find in the garden area that attach directly to the end of the hose.
Someone told me today that I can use chlorine pool granules and sprinkle them over the rocks, then water them in. Does that sound safe or effective?
NO!
The chlorine granular releases toxic chlorine fumes until dissolved and those fumes tend to hug the ground right where the animals’ noses are. It can take several days for the chlorine to be diluted with regular watering to be safe. Pool chlorine also does not dissolve immediately upon contact with water (hence why they also sell liquid choline) so they can get under the rocks and take longer to dissolve. You also have the danger of a dog breathing in the small grains of undissolved chlorine.
There are kennel disinfectants made for this purpose. I would recommend using the right product for the purpose especially when you have animals present as they don’t understand you telling them to let you know if they have problem breathing from some homemade concoction.
To spread regular liquid disinfectant such as bleach (liquid pool chlorine is about 4X as concentrated and can be used), the tank sprayer can be used or simply go to a home or garden store and pick up one of the Ortho end of hose dispenser for about $10. Get the one in the yellow package as it lets you dial in the strength based on need. Dial heavy for the initial application and lighter for maintenance. If using liquid pool chlorine, remember to give it a quick water only rinse to ensure the concentrated chlorine is off the surface of the rocks, let the surface air dry and your set to go.
One other thing, when you finsih and right before you think its alright to let the animals into the treated area, get down on all fours and take a wiff at muzzel height. If you can smell the chemicals or it irritates you in anyway, consider that a dogs nose is much better. I like to place myself intot he life of the dog when making decissions on his safety. Is that air wick scent overpowering to the dog? how does that mat feel when I;m walking barefoot on it? Is that shampoo smell for my benefit at the expense of the dog smelling it all the time? You're doing the right thing to dissenfect the kennel/run area. How about making it aproactice to do it at the end of the day so it has a chance to dissenfect and dry out my morning?
A parvocide would do a better job than bleach. Veterinary supply places sell it and some of the livestock supply catalogs sell it. Dairy equipment supply companies sell it, and they are a very good place to buy strong disinfectants that are safe around animals.
A sprayer that you can get some pressure with is what you need. The only sprayers I use are hose end sprayers for my plants, where gentle is the preferred treatment, so I don't have any sprayer to recommend.
Pressure washers come with a way to add soap. So if you can get a pressure washer and the parvocide, that might work.
If you use a pressure washer, you might have to rake the gravel back into position when you are done.
If you use a garden type sprayer, give it a really good soak. The parvocide will run down through the rocks to the ground below.
Best of luck to you with keeping those animals safe.
An Ortho hose end sprayer is a dial-up kind, meaning that you fill the little container with straight chemical (bleach, in this case) and then set the dial for the amount per gallon of the dilution, e.g. 1 oz., 2 T., 1/2 oz., 1 t., etc. It's a good sprayer because it gives you a number of different spray patterns. You want to use a spray pattern with the coarse droplets that fall right to the ground and give a lot of coverage. Don't use a mist setting or you will have bleach atomizing everywhere, including on your clothes and in your lungs. And please wear eye, nose and face protection.
I use one of these spray attachments all the time. I have to suggest that before you put bleach in it, you practice spraying with it. I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten to turn it off as I move over an area (like lawn) that I don't intend to spray. You will also want to play with the different spray patterns and make sure the whole gizmo works properly. My experience with hose-end sprayers is that about 15% of them never work properly from the get-go.
Don't expect it to last very long if you're running straight bleach through it. That's just the consequence of using bleach.
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