Every owner wants to have healthy animals, not only because the pet is happier, easier to live with, and will enjoy a longer life, but because diseases are costly. There are the tangible costs of veterinary visits, diagnostics and prescriptions, but there are also intangible costs in terms of decreased ability to produce, increased loss of puppies, and a shorter breeding career. More importantly, some diseases are able to affect people and in order to protect everyone in contact with those animals, we must control contagious diseases. This is biosecurity.

How do we maximize our disease control and minimize our expenses? Quite simply by knowing the goal, the right products to use, and by using them correctly.

Let's start at the beginning and walk through the process.

First, we need to understand exactly what it is we are trying to accomplish. Our goal is to prevent the exposure to, and spread of, contagious diseases. We are going to achieve this by decreasing cross-contamination of organic materials between animals, and between animals and humans. This means urine, feces, mucus, vomit, saliva, sneezing spray, afterbirth or aborted tissues, and pus.

Okay, so now we know what to avoid. Next question, who is responsible for minimizing the risks of spreading disease? Everyone who handles the animals, or is in the kennel, is responsible for biosecurity. Part of this responsibility is knowing how diseases can be spread, and how long a risk exists after contamination.  Direct contact between animals (nose to nose contact, which can occur through fences or over walls) that are housed together or share a common play time, breeding, and sometimes showing, is certainly understandable. Occasionally overlooked is the indirect exposure where an infectious agent (virus, bacteria, fungus or parasite) is on an inanimate object or surface which is then available to the next animal. Common exposure risks are found in soiled bedding, toys, dirty hands of humans, and dirty boots or clothing. Don't forget the role that tools and other materials may pose such as hoses, squeegees, leashes, fencing, etc.

There are two key approaches to establishing a good program of biosecurity. The first strategy is to decrease the number of infectious microorganisms your animals and staff are exposed to. This is accomplished through practices such as having a dedicated quarantine area, stocked with its own supplies, in a controlled location and using a standard isolation period for animals new to the grounds, or returning from being off the grounds (showing, breeding, training, etc). The animals held here, whether because they are sick, are in isolation to make sure they aren't sick before putting them in the general population, or have been exposed to a sick animal, should always be handled, fed and treated after all the healthy animals have been taken care of. By handling these animals last you are limiting the direct and indirect exposure routes to anything within that immediate area. Ideally you would have dedicated personnel do all the caretaking for this area to further limit possibility of contamination. Dishes, toys, supplies and equipment used here should never be used anywhere else in the kennel. Conspicuously label such materials as "isolation" or "quarantine". And, of course, every person should be cleaning their hands when they come in and before they go out. A foot-bath is also a good idea as long as it is tended appropriately.

The second strategy to establish good biosecurity is to maximize the animals' resistance to disease. Vaccinations are a vital tool in this endeavor as they can build protective immunity before the dog is exposed to a pathogen. Routine deworming with the appropriate drug is a strong approach as well. Know what parasites you are fighting, and know the best and safest drugs to use to succeed. Equally important, if not more so, is keeping your animals as healthy as possible through good management and nutrition. It is important to recognize that certain nutrients enable a dog to activate its own immune response quickly and effectively.

By far, the biggest and most common mistake that is made in trying to prevent disease is simply not fully cleaning an area or surface before using a disinfectant. Cleaning can be the least expensive part of a sound biosecurity plan, but the most important. We have to distinguish between cleaning and disinfection, because they are not the same thing.

To clean, we are going to use soaps or detergents. These agents work by suspending dirt and grease off the surface so it can be washed away. They don't kill harmful microorganisms (unless they have an added component such as found in anti-bacterial soap). Degreasers are more powerful soaps or detergents specially formulated to get between layers of dried-on materials such as body oils and sticky, greasy feces, slobber, etc. Without the use of soaps or detergents, you are only dealing with the top surface of "dirt", while infectious agents are hiding and living well underneath. If you've got young people helping out, it's a good idea to write out the correct process and post it in key locations to reinforce the information.

Start with removing the animals from the cage or run. This is a good time to let them go to the exercise area. Remove the feed and water dishes, toys, and bedding, which will be cleaned, too. Remove as much of the organic material (feces, vomit, etc) as possible. Wet down all the surfaces with hot water to loosen any soiling. Use a solution of warm or hot water and detergent (follow label directions for correct dilution) to break down organic material. Scrub all surfaces, including fences, with a brush or power sprayer. A word of caution about using power sprayers - the force of the spray will disseminate and aerosolize viruses, bacteria, fungus and parasites, so control the pressure and direction of the spray, and try not to breathe in the moist air. Here is an important step that frequently gets forgotten - rinse off the detergent thoroughly. Another important factor is to squeegee standing water so that when you apply the disinfectant it doesn't get diluted and lose impact.

Now we are ready to use a disinfectant. This is a chemical agent that kills harmful microorganisms. A disinfectant does not necessarily remove dirt or grease. All kennels should be using a disinfectant that will kill parvovirus. (Not all of the disinfectants labeled for use against parvovirus are truly effective, but more about that later.) Several factors are important to know about each disinfectant you are using. Dilute bleach can be a fantastic disinfectant, but it can lose efficacy in hard water. Do you have hard water in your kennel? How hard? You need to know. Water temperature is very important with most disinfectants, as many will work better in very warm water. Pay attention to the type of material you are trying to disinfect. Some disinfectants are corrosive over time. AND, some disinfectants are potentially toxic to animals (and people), such as phenols.

Information on the product label can save you a lot of money, and grief. Not all disinfectants are compatible with all cleaners. Some cleaners inactivate particular disinfectants. So you just spent money and effort for nothing more than a fancy rinse job. Make sure you dilute the product accordingly. If two ounces will work well, why use four? Then, use accurate measuring devices to ensure you are using the appropriate amount of disinfectant for the volume of water. Don't eyeball it. Chances are you are throwing away your money when you do that. Pay attention also on how best to store the container (away from light? cool area? in a well-ventilated area?) not only to get the most of your investment but to make sure you don't get an undesirable chemical reaction. Some products have a relatively short shelf life, so don't stock up on bottles of disinfectant that will take you a year to use if they are only good for 6 months. Look for the necessary contact time. This is the time the disinfectant solution needs to be in contact with the surface in order to kill the microorganisms. For example, bleach needs about 10 minutes. So a quick spray and wipe does nothing. After the appropriate contact time, rinse the disinfectant off. Even dilute bleach can be irritating to skin, fur and respiratory tissue, especially for very young animals. And you don't want them licking it either. Finally, allow the area or surface to dry before putting the animals back in.

Part two of biosecurity, in the next Crown Partners newsletter, will discuss training your staff so you get maximum and consistent application of your disease control protocol. You will also have information about the different families of disinfectants, the pros and cons of each, and any particular unique characteristics or concerns.