7 steps to an effective infection prevention regime in your vet clinic

Disease outbreaks can have significant short and long-term impacts on a vet clinic. That’s why an effective infection prevention regime plays such a vital role.

The best disinfection processes are ones that are easy to understand, execute and repeat day after day – regardless of who is performing the task.

An effective infection control regime should encompass 7 key components:

1. Assign infection control responsibilities

It’s important to assign clear roles and responsibilities when it comes to infection control. This ensures that How you divide up these tasks will depend on the size of your clinic. Larger practices may have staff members whose role includes a larger amount of cleaning and disinfection, whereas in smaller clinics, the responsibilities may be shared across all staff.

2. Develop a disinfection protocol that is easy to follow

The best infection control regimes are ones that are easy to understand, execute, and repeat day after day. Your disinfection program needs to outline which areas should be disinfected, how often, and who is responsible.

3. Remove organic matter before disinfecting

For best results, it is important that you reduce the overall microbial load on surfaces to allow your disinfectant to work effectively. However, this doesn’t mean that you must scrub your surfaces completely clean. For hard surfaces, simply use some hot, soapy water to remove any visible debris or organic matter. For flooring, a quick sweep with a broom will help ensure any dirt or other debris is removed.

4. Choose the right disinfectant

The most important element when it comes to disinfecting your vet clinic is the choice of disinfectant. It’s important to choose a disinfectant that is made to be used in a veterinary environment. This ensures you will be using a product that is formulated specifically to work against the most common viruses and bacteria that affect domestic pets.

A veterinary disinfectant is also designed to be safe for use around both animals and people. A good test if you’re using the right disinfectant us to check the instructions for usage. If it directs you to rinse off the product, that means it includes toxic ingredients that aren’t safe for people and animals.

5. Follow your disinfectant dilution instructions carefully

Diluting your disinfectant is an exact science, so it’s important that you follow the instructions provided to you by the disinfectant supplier. If you dilute it with too much water, you may reduce its effectiveness. Not enough dilution could result in a solution that is too concentrated and you’ll be wasting money down the drain.

6. Use an enzymatic instrument cleaner

It’s not just the surfaces in a vet clinic that need disinfecting every day – your surgical instruments also need to be disinfected after use. While there are a range of surgical instrument cleaners available on the market, enzymatic instrument cleaners have quickly become the product of choice for vet clinics, thanks to fast and effective cleaning processes. Enzymatic cleaners have been shown to improve cleaning efficacy and can be used on a range of materials, including plastics, metals and glass. By opting for an enzymatic instrument cleaner, you are also extending the life of your instruments, as you reduce your need for caustic detergent chemicals and neutralisers.

7. Evaluate and re-assess your infection prevention regime regularly

It’s important not to just set and forget when it comes to your disinfection protocol. You should have one person responsible for regularly monitoring your disinfection regime’s effectiveness to ensure that your clinic is the cleanest and most hygienic environment possible. If you detect any deficiencies, make the appropriate adjustments, update your processes, and educate your staff.

We have the products to make disinfecting your vet clinic easy

The Safe4 name has become synonymous with highly effective and cost-effective disinfecting products in the veterinary industry.

All of our products are non-toxic and don’t contain any harmful phenols, aldehydes, or alcohol – making them safe to use around animals (and people!).

Safe4 veterinary disinfectant is also non-staining and a non-irritant, so you can use it with confidence on all hard surfaces and flooring throughout your clinic. Its effectiveness has also been thoroughly tested – and proven – against a range of viruses related to animals, bacteria, and fungi, including parvovirus, coronavirus, canine cough, FIV, E-coli, and MRSA.

Safe4 triple enzyme instrument cleaner effortlessly removes fats, starches and proteins, and can be used in ultrasonic cleaning baths, tunnel washers and deluge washers.  Its unique non-foam formula means cleaning inside fine lumens and other cannulated instruments is also possible.

Need more advice about infection control?

When it comes to infection control in a veterinary setting, the Safe4 team are the experts. If you have any questions about how you can improve your vet clinic’s disinfection regime, call 1300 661 821 or send us an email.