Oxine Chlorine Dioxide Disinfectant


Chlorine Dioxide to stop COVID-19 in air and on surfaces
  
The active ingredient in Oxine is Chlorine Dioxide.
*Oxine is on the US EPA's List N of more than disinfectants validated for use against the COVID-19 coronavirus.

At appropriate concentrations, some Chlorine Dioxide disinfectants  can be conveniently sprayed in the air by ultrasonic humidifier, fogger or fine-mist spray bottle, as well as on skin and clothing, to destroy viruses, bacteria, mold and fungus.

  
This makes Chlorine Dioxide extremely valuable since we have learned that COVID-19 can spread through tiny aerosol droplets we breathe out.
You can learn more about Chlorine Dioxide use at www.CoronavirusCD.org

Oxine Chlorine Dioxide and Citric Acid mixing amounts
How to use Oxine disinfectant for chickens for controlling respiratory sickness caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or mold

Oxine AH is a 2% liquid solution of the chemical compound Chlorine Dioxide made by Bio-Cide International.
 View product information on manufacturer's website. 

Information on using Oxine AH for cleaning coops, washing eggs, and adding to drinking water:
(Note: Parts of these instructions are for treating high amounts of water.)
 View Instructions

"Activation"

Oxine AH comes as a concentrated liquid in a quart or gallon jug. It becomes a much more potent disinfectant when it is "activated" with Citric Acid, which you can order along with your Oxine. Activation is useful and safe for many purposes, but not for some others.
  • When used as activated solution at standard high-level concentration (500 ppm), one gallon of concentrate makes 40 gallons of diluted solution. (Cost per gallon is only about $1.35!)
  • When used non-activated, Oxine should be used in more concentrated amounts, and will not reach the same disinfecting intensity.

Some bird owners report Oxine AH has reduced incidences of some hard-to-treat respiratory illnesses in their birds.

Oxine kills many types of fungi, as well as Avian Influenza A virus, Newcastle Disease virus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Salmonella, E. Coli, Mycobacterium, and many other bacteria and viruses.
Oxine needs to be used at an appropriate concentration for the target pathogen, and stay in direct physical contact with it for a sufficient length of time to destroy it. (Some require as little as 10 secs. and others require as long as 10 mins.).

Caution about effectiveness:

Do not place over-confidence in this treatment. In a number of situations, Oxine is not helpful, so do not have overly high expectations that it will help your birds.
** PoultryPedia does not recommend using Oxine as the primary treatment for most respiratory problems, particularly if the problem has developed to a critical point. In many cases, other treatments are needed instead of or in addition to Oxine. **
Note: Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar "with the mother" may offer some of the same benefits as Oxine. However, it should NOT be used together with Oxine, or they will have a strong chemical reaction.

Offici Oxine bottle label says: You should not use activated Oxine while animals are present, you should use a respirator when spraying, and solution should be washed off feed & water containers before using again. 
  • The Oxine AH (Animal Health) product is equivalent to Oxine Disinfectant and Sanitizer. In restaurants, Oxine is permitted to be used at up to 200 ppm on surfaces if they are drained and air dried before contacting food. No rinsing is necessary.
  • Important note: Some types of uses (such as directly soaking food or adding to drinking water) of activated Oxine should be limited to low concentrations, such as 5-15 ppm.
  • Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that even activated chlorine dioxide is safe to inhale when present in the air at very low levels. OSHA has approved 0.1 ppm air concentration for workdays, and 0.3 ppm for short-term inhalation.
    • However, you should wear a basic facemask when using a high-pressure sprayer, or when fogging with high concentrations of activated chlorine dioxide.
  • Unlike with household chlorine bleach, studies have found chlorine dioxide does not cause risks for cancer.
Activated Oxine solution's effectiveness will decrease over time, and will then need to be discarded or used for lower-level disinfection purposes. It normally will maintain its original potency up to 10 days if stored in reasonably appropriate conditions.
  • If stored optimally, it may maintain close to its original concentration for up to 4 weeks. 
  • Appropriate storage conditions include:
    • *Essential: In a non-transparent container (You can spray paint one, if necessary.), or otherwise protected from light,
    • with the lid tightly closed.
    • with the container mostly full (so there is less air space above the liquid),
    • away from heat.
  • You can double-check the current potency of activated Oxine using Bio-Cide's OxyStrips. (Note: Other brands of chlorine dioxide test strips will not give accurate readings for Oxine.)

  • Non-activated Oxine diluted in water will stay effective much longer, although at a much lower intensity.
  • Non-activated Oxine is not powerful enough for many purposes. With many types of bacteria, it will inhibit growth but not destroy the bacteria.
*Important note: The amount of Oxine required per cup of water is different for making Activated Oxine solutions vs. Non-activated Oxine solutions.

Fine mist spray bottle

Nebulization / inhaled mist treatment / fogging for Respiratory infections:
Note: Nebulization is not included in instructions on the Oxine AH label, but many poultry keepers report it has helped their birds.

Apply via a fogger, vaporizer, very fine mist spray bottle, or non-transparent ultrasonic "cool mist" humidifier, and direct the mist toward the bird's face. Water droplets must be very small to reach as deeply as possible into the birds' lungs & air sacs.

Spray bottles need to produce a very fine mist to be effective. The typepictured at left (sold at some beauty supply stores and online) will produce a continuous stream of mist at any angle so may be useful. If your spray bottle or humidifier has partly transparent sections, spray paint them to make them thoroughly opaque. Oxine needs protection from light or its potency will be rapidly lost.

NEBULIZING WITH NON-ACTIVATED OXINE
Mix minimum of 2 1/2 teaspoons non-activated Oxine with 1 cup water. (This is enough for about four 15-min. humidifier or 8 spray bottle treatments for a few chickens.)

NEBULIZING WITH ACTIVATED OXINE
You can instead use activated Oxine at appropriate low amounts. 
For mixing calculations, you can use the Oxine Mixing Calculator for Making Activated Solution.
-- More info to come.

* Nice bonus! Oxine mist will also help destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi and mold on surfaces it lands on in the coop.
Directing the mist toward a bird's face can be most conveniently done while it is in the dark sleeping on the roost at night, or if you place the bird in a confined area. Alternatively, you can use a somewhat heavier mist so that there is sufficient in the general area for the bird to inhale a decent amount.
~~Tip: You can plug a humidifier into an electrical outlet timer, to set up a cycle of power being turned off & on a few times each day, to provide scheduled Oxine nebulization sessions without you needing to manually turn a humidifier on and off each time.
It is not recommended to use a fan while treating birds, because the fan may cause the droplets to be blown away from birds too rapidly.
  • For less severe problems: Give one 15+ minute treatment every other day for a week.
  • For severe problems: Give treatments up to 3 times per day.
  • Routine care: Give 15-min treatment once a week.
Caution: Do not overdo the heaviness / intensity of the mist! (especially if using spray bottle, or misting in an enclosed). Overly high humidity can feel almost suffocating for birds--and people!), and overly high applications of chlorine dioxide or sodium chlorite are unsafe to breathe.
To determine appropriate intensity, first fill humidifier or spray bottle with ONLY WATER and direct the mist at yourself and evaluate what application amount and rate feels comfortable. If the bird will be placed in an enclosed area during treatment, also check that intensity will not build up too much within it.
  • Too heavy moisture amounts might make breathing somewhat difficult plus cause too much moisture buildup in lungs and breathing air sacs.
Overly high inhalation of chlorine dioxide or sodium chlorite can cause health problems, so precautions should be taken.
    • Note: Oxine mist may also cause mild temporary headache.
Treatment in drinking water for Digestive Tract infections:
3 to 5 drops (Use eyedropper to add.) non-activated Oxine AH per quart (4 cups) of drinking water. 
If you use activated Oxine AH, you can add up to 15 ppm for very dirty water, but should only add 5 ppm for reasonably clean water.
--Also reduces transmission of germs between birds, plus helps minimize growth of algae in waterer.
Notes:
* Some antibiotic medicines are affected by Chlorine Dioxide. It may be best to separate them--such as by putting Chlorine Dioxide in drinking water, and giving the antibiotic directly orally or by injection.
* Oxine will kill probiotics such as Lactobacillus, so do not give them together.
* Except for the amount you may use to initially "activate" Oxine, DO NOT USE ORGANIC ACIDS (vinegar, citric acid, lemon juice, etc.) with Oxine. They react STRONGLY together.
 
Sanitation and Cleaning
Oxine can kill many funguses, mold, bacteria and viruses. Activated or non-activated Oxine AH can be used to clean contaminated areas, but the activated form has a significantly more potent effect. The manufacturer recommends wearing a face mask respirator in some situations when using substantial amounts of activated Oxine, but breathing is comfortable where there is reasonably good ventilation. Unlike bleach, chlorine dioxide does not create cancer-causing byproducts.
Oxine is VERY SUPERIOR TO BLEACH for cleaning surfaces that have biofilm or are porous.
  • With a bleach solution, bleach's power can get used up on a porous surface area (such as wood) or where there is organic matter. The water moisture that soaks below the surface can then actually increase growth of mold, etc.
  • With an Oxine solution, the Oxine does not react with organic material (dirt, wood, etc.) as much, so it will retain substantial effectiveness, and penetrate to kill fungi, bacteria, etc. below the surface.
Treatment for Infected Wounds
You can safely use up to 300 ppm concentration of activated Oxine as a wound rinse and as an antiseptic soak on bandages. However, you need to rinse off Oxine if you wish to apply antibiotic ointment, because the Oxine will make the medicine less effective.
When doing surgery on a Bumblefoot wound, you can additionally use 50 ppm activated Oxine for flushing out debris while you are operating. Chlorine dioxide kills Staphylococcus aureus, which is the main bacteria that causes most Bumblefoot infections.

* You can order Oxine AH from:
First State Vet Supply, A to Z Vet Supply, Best Veterinary Solutions, Revival Animal Health, Hakes' Twin City Poultry Supplies, Lambert Vet Supply, Great Companions , and Animart .
Several of these retailers also sell the Citric Acid Activator.

Average costs: 1 gallon of Oxine - $26, 1 lb of Citric Acid - $14.
Each 1 gallon of activated Oxine makes at least 40 gallons of extra-strength disinfectant (500 ppm concentration). Final cost is only $1.35/gallon!
Shipping for Oxine is via ground delivery, so it takes a few days & is somewhat expensive because of the weight (usually ~$14).