My problem isnt with the medical condition per se, he's been to the vet and he's on meds.. But Im sterilizing his house to be on the safe side. So I use repti-bark and havent had any problems with it, but I use quite a bit in his 30 gallon tank. So I loaded it into my pressure cooker and sterilized the heck out of it. Its dry enough and cool enough to be put in the tank now but before I do that I was wanting to get you guys' perspective. Is there anything wrong with autoclaving this substrate in particular?

Thanks.

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One nation under Dog
RIP Chameleo Extevez
Dog is my copilot.

Not really. It depends on the type of infection, really. I personally use paper towel for this kind of thing because it's easy to clean- just remove it for a new clean substrate every day. If the infection is exterior, perhaps avoid the bark. If it's interior, maybe the bark is fine. Await more opinions than mine before the go, but at least you know what I say.

Why do you say to avoid it if its external?

My problem with using paper towel or something to be changed often is because of the cage furnishings. Ive got dishes, branches, vines, etc and itd be a real pain to have to take all that out every time he poops. Plus I like it to look nice. Granted, his health is paramount.

Perhaps I should use the towels for the two weeks until his recheck at the vet, and when he is given the all clear go back to bark?

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One nation under Dog
RIP Chameleo Extevez
Dog is my copilot.

I agree with using paper towels just until he's got a clean bill of health.

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The reason I suggest for external use is that you can, even with a sterilization, get some little bugs and such in there. It also makes the poop easier to spot with paper towel. If you are really serious about the care of this animal, paper towels are the best way to go until the brunt is over as I've noticed it forces me, at least, to change the substrate every single day. Hence cleaner.

When dealing with a sick animal, simplicity and ease of cleaning is more important than looking nice. Keeping the cage as clean as possible is necessary to prevent reinfecting the animal. After he is back up to speed you can pretty up the tank again.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Hello,

Think about it like this. When an animal is being housed at the hospital for treatment, they keep the housing units as simple and sterile as possible. This allows you better control with monitoring the animals progress.

While the swift is being treated, you should minimalize the enclosure and use a substrate such as the paper towel.

Once the infection has been eradicated, you set the enclosure back as it was previously.

It may not look ice for a couple weeks, but it will ensure the infected area (especially external areas where there is an open wound) remains clean.

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Gruesome has been given a clean bill of health.

__________________
One nation under Dog
RIP Chameleo Extevez
Dog is my copilot.