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VeterinaryApril 30, 2025
Are Your Disinfectants Causing Stress in Animals?
This blog was reposted with permission from Quiplabs.com
Veterinary professionals are increasingly focused on creating environments that promote animal comfort and reduce stress. But are your disinfectants helping—or unintentionally doing harm?
Recent research has uncovered something that should give every clinic pause: animals are demonstrating significant aversion to certain hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants commonly used in clinical and research settings. These findings raise important questions about how disinfectant choices may affect animal welfare, behavior, and even the accuracy of exams or research outcomes.
Disinfectants Under the Microscope
Multiple studies, including research from UCLA’s Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine, have shown conclusive evidence that animals actively avoid spaces treated with popular Hydrogen peroxide-blend disinfectants. These disinfectants, which combine hydrogen peroxide with alcohol and surfactants, are marketed under the brand name Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP).
In the UCLA experiment, Mice and rats were exposed to the two products compared to water in a three-chamber preference test. Each side was sprayed fifteen (15) times with water or the cleaner and allowed to air dry. The animals received ten (10) minutes of habituation time in the center chamber (water); then ten (10) minutes for free exploration in the two additional chambers (one sprayed with Quaternary ammonia, the other with H2O2). Thirty-two (32) mice and eighteen (18) rats were each exposed twice to the chambers. The box was rotated between subjects to avoid room-side preference.
The results of the three-chamber preference test:
| Species | Response to AHP | Response to Quaternary Ammonium Compounds |
| Mice | Statistically significant aversion (p<0.0001) | No aversion |
| Rats | Similar aversive trends | No aversion |
Even after pre-exposure, which was intended to condition the animals to tolerate the disinfectant, mice continued to exhibit aversion to AHP (p < 0.001). This suggests that the response is not based on novelty or unfamiliarity—it’s a physiological reaction.
These results were reinforce the findings of a previous, separate study published in JAALAS, which tested a variety of disinfectants and measured their impact on animal behavior. Again, AHP-based products triggered consistent aversive behaviors across all mouse strains, while other disinfectants such as chlorine dioxide did not. Even with acclimation, animals still showed significantly higher aversion to AHP compared to controls treated with tap water.
Implications for Your Veterinary Practice
For research veterinarians, the consequences are clear: stress alters behavior, physiology, and research reliability. But clinical veterinarians should take note, too. Mice and companion animals like dogs and cats share similar olfactory systems and sensitivities. If a substance causes measurable discomfort in rodents, there’s reason to believe it could also contribute to anxiety or stress in patients during exams, procedures, or recovery.
The takeaway? Not all disinfectants are created equal from the perspective of animal comfort, even when they meet your efficacy and material compatibility standards.
As veterinary professionals, we strive to create clean, safe, and welcoming environments for both patients and their humans. That means evaluating disinfectants not only for their pathogen-killing power, but also for their behavioral impact on animals. We encourage clinics to take a closer look at the products they use every day. Do they support the overall well-being of animals, or could they be introducing unintended stressors?
By making evidence-based choices, guided by both microbiology and behavioral science, we can take another step toward better care, stronger client trust, and improved outcomes across the board.
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This blog post was developed based on research findings from UCLA’s Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine, NIH-funded studies published in JAALAS, and chemical analysis of disinfectant patents and formulations.
Want to learn more about how your disinfectants might be affecting the animals in your care? Reach out below!