Aseptic technique is used to reduce microbial contamination to the lowest possible practical level.
No procedure, piece of equipment, or germicide alone can achieve that objective. The contribution and importance of each of these techniques will vary with the surgical procedure. The species of animal may also influence the selection of appropriate aseptic techniques used to prevent infection. For example, skin preparation in amphibians and fish is not recommended as such preparation will remove the protective slime coats. However, the use of antibiotics should never be considered as a replacement for aseptic procedures.