Questions about Quarantining

Hello all,

I have a JCP and a BP, both in the same room. The BP cage is on top of the JCP cage, and I'm soon getting a Gray-Banded Kingsnake (at the Arlington show, probably).

The questions:

1) Can diseases go from the JCP to the BP or vice versa?
2) Should I quarantine the Gray-banded when I get it, and just put it in a plastic tub in a different room?
3) When is it safe to handle all three snakes w/o changing clothes and showering etc?

Thanks guys,

To be honest I never quarantined the BP when I got him because I wasn't aware of the process... I'm getting a little paranoid even though none of my snakes are showing signs of illness.

I'll quarantine any snakes from now on, and I'll keep the Gray-Banded Kingsnake quarantined until summer, probably, in a different room.

1) yes
2) yes
3) About 2 months, no need to shower or burn your clothes (not that drastic) but you should handle/feed your snakes first and then the quarantine. The quarantine should be in a different room.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JKExotics

1) yes
2) yes
3) About 2 months, no need to shower or burn your clothes (not that drastic) but you should handle/feed your snakes first and then the quarantine. The quarantine should be in a different room.

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For the kingsnake I can just feed it w/o forceps... I'll just do it with my hands so that won't be a problem. All my snakes have their own water bowls, so that won't be a problem.

When can the Kingsnake be put with the rest of the collection?

So just wash my hands after handling the Gray-Banded Kingsnake, and possibly change clothes, too?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DutchHerp

For the kingsnake I can just feed it w/o forceps... I'll just do it with my hands so that won't be a problem. All my snakes have their own water bowls, so that won't be a problem.

When can the Kingsnake be put with the rest of the collection?

So just wash my hands after handling the Gray-Banded Kingsnake, and possibly change clothes, too?

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Yea a change of shirt and some unscented anti-bacterial soap should be good. Typically 60days or two months is an acceptable quarantine time, some do 3 months you have to make that determination by observing the quarantined animal and inspecting it for any problems, but at least 2 months.

Handle the king after you handle your normal collection.

I'm pretty sure my BP doesn't have any diseases since it was the only snake the lady I got it from owned and it never saw another snake. It did go to a vet once for some kind of condition but that was all fixed.

I hope I got away :D

Just do everything for the newcomer last. Do this for 2-3 months. Feed last, handle last, clean fast, etc.

Don't feed with the same tongs. The changing shirt may be a bit drastic unless it's long sleeved.
They should be at least one room apart, or more if possible. Good luck! :D

What I'll do is I'll probably buy a baby at the Arlington show, along with probably a bottle of PAM if they have it, and put it in a nice small tub in a different room until it's large enough to go into my AP cage.

It actually works out quite well :D

How often does it happen that a collection gets infected by a snake that wasn't quarantined?

I'm just paranoid about my snakes...

Thanks,

No need to spray a snake unless you notice mites, and over the course of the quarantine if you inspect the animal daily (as you should) you will notice them if any. I mean sure buy PAM while it's cheap at the expo but don't treat something that doesn't exist.

Why do they call is Provent-A-Mite if it's for treating it, not preventing it? :P

I'll buy it anyway, just to be safe if I need it.

It does prevent mites (for a long time at that) but I don't like to spray my snakes with anything unless I see mites then everyone gets treated but why bother if it's clean.