Salmonella. Have YOU caught it from your reptiles?

[JTrott]

I have had salmonella once. I used to work in a petstore, and got a mouthful of water from a turtle tank.....spit it out, rinsed, gargled....everything, and still got it. From what others have said, 'you won't know if you have it'.......I guarantee, YOU WILL......you cannot keep ANYTHING in.....when you drink water, it comes out.....when you eat, it comes out....all within MINUTES. When you burp, it is like 'gas' out of your mouth....it is horrible. I would not wish it on my worst enemy. I spent 2 days in the hospital pumping fluids I got so dehydrated. After that, the owner got a siphon that hooked up to a sink.....

Jason

[akjadlnfkjfdkladf]

JTrott that sounds horrible!

should i not let my snakes slither around my bed with me anymore?

[purplemuffin]

I have had salmonella once. I used to work in a petstore, and got a mouthful of water from a turtle tank....

I find this interesting! What was the quality of this pet store? Would you say the other employees took as good of care of the animals as you? Was the tank over crowded, or clean like a tank in a proper home would be?

Considering salmonella is in feces and like people said, turtles are the worst for this since they will just swim around in their own feces in dirty water, I wonder if a lot of the worst chance for salmonella comes from the early days just after returning from the petstore if there was an overcrowded cage!

Heck, another reason to make sure pet stores take better care of their animals! If they don't care if their animals get sick, they should care if they could get their customers sick.

[dragonmoon]

Heck my kids bring back so many stomach bugs from school and pass on I wouldn't know if I had it in the first place

[zeion97]

I find this interesting! What was the quality of this pet store? Would you say the other employees took as good of care of the animals as you? Was the tank over crowded, or clean like a tank in a proper home would be?

Considering salmonella is in feces and like people said, turtles are the worst for this since they will just swim around in their own feces in dirty water, I wonder if a lot of the worst chance for salmonella comes from the early days just after returning from the petstore if there was an overcrowded cage!

Heck, another reason to make sure pet stores take better care of their animals! If they don't care if their animals get sick, they should care if they could get their customers sick.

I tried to reply to his post this morning but was having some "mobile internet" troubles.. and you're right, turtles are one of the worst and easiest places to catch salmonella.
What people overlook is that we don't get salmonella from the reptile itself so to say!, it comes from the bacteria being able to grow. Salmonella grows very well, and very quickly inside water. A turtle tank is nothing but a Paradise for them. Even if you clean your tank constantly there is still a larger chance to catching it there, then from a snake.

[purplemuffin]

So other than turtles, what else would be the highest risk animal in regards to salmonella? Even non reptiles. I'm curious. Articles sound as if anyone touching a snake is going to die of salmonella, but considering just about every animal can get it... What else would pose the highest risk and how much of a risk would you say it is?

With turtles the risk could be considered lower if we used automatically pumping syphons instead of sucking up tank water probably, hehe!

What is the next 'highest risk' animal? Dogs? Birds? Hamsters?

[zeion97]

So other than turtles, what else would be the highest risk animal in regards to salmonella? Even non reptiles. I'm curious. Articles sound as if anyone touching a snake is going to die of salmonella, but considering just about every animal can get it... What else would pose the highest risk and how much of a risk would you say it is?

With turtles the risk could be considered lower if we used automatically pumping syphons instead of sucking up tank water probably, hehe!

What is the next 'highest risk' animal? Dogs? Birds? Hamsters?

If snakes carried botulism then those articles would have a point. salmonella doesn't really kill older kids, but yes young children and the elderly or people with immune system defects cab die, the average human... eh, Maybe untreated.

Someone with turtles chime in. I know LITTLE of turtles...LOL

Next most likely animal? A chicken! I seriously don't know that one, but I know the Reptiles take a lot of hits from salmonella, but the truth is it's not likely to happen, I mean it can but Just not likely!

[JTrott]

salmonella doesn't really kill older kids, but yes young children and the elderly or people with immune system defects can die, the average human... eh, Maybe untreated.

I fixed your spelling error.....lol......

I didn't die, but I wish I had a couple of times, and I am sure at times my wife wished I had....lol....when you burp, it stinks as it is, but when your burps smell like farts, it makes it 1,000,000 times worse.

I have turtles at home, and have been VERY careful with them. I use an autosiphon straight into the sink, and after I drain, I clean with bleach. I DO NOT wanna get salmonella again..........I would not wish it on my worst enemy.....well, let me take that back.......there is this one person......lol.....kidding......it is horrible. I think I have gotten it from undercooked chicken before, and it was not bad......still bad 'digestion' problems, but nothing like turtle water.

The turtles were not overcrowded......there were 3 albino red ear sliders in a 20 gallon long aquarium.....it got cleaned about once a week to every 14 days......depends on how fast they were selling.....

I have eaten all kinds of nasty stuff, most on bets, including raw eggs, and have not gotten sick. If I HAD to say what besides turtles can give you salmonella, I would say eating raw chicken.

DRAGONMOON......I guarantee, if you had salmonella, you would know it.....I have not explained much, because it is pretty nasty, but if you go to a medical website, I am sure you can find some symptoms.......I can say that if you had it, you would know.......

Jason

[andwhy6]

never had it and neither have any of my family. ive had reptiles since i was 8. so... about 16 years. i now have 5 balls, 2 black milks, a blood python, and a gator

[Emily Hubbard]

JTrott, your account of the horror is consistent with what I have heard from the RN and doctor in my family. Just not a hell anyone wants to go though. Yes, the risk is low, but when washing your hands and using some bleach can make all the difference, who wouldn't? There is no reason to live in fear, but also no reason not to take a few simple precautions.

Of course, your story is one of those unavoidable accidents. Comes with the territory of being around reptiles. So sorry you went through that, and so glad you didn't let it soil your love of the hobby.