Quarantine Process - What's Overkill and What's Standard

[ckuhn003]

I'm curious how people approach the quarantine processes. There was a link shared earlier today but it went back to some posts from 2008 - 2015 and there was some pretty tedious steps mentioned (i.e. 3 months up to a year in QT, etc...). Wondering what's overkill and what's standard.

I have one healthy BP and I plan to introduce a BOA from a respectable breeder. Both are/will have forever homes (large pvc enclosures) so should I move the Boa's forever home to another room for 90 plus days? It seems to be much easier to put the BOA in a small plastic container for 90 days but that would probably mean I would have to buy a UTH as well as hope my room ambients are correct.

I also understand that other things need to be kept separate (water bowl, feeding tongs, etc..) and not to handle both w/o taking a shower and changing clothes in between. What about treating the new snake w/ a mite prevention??

Sorry to create another thread on this but I've seen methods change over time and was just curious what everyone does today.

[Caali]

I think you'll get mixed opinions on this but I learned the following standards:

1. Quarantine has to be done in a different room from the other animals.
2. Use a different enclosure from the one you will be using later. A suitable plastic box with holes is fine.
3. Minimalistic setup with just paper towels, a water bowl, hides and the technical setup (heat mat, thermostat, etc.)
4. Use different tools that don't come in contact with your other snake. If they don't stay in the enclosure of the new snake, clean them with boiling water after they've come in contact with the animal and/or the enclosure.
5. Always clean your hands afterwards. If you can, disinfect them. Maybe even use disposable gloves.
6. Only interact with the quarantine enclosure when you're done interacting with your other pets (reptiles) for the day.
7. The animal should be quarantined for at least 3 months.
8. You should do least 2 fecals in that time frame. They should be done at an interval of at least 2 weeks. (German standard)
9. Change the water daily.
10. Change the paper towels daily or every second day.
11. Check for mites daily.
12. Look for signs of IBD (especially with a Boa).

--> It can be that snake will display no signs of IBD even if it's already ill. Boas can have IBD years before
developing symptoms. It's a bit like AIDS in that regard.

This is what I learned. Hope this is helpful to you.

[ckuhn003]

If I do go the route of buying a cheap plastic container are there any threads or instructions on setup? Can you tape a UTH to the bottom of these? Of course, I'll be using a thermostat. My one concern is ambient temps so how do people control this during the quarantine process. My forever homes have an RHP and two UTHs to control both sides.

[bcr229]

I think you'll get mixed opinions on this but I learned the following standards:

1. Quarantine has to be done in a different room from the other animals.
2. Use a different enclosure from the one you will be using later. A suitable plastic box with holes is fine.
3. Minimalistic setup with just paper towels, a water bowl, hides and the technical setup (heat mat, thermostat, etc.)
4. Use different tools that don't come in contact with your other snake. If they don't stay in the enclosure of the new snake, clean them with boiling water after they've come in contact with the animal and/or the enclosure.
5. Always clean your hands afterwards. If you can, disinfect them. Maybe even use disposable gloves.
6. Only interact with the quarantine enclosure when you're done interacting with your other pets (reptiles) for the day.
7. The animal should be quarantined for at least 3 months.
8. You should do least 2 fecals in that time frame. They should be done at an interval of at least 2 weeks. (German standard)
9. Change the water daily.
10. Change the paper towels daily or every second day.
11. Check for mites daily.
12. Look for signs of IBD (especially with a Boa).

--> It can be that snake will display no signs of IBD even if it's already ill. Boas can have IBD years before developing symptoms. It's a bit like AIDS in that regard.

This is what I learned. Hope this is helpful to you.

I agree with this but for #11 I pre-treat the QT tub or enclosure, hide, and paper substrate with a permethrin-based mite spray the day before the snake arrives, and I wipe the snake down with Reptile Relief when it comes out of the shipping box. If it has mites I'll know almost immediately and I will have a jump on treating for them. If it doesn't have mites, no harm done.

In the US and Europe a 90-day QT is pretty typical, assuming the snake shows no health problems. Otherwise the 90-day clock resets to start on the day the snake no longer is sick or has a clean fecal.

In Australia exotic vets are recommending a one year QT due to some of the viral diseases there. They haven't (yet) been found in collections in Europe or the US.

You can set up a plastic tub much like a tank - UTH, thermostat, secure lid, hides, water bowl, newspaper. Putting a hide over the UTH helps trap the heat under it if your room ambient is on the low side.

[ckuhn003]

Ok this is great information and I'll try and follow it completely.

Do most people use their forever home or construct a cheap plastic tub enclosure for the quarantine process? If the latter, can someone provide some instructions on going about this?

[bcr229]

I have a home-built 3-level 54 qt rack I use for QT. Obviously I'm not buying adult retics, but it works for everything else, even small adult boas.

If I get a small snake that doesn't need a tub that large I just put a lot of cheap plastic home-made hides in it.

[dboeren]

How do species differences figure into this (if at all)? For example, if you have a python and get a kingsnake then do you still need the same quarantine time or is it lower due to diseases not being communicable between vastly unrelated species? Something like mites could of course still go from one to the other.

[bcr229]

How do species differences figure into this (if at all)? For example, if you have a python and get a kingsnake then do you still need the same quarantine time or is it lower due to diseases not being communicable between vastly unrelated species? Something like mites could of course still go from one to the other.

Parasites like worms, mites, and crypto can move not only between snake species but between reptile species.

Ninety days is the minimum, and if another critter is added to QT then the clock resets for all.

[JodanOrNoDan]

Parasites like worms, mites, and crypto can move not only between snake species but between reptile species.

Ninety days is the minimum, and if another critter is added to QT then the clock resets for all.

Yup, and the lower the metabolism the longer the quarantine. So, I personally would quarantine a ball longer than an active rat snake.

[tttaylorrr]

i think my style of QT is fairly simple but i might get pegged on some of my methods. lmk if you anyone thinks i missed something!

- simple storage tubs from home depot with 3 to 4 holes soldered into the sides (be in a well ventilated room or outdoors to do this). the tubs are less than $10 for a 32 qt and they have smaller ones as well. put something heavy on top or use luggage straps to keep the lids secure.
- i have not pre-treated any of my QT tubs; i probably wouldn't advise others to follow suit.
- UTH adhered to the underside with aluminum tape. i use Ultratherm UTHs with Herpstats or VE300s, so the UTH will never get hot enough to create an issue with this.
- tub(s) has to be in another room from your established collection.
- thoroughly inspect the animal upon arrival. contact your breeder, whether everything is right or something is wrong.
- i use ReptiChip for everyone without legs. you can't beat how much you get for $20 so i like to use it up. i have yet to have a mite issue *knocks on wood* so i'm sure others will advise against this and i do too; i'd probably listen to them if you're truly worried about mites.
- check the enclosure as regularly as you would everyone else, but plan to check on them AFTER checking the established collection or just schedule to do it on a different day. i like doing it on a different day, because this gives me a chance to clean any equipment like if it's a feeding or weigh day; i'm frugal and haven't bought a second set of stuff yet.
- wait it out for 3-6 months. i do 3 month QTs because i like to think i can trust the health guarantees from the breeders i've bought from.

my 2 latest additions just graduated QT at the end of june, it was exciting! i've had someone in QT since 2016! technically Corny is still in QT, but all of my pythons are in my rack now and it's super neat!!!