Sanitary Issues?

[Jazi]

Ok but your one person out of 300million in the US lol
I think she was speaking as more of a majority. It still is a fact for most people, you just happen to be an exception. Plus if you were born with anything then those are like pre-existing conditions.

I know, I'm just not sold on the thing as a whole as I know of others who are in the same boat Some allergies have been largely proven to be genetic, some are yet unexplained. Studies have also shown that many people will be able to eat something their entire lives and then suddenly they develop a harsh allergy to gluten, or soy, or corn and must give up what was once their favorite food. Allergies are weird and I'm not convinced it's entirely the fault of under-exposure.

[Annarose15]

I know, I'm just not sold on the thing as a whole as I know of others who are in the same boat Some allergies have been largely proven to be genetic, some are yet unexplained. Studies have also shown that many people will be able to eat something their entire lives and then suddenly they develop a harsh allergy to gluten, or soy, or corn and must give up what was once their favorite food. Allergies are weird and I'm not convinced it's entirely the fault of under-exposure.

Definitely not entirely. I agree with you there, but it is a factor. And to your example - food allergies are a completely different beast than external allergies like pollen/pet dander and immune system threats like bacterial/viral susceptibilities.

[Slim]

How do you guys clean your BP when they have urinated and were sitting on soaked substrate?

I keep a pack of unscented baby wipes on the top of my rack. When needed, I pull one out and wipe the snake down with it.

[MrLang]

As far as where my snakes can crawl, I have a personal rule about not letting them crawl on anything that I'm not willing to have them poop on...a hard learned lesson.

This is by far the most compelling argument in this thread. I can't believe how many times I rolled the dice and could have had a snake poo on my bare chest...


You don't need to be concerned about catching things from your snake. It's cleaner than you are (germ-wise). I would not advise licking the snake. It will not make you trip out and it will not enjoy the affection. I would use sanitizer before and after handling. Before handling would be for the safety of the snake since it can't ask YOU to take a bath before touching it


I would mostly advise you to do some research on germs and how they are transmitted. If your question is "is my snake icky" then get another pet. If your question is about being sanitary, your snake poses no higher risk than any of the other perils in your home.

[kitedemon]

For me I don't worry that much. I keep the enclosure clean and when a snake is smelly I use baby wipes too just hold it and run it head to tail. done. I don't use the kitchen sink for the snake stuff often as it isn't as convenient but to be honest I worry way more about cooking chicken and washing utensils than the snakes or bearded dragon.

[drezden]

In all honesty, if you're that worried about it, reptiles may not be for you.

The constant bathing of your animals you'd be doing to put your mind at ease is not beneficial for them. In fact, I'd be more worried about my animals getting an RI from all that eventually.

In all honestly I've quickly dipped him in a bath twice in the few months I've had him, and didn't intend to do it again, hence me asking about alternatives.

In all honesty I was not overly worried about reptile germs until I came to this website and read about people showering, changing clothes, and sanitizing all surfaces the snake came into contact with.

In all honesty I am not that worried about it so I'll continue keeping reptiles.

[drezden]

1) Urine is sterile.
2) Make sure your substrate is thick enough and check his enclosure often enough so that he doesn't sit in his own excrement.
3) If he's especially icky, just wipe him down with a damp paper towel before letting him on any surfaces.
4) Much of the dust in your home is dead human cells that you shed on a daily basis. Who is ickier?

Thank you, that was the info i was after.

[drezden]

This is by far the most compelling argument in this thread. I can't believe how many times I rolled the dice and could have had a snake poo on my bare chest...


You don't need to be concerned about catching things from your snake. It's cleaner than you are (germ-wise). I would not advise licking the snake. It will not make you trip out and it will not enjoy the affection. I would use sanitizer before and after handling. Before handling would be for the safety of the snake since it can't ask YOU to take a bath before touching it


I would mostly advise you to do some research on germs and how they are transmitted. If your question is "is my snake icky" then get another pet. If your question is about being sanitary, your snake poses no higher risk than any of the other perils in your home.

I really feel like I've been thrown a curve ball and somehow managed to offend some of you people. I don't view my snake as something gross, but when I noticed that day that he urinated an extraordinary amount and was sitting on top of it I posted to get advice on what you people do (obviously I'm receptive and wanting to do it in the way that doesn't cause harm or stress to my snake, and to find out if it was even necessary at all.)

I've been washing my hands before and after handling since day one (the only good advice I got from the people at the pet store)

Thank you for your input

[AZ_Equine]

I simply give my snakes a little bath in soapy water in the bathroom sink (baby shampoo) and rinse well before handling

[rebelrachel13]

I simply give my snakes a little bath in soapy water in the bathroom sink (baby shampoo) and rinse well before handling

Hmm. Do you do that every time you handle? Is the baby shampoo safe?

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