Low maintenance tank decor suggestions

[ROSIEonFIRE]

I will add to the immune compromised part of this thread.

After my kidney transplant I met Brian Barczyk at a reptile forum. I explained that I probably should not keep snakes because of being immune compromised but any advice he could give would be appreciated. He spoke of a friend of his who bred carpet pythons in Australia and who had a transplant as well. He said he kept about 300 snakes and never had health issues because of them. He cleaned, bred, and had many bites, etc.

I did a lot of research after that and ended up getting Figment (my Hypo Lavender Corn Snake) and Frank (my Northern Blue Tongue Skink) from Brian and BHB. I now have 9 reptiles that I keep (2 lizards and 7 snakes) and have had as many as 13 at one time. As far as I know, I have not gotten sick from them. People, yes. Food, yes. Reptiles, NO!

I do not ask for trouble though.

-I keep my cages clean and use paper substrate as discussed.

-I use disinfectant on all my cages and decor and properly.

-I feed F/T. More likely to get sick from a live rodent (in a variety of ways) than from a reptile (especially one I know is healthy).

-I do not touch waste (on purpose - accidents happen - but I am very careful) and never touch my face or mouth until I have washed my hands thoroughly and repeatedly including with antibacterial soap. I also keep my nails trimmed and wash under them. Some people wear gloves. I generally do not, for what's worth. Maybe I should?

-I keep my animals as healthy as I can.

-Did I mention I keep my cages clean?

Many people are against antibacterial soap as it builds resistance. I agree, in general, but is probably wise for immune compromised people to use in certain instances. This is one.


My doctors were against me keeping reptiles. I explained the research and precautions and told them what they could do with their unsubstantiated fears. After years of not getting sick from the reptiles, and having many of the same doctors, they have changed their tune (with me).

I understand they want to keep me safe and "better safe than sorry." However, why have a kidney transplant and not be able to do things that bring me joy? My reptiles are included in that. I also understand that not everyone is a careful as I am. I know people who lost transplanted organs, or died, because they did not follow doctor's orders on meds, appointments, etc. Most doctors are speaking to you as they would to anyone, not necessarily giving you personal advice. Remember, they want you alive and they do not want liability. Sadly, that is the name of the game in medicine, as in many other professions these days. We have a litigious society.



Finally, it was mentioned that paper substrate is not ideal for locomotion/movement for snakes. For what's worth, paper substrate is okay as long as it has some texture (printers newspaper has a little) and/or there are objects (like hides, water bowls, etc.) for the snake to use as "footing"/traction. My snakes have adapted well and use the walls, the hides, the bowl, etc., but also seem to do okay regardless of using something to push off of.

Even if they would do better on substrate in terms of that, I believe the detriment to my health and potentially theirs, is not worth the risk.

If you do not keep up on cleaning substrate, including major cleans regularly, it can be a hazard not a help. It can also be an issue if humidity gets too high. That's for people who are not immune compromised. Add in immune issues and it doesn't seem worth it.

That’s really cool that you got to meet BB! I definitely agree that when you’re confronted with chronic illness and its ramifications, it’s important to weight the QOL benefits and recognize that some risks might be worth taking. If you have any resources you can direct me towards regarding keeping snakes while immunosuppressed I would be really interested in seeing them. Thank you so much for sharing your experience in this area.

Also I’m starting to wonder if there isn’t a niche in this market for an absorbent, disposable, optimally textured paper mat for snake tanks!