I want to get a crested gecko but I am nervous about salmonella since I have two daughters. One is 9 and the other is just over a year old. From the research I've seen that it is advised not to have a reptile if you have kids five years or younger because of their immune system. Also is there anything else reptiles can spread that I am not aware of. Could anyone with pet reptiles and kids please share any info and experiences.
Want to get a Crested Gecko
- Thread starter Texas T
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Crested geckos are fantastic. I don't have children myself, so I can't help on that end, but I wouldn't think there would be any issue as long as your youngest isn't handling the animal. If your older daughter wanted to try handling, she would need to wash her hands afterward, just as she should with any reptile or bird. AFAIK there is no cause for concern with a caged pet if it stays out of reach of your youngest. Many of us here were exposed to reptiles as children with no ill effects. A few regular users are crested enthusiasts and many are parents so I'll defer to their experience, but I will say my crested male has never gotten anyone sick (since 2005) and has been a beloved classroom pet for a few of those years--albeit with teens rather than toddlers.
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ALL animals can be and usually are vectors of Salmonella, including cats and dogs, but all the negative hype is, of course, focused on reptiles. The most common source of Salmonella is FOOD, not animals. Following the advice that your mom gave and washing your hands after handling an animal and before eating, and keeping food properly stored will cut back on the majority of risk. Animals usually associated with a specific infectious case of Salmonella are almost always kept in unsanitary conditions themselves, providing an excellent opportunity for germ to develop, but there is some strain of Salmonella on virtually every surface; it's just that common.
pitbulllady
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I keep hand sanitizer for my 2.5 year old niece, to try to get her in the habit of realizing she must use it after handling things. She's not allowed to handle anything on her own, all our cages are locked or otherwise toddler-proof, and supplies used in cleaning/maintaining the cages are kept out of reach. She likes to "pet" the corn snakes, and as soon as she's done, she asks for the sanitizer. She rubs that on her hands, then we usually go and wash our hands anyway. I personally don't use sanitizer, but I hate the way it feels on my hands. I have to admit that I'm not super fastidious when it comes to washing my hands AFTER handling the animals and before doing anything else, but a large chunk of my day can sometimes be spent handling/feeding/cleaning. I do always wash my hands BEFORE handling any of my animals (other than dogs and cats.) because I'm more concerned about the potential for me to transmit something to them than the other way around. I've eaten lunch on the floor with a very large black throat monitor begging for scraps, and shared a salad with a 50lb sulcata tortoise. I will however scrub my hands like I'm preparing for surgery if I ever have to handle an aquatic turtle. Yuck.
Like pitbulllady said, most of the cases are from animals that are poorly maintained. Keep the cage sanitary, the animal properly fed and properly heated and there's minimal concern. My crested cages get wiped down inside and out weekly, plants cleaned weekly, dishes every other day. Every month/2 months it gets completely emptied, scrubbed down and sanitized. Honestly in a house with dogs, cats, reptiles and inverts, my largest concern is grocery store chicken and the bins our dog and cat food are kept in. I scrub our dog bowls like they carry the plague, too many food recalls linked to inappropriate handling of the food after manufacturing for me to not do it.
Another suggestion would be to get a tailless Crested for the first one your daughter handles. Cresteds don't grow back their tails, and even for adults (humans) it can be very traumatic when they drop them. A friends daughter knew that it could happen with hers, and watched a video of a tail that had fallen off and STILL was upset with herself for a week after her Crested dropped it's tail.
Like pitbulllady said, most of the cases are from animals that are poorly maintained. Keep the cage sanitary, the animal properly fed and properly heated and there's minimal concern. My crested cages get wiped down inside and out weekly, plants cleaned weekly, dishes every other day. Every month/2 months it gets completely emptied, scrubbed down and sanitized. Honestly in a house with dogs, cats, reptiles and inverts, my largest concern is grocery store chicken and the bins our dog and cat food are kept in. I scrub our dog bowls like they carry the plague, too many food recalls linked to inappropriate handling of the food after manufacturing for me to not do it.
Another suggestion would be to get a tailless Crested for the first one your daughter handles. Cresteds don't grow back their tails, and even for adults (humans) it can be very traumatic when they drop them. A friends daughter knew that it could happen with hers, and watched a video of a tail that had fallen off and STILL was upset with herself for a week after her Crested dropped it's tail.
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Cute! And definitely male, haha. I like the reddish dalmatian spots that he has.
nice. Salmonella is very hard to transmit in cases like this. My aunt has a CG we told her to get in her 3rd grade classroom. Kids love it, she loves it, and to keep those parents at bay they just have to wash their hands before and afterwards. Though in my opinion it isn't really necessary.