My dog plays near my iguana. Can he catch diseases like Salmonella?

Hello. It is very important that you always wash your hands after handling any reptile & before handling your birds or any materials belonging to the birds. I do not think you need to keep the gecko in a separate room, just use common sense care & everyone will stay safe & healthy. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. While I would recommend your mother consult with her doctor about their recommendations for her, I see no reason why they couldn't be in the house. However, be aware that Salmonella bacteria is part of the natural skin flora of many reptiles, so I would take that into consideration and limit her contact with the pets. But, again, her doctor would be the best person to offer her guidelines. Hope this helps.

There is a high risk of salmonellosis with all reptile species, however this risk can be minimised by careful hygiene techniques. If you ensure to wash your hands after contacting the beardie or its habitat this will help greatly. Try and avoid washing any of the tank contents near food preparation areas also.

Thanks for your question about Nugget. For the human health part of your question, the biggest disease that we worry about passing from reptiles to humans is Salmonella. There are other bacteria that they can also carry, but they don’t seem to cause as many problems for humans as Salmonella does. I would recommend washing your hands thoroughly after handing Nugget or cleaning the enclosure to help with this, and to clean the area where you dump the water (ie if you use the sink). For issues relating to a dirty enclosure for Nugget, there are many health problems that can occur with poor husbandry. They can get very sick from exposure to the high levels of bacteria present in their poop, and may stop eating, growing, etc. Often these infections take a long time to treat, and some reptiles don’t recover. I hope that answers your questions, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, Clorox is a potent cleaning chemical and, like most cleaners, can be irritating to eyes, skin, and lungs - for both you and your iguana. For this reason, all disinfected surfaces cleaned with bleach (or any other cleaner) should be thoroughly rinsed and allowed to completely dry before coming in contact with Marcela. Hope this helps!

Salmonella does not typically cause the symptoms you are describing. This bacteria usually causes GI signs like excessive vomiting and diarrhea. As long as you are practicing good hygiene after being around your turtles (like washing your hands) you should not be exposed.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is very uncommon that the rat would carry a disease that you would get from playing with your dog after carrying the rat. If you would like to be very precautions I would recommend the following: I would suggest throwing the rat out so that Cookie can't find it again. You can wear gloves to do this, and also wear gloves and get some water and rinse out Cookies mouth very well. After this I would play with Cookie without any concerns. Best of luck with Cookie!