How likely am I to get salmonella from my bearded dragon? Is it risky?

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.

This would be an extremely unlikely event and I would consider it basically impossible. Please maintain normal hygiene measures (wash your hands before handling him) to avoid any possibility (if any at al!) of cross-infection.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Reptiles carry Salmonella so I would make sure that you thoroughly clean the area on a regular basis to prevent Precious from getting Salmonella. Salmonella is in the GI tract of reptiles so it is passed along in their feces. If possible, I would develop a separate play zone for your iguana to play on from where Precious plays and spends time. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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.

Reptiles do harbour a lot of bacteria such as salmonella. If you feel unwell it could be unrelated but best to visit your Dr to be safe. In future I would avoid kissing her and make sure you wash your hands after handling her or her habitat. I would advise against sleeping with r as you could accidentally roll onto her.

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 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.