Can pet reptiles and amphibians safely live with a cancer patient?

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.

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 reaching out about Dempsey. There are few diseases that are transmittable from guinea pigs, but ringworm is a possibility. Your nieces oncologist should be consulted for this decision. Good luck.

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.

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.

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.

You can have Salem examined by your veterinarian. A stool sample or gastric biopsy can be submitted to diagnose crypto. In snakes, the disease may indeed remain dormant for years before producing clinical symptoms. In geckos, cryptic is also known as "Stick Tail". Infected geckos will waste away and eventually die. Keep any infected pets separated. Wash hands thoroughly after handling. Keep them eating and maintain proper environmental parameters. You can use Emeraid to supplement the diet as needed and soak affected pets daily, or weekly, to maintain hydration.