# Does nobody quarantine anymore?



## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

Over the last couple of months I can't believe the amount of people who are ignoring quarantine periods or just not quarantining at all.

Honestly can't believe the amount of people who have bought say a royal female for their male and because the breeding season is already underway they are gonna start to cool now so they can breed in time, stuff like that.

I honestly can't believe people could be so stupid, am I the only to notice this?


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## stephenie191 (May 29, 2007)

I've noticed a fewthreads with no mention of quarantine :devil: 

But the thing is alot of people will put making money over the animals welfare.


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

i quarenteen for 6 months


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## PSGeckos (Jul 15, 2007)

Here, here Young Gun, we strictly quarentine for 3/4 months, couldn't afford not to, have fecal sample done and even the odd stomach wash and stain (I know, i know it doesn't always show) but i'm sure its more than some would be bothered to do!


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## Akua_Ko_Nalu (Feb 15, 2007)

I have 2 reptile rooms, one for Collection, the other for quarantining, and they're in there for 3 Months minimum.


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

I have seperate vivs/tubs for QT and apart from two melamine vivs they are all in a seperate room (the loft) and I have totally different equipt,decor,feeding tongs and water source.

I will handle as little as possible and if I have to it will be the last animal I handle with using hand gel (Purell, good enough for MRSA, good enough for me) before and after handling, all the decor is sterilised with camden tablets every week for the QT period and then afterwards before a new inhabitant.

I just can't believe people don't even do simple things, your not only risking your own collection your risking anyones collection who comes into contact with your or your reps, which then could possibly threaten my collection.


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## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

People just dont understand the risks involved, its the saem with sex, i still come across people who refuse to wear condoms!!

Marina


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## Scoffa (Nov 23, 2006)

Marinam2 said:


> People just dont understand the risks involved, its the saem with sex, i still come across people who refuse to wear condoms!!
> 
> Marina


I've got some condoms - is that a date?:mf_dribble:


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

iv never needed to yet as iv only had 1 snake at a time but may be getting anouther soon so ill be quarantining it :2thumb:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i do now.....:whistling2:


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

It is the same in any field though. People buy puppies that haven't been vaccinated yet and don't realise that if you have another dog and it goes out, you can actually walk parvo virus back in, that you can walk it in on your shoes. There are many diseases that are spread from rabbit to rabbit, and feline aids is on the up.. but people don't think, well I'll quarantine my new kitten, puppy, rabbit, and so forth. Even tropical fish carry diseases that spread like wildfire in a tank but you buy one from a shop and you plonk it in. People expect to buy pets that are healthy and put them in with other healthy animals.

I am not saying it's right, I'm just saying - most people don't expect to quarantine pets and don't think about it.


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## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

Scoffa said:


> I've got some condoms - is that a date?:mf_dribble:


Are you fit???? Or typical male reptile keeper.

lol.

There have been a few instances where i haven't needed to quarantine, animal was living on its own no where other reptiles and or i knew the seller and where the stock came from etc but all other stock was quarantined.

Marina


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

I've always quarantined for 3 months, often with a standard fecal as well. If they are "high-risk" (e.g. American/American-descended Beardies with the risks of Adenovirus etc) then they have a fecal done specifically for the risk (and I found that the majority of vets don't have a clue about Adenovirus in reptiles...) 

It takes a lot of time and money, but it gives me the peace of mind of knowing that all my pets are safe, and that they all have clean bills of health.


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

Marinam2 said:


> Are you fit???? Or typical male reptile keeper.
> 
> lol.
> 
> ...


I am currently quarantining a boa from a very good friend of mine, I know his snakes, I know his setups and I know how careful he is, but there is always a chance something could have gotten through and I can't risk that, I treat any reptile as if I didn't know who had bred it.

Athravan, when I used to keep tropical fish I used to QT them aswell, for a week only mind but I at least tried, I think the main reason I am so insistent on quarantine is because of the fish, when I was younger my dad taught me that fish can carry diseases and if you keep them seperate and watch them you can see if any are sick, that just stuck with me and I have done the same since, even with ferrets.

It just shocks me the amount of people who I know have for a fact, bought stuff at the show on Sunday and put them straight in the same area or in the same viv as other animals.


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## Dan (Jan 11, 2006)

I think this falls under the "education" heading in conversations about what's not so great about this hobby.

Should the buyer need to be told to quarantine an animal by the seller or should the buyer just know - if so, who's going to tell them?

Also, where does quarantine start? With the importer, the shop or the end customer?


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## daisyleo (Nov 23, 2006)

Marinam2 said:


> People just dont understand the risks involved, its the saem with sex, i still come across people who refuse to wear condoms!!
> 
> Marina



Hmm I would of changed the phrasing from 'come across'  lol


Roy I have found this forum to be the worst for keepers not quarentining(sp) and for being totally oblivious to the word when it's suggested i.e. what is quaretine??? :banghead:

It is one reason I don't buy reps in from people I don't know, yes there is the fact of close friends still having things within their collections but that is a minor risk with the people I have bought from they have such huge expensive collections that are screened regularly etc. so the chances are minimal and I STILL quarentine for minimum of a month-three months for geckos that are going to be paired, we both know who the 'friend' is I refer to


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

reticulatus said:


> I think this falls under the "education" heading in conversations about what's not so great about this hobby.
> 
> Should the buyer need to be told to quarantine an animal by the seller or should the buyer just know - if so, who's going to tell them?


One would HOPE that the buyer has educated themselves about keeping before buying anything... though it does startle me that most caresheets don't MENTION quarantine.

Makes me want to write and post a care sheet for every species I keep in my collection that DOES mention quarantine as a necessity.

For that matter, yes, I bought an adult female royal at the show and I do intend to breed her... but it's going to involve some tweaking temperatures to make a false winter AFTER her quarantine period is up!


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## jimmy_pompey (Aug 29, 2007)

i never let any of my snakes out at the same time,steralise my hands before handling each one , use seperate feeding tounges ect.


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## Reiyuu (Sep 21, 2007)

we have quarantine units set up at all times.. more often then not with nothing in. The only things in quarrantine at the moment are 2 female leos, soon to be 3 [additional 1 will be quarrantined seperatly... were not daft lol] for a minimum of 3 months. Quarrantine is in all the animals interests!


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## easty (May 4, 2007)

sooo say someone has 2 herp rooms one for the collection and one for quarantine, 3 months ago they bought a nice healthy common boa, just about to move to the collection room. they take in an unexpected rescue WC rainbow boa, mites / retained skin / mouth rot the works and put it straight in the quarantine room.

now my question is....... Is it still safe to put the common boa in the collection room or should it stay in quatrantine until EVERYthing in the room has been in QT for the QT period. 

Hope that makes sense and you can see the point??


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

If the boa has passed it's quarantine period, which for boids I class as 6 months then it is fine to go into the main room, the quaratine room is just another pyshical barrier that needs to be crossed by infection, all the animals in the quarantine room so be treated as if they were the only animal in there, hands washed before and after handling or entering the cage, seperate equipment and decor that never gets moved from one viv to another while animals are present, seperate feeding tongs etc.


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## gaz (Oct 5, 2005)

Marinam2 said:


> People just dont understand the risks involved, its the saem with sex, i still come across people who refuse to wear condoms!!
> 
> Marina


there's just the tiniest possibilty that you could have phrased that a tad better:lol2::lol2:
regards gaz


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## Dangerous Hamster (Oct 18, 2007)

Whilst quarantine is important before introducing new reptiles it isn't completely fool proof is it ? Unless you have a seperate changes of cloths for each a serperate room to quarantine them in etc..

Your best bet is just to get some alchol gel and wash your hands with that before handling multiple reptiles


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## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

See i quarantine to the best of my ability, but to be honest i think its pretty hopeless. I was the same with the birds when i bred parrots. As a trained care assistant and having worked with patients with MRSA and the likes, its virtually impossible to have proper quarantine facilities in the home.

To quarantine properly any new arrivals MUST be kept in a sealed room, every time you enter that room you change your clothes. Gloves and masks must be worn at all times. Hair is to be covered. Seperate equipment is used and sterilised after each use. All substrate, refused food etc must be placed in sealed containers within the room and incinerated asap. Jewellery of any kind, including wedding rings etc must be removed before entry.
Upon leaving the room, you must remove your clothes in a seperate sealed cubicle within the quarantine area, place all of your clothes in a sealed plastic sack for disinfecting or incineration, remove footwear. Dispose of masks and gloves for incineration. Use a disinfecting hand scrub and alcohol type hand gel before redressing. 

Without ALL of the above in place, airborne infections and diseases are literally impossible to contain.

I don`t know about anyone else, but i cannot accomodate this procedure within my home.

So i keep them seperate when they arrive, use seperate equipment etc....but quarantine?....no not really.


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## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

gaz said:


> there's just the tiniest possibilty that you could have phrased that a tad better:lol2::lol2:
> regards gaz


Its got bog all to do with me where your head it is at!!! Cheeky people. If you al live in the gutter.: victory:: victory:: victory:

Marina


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## Esarosa (Jul 13, 2007)

Quarantine to me now is the number one priority.

Back when i got my second tortoise i knew naff all about quarantine. I asked the pet shop, they said ti wasnt necessary, and my mum and aunt years before had torts n had never quarantined.

Then both my torts got ill..and thats not a risk i'm taking ever again. It was my own ignorance and belief that i'd been told the right information from a shop.

every animal now gets quarantined for 6 months before being allowed near the collection. Seperate equipment, tubs, etc alcohol hand gel used after literally everything...i've gone through three bottles this month alone to give u some idea.


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## This is my Clone (Jul 8, 2007)

I must admit I don't always quarantine new animals. If they have come from a trusted source (which pretty much all mine have), then I haven't enforced a quarantine.
I'm sure people will argue against that, but if I trust the seller has had the animal for 6 months or more, and hasn't noticed any illness, that is good enough for me.
Ones I have bought from an unknown seller or petshop I do quarantine.


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## Great-Geckos (Jul 25, 2007)

spirit975 said:


> See i quarantine to the best of my ability, but to be honest i think its pretty hopeless. I was the same with the birds when i bred parrots. As a trained care assistant and having worked with patients with MRSA and the likes, its virtually impossible to have proper quarantine facilities in the home.
> 
> To quarantine properly any new arrivals MUST be kept in a sealed room, every time you enter that room you change your clothes. Gloves and masks must be worn at all times. Hair is to be covered. Seperate equipment is used and sterilised after each use. All substrate, refused food etc must be placed in sealed containers within the room and incinerated asap. Jewellery of any kind, including wedding rings etc must be removed before entry.
> Upon leaving the room, you must remove your clothes in a seperate sealed cubicle within the quarantine area, place all of your clothes in a sealed plastic sack for disinfecting or incineration, remove footwear. Dispose of masks and gloves for incineration. Use a disinfecting hand scrub and alcohol type hand gel before redressing.
> ...


good and poignant points raised here, anyone done agency work in a hospital by anychance - an eye opener.


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## kerrie (May 29, 2006)

i keep them seperate when they arrive for 3 months (in a different room)use different tongs ect


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

spirit975 said:


> See i quarantine to the best of my ability, but to be honest i think its pretty hopeless. I was the same with the birds when i bred parrots. As a trained care assistant and having worked with patients with MRSA and the likes, its virtually impossible to have proper quarantine facilities in the home.
> 
> To quarantine properly any new arrivals MUST be kept in a sealed room, every time you enter that room you change your clothes. Gloves and masks must be worn at all times. Hair is to be covered. Seperate equipment is used and sterilised after each use. All substrate, refused food etc must be placed in sealed containers within the room and incinerated asap. Jewellery of any kind, including wedding rings etc must be removed before entry.
> Upon leaving the room, you must remove your clothes in a seperate sealed cubicle within the quarantine area, place all of your clothes in a sealed plastic sack for disinfecting or incineration, remove footwear. Dispose of masks and gloves for incineration. Use a disinfecting hand scrub and alcohol type hand gel before redressing.
> ...


Your are totally correct, but like you I can't accomodate that procedure either, but I do everything humanly possible that I can.

Just when people pick something up and stick it in the same area or the same viv as another animal, there have been times before now when I have been to buy an animal and sellers haven't asked me to wash my hands or use hand gel so I use my own before and after handling any of their animals.

I do know who you is on about Nix


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## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

Katiexx said:


> Quarantine to me now is the number one priority.
> 
> Back when i got my second tortoise i knew naff all about quarantine. I asked the pet shop, they said ti wasnt necessary, and my mum and aunt years before had torts n had never quarantined.
> 
> ...


 
See now it is very good practise to do what you do, but i think the term quarantine gets thrown around too much.
In my opinion the hand gels and seperate/sterilisation of equipment is what everyone should do all the time anyway, but it sadly isn`t quarantine. Infections etc will not be stopped in this way, its carried on clothes, in hair, on feet etc.
No disrespect intended by the way: victory:

Yes i`ve done hospital agency work....and its VERY worrying!


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## Esarosa (Jul 13, 2007)

maybe we should all sort animals out naked..this may sound wrong but bear with me..no need to wash and change clothes after every animal has been dealt with..just hop in the shower

i might be on to summat :razz: :crazy:


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## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

Katiexx said:


> maybe we should all sort animals out naked..this may sound wrong but bear with me..no need to wash and change clothes after every animal has been dealt with..just hop in the shower
> 
> i might be on to summat :razz: :crazy:


Hehe, i bet they`d be a fair few more people suddenly interested in seeing the snake room!:lol2:


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## royalpython (Nov 16, 2006)

haha, yeah... I have been taking a bath before going into my main royal room, if i've been handling these new snakes we got that have mites. This itself still isn't 100% full proof. I could still stand on something and bring them in - but it does reduce the risk.

I agree, quarantine isn't exactly strict in a home. From what i've learnt though, you should quarantine at least until you have proved to yourself no mites or visual signs of illness are present. You can quarantine in the same room, but it's just not as strict (i can see how this term "quarantine" is overly used). You can miss something all to easily. So initially the best we can do is have seperate rooms for them, until confident the newcomers are clean.


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