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Can he catch the cold?

BabyBlueEyes

BabyBlueEyes

JMcornsnakes
Hey guys! Well i have the cold/flu and i was wondering if my snakes can catch something if i touch or breath or kiss them? Im just wondering...
 
I think I remember a post asking the same question the the consciences was no the snake won't catch your cold.

Merry Christmas :santa:
 
I've always heared there is a change but it is too small to take precautions for it.... Unless you French kiss your snakies :grin01: But don't take my answer as a fact, wait for others to post..... :cool:
 
There is a chance of transmission of salmonella which is why you should always wash your hands after handling any reptile. Kissing is discouraged. And it's not too small to take precautions for it. The possibility is a real one if not extremely high. Young children (especially infants) and persons with compromised immune systems are at highest risk, but there is someone on this forum that recently contracted salmonella from her snake. You can use the search function and find it.
 
Holy Moly! Thats real scary! Im never kissing my snakes again.... and if i tell my family they are going to freak! lmao .... opps .... I didnt know they can carry it. Is it deadly? Can you get real sick if you really do catch it?
 
That may be, but it's still a real possibility that can be eliminated by not kissing your snake and washing after handling them. Just use common sense, and you'll be fine.
 
Come on Meg,
She freaking out now.
I agree to washing hands and not kissing but it's starting to sound like
"THE SNAKE WILL KILL US ALL" movie.
There is a better chance of getting hit! gees
 
Lennycorn said:
Come on Meg,
She freaking out now.
I agree to washing hands and not kissing but it's starting to sound like
"THE SNAKE WILL KILL US ALL" movie.
There is a better chance of getting hit! gees
Click to expand...

Picture the screaming hordes of people running thru the streets......
 
Personally.. I kiss my snakes too LOL... Treasure loves it! I've also had salmonella, not from my snakes mind you, from a dirty restaurant. So I decided to research this some, and from everything I have read, you are around 150 times more likely to get salmonella from a fast food joint then you are from your snakes. Mind you.. the studies didn't take into consideration those of us that kiss our snakes or let them touch our faces on a daily basis, least I doubt they did, it never said anywhere.

I was born with an immune deficiency (this is what smoking can do to babies in vitro ~,~) so I actually expect them to give me salmonella at some point LOL, but I can't help but show my babies some human affection, its just how I am. And yes, I kiss my cats, ferret, and mouse too =P Not my dog, she stinks right now, and not my parrot, shed eat my face off =P I agree that the whole "They WILL give you salmonella" thing has gone wwaayy too far. In my opinion, if you keep their vivs nice and clean there really isn't too much of a chance to contract salmonella from them... unless you start licking them or something =P LOL :crazy02:
 
I've raised hundreds of animals in the past 15 years and the only time I got sick from one was a dog I got from the pound who had been washed in something I was allergic to. I have had turtles most of my life, have even gotten several gallons total of turtle water when siphoning tanks... no problems! (except a nasty taste). Not that I recommend drinking your snakes water or anything, but don't panic. Very rare for a human to give an animal a cold, I just don't go poking my hands around their mouths or eyes when I'm sick just in case...
The 4" law is dumb, the turtles I raise usually don't even get 4", and if a kid is going to stick something in their mouth it doesnt matter what size it is! You can get salmonella a lot easier from raw eggs and meat and not washing off countertops and cutting boards than from handling snakes.... :)
 
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