Double Whammy.. And I'm not scared.

[JLSchmittou]

Do torts carry salmonella the way turtles do?

 

[Tom]

Do torts carry salmonella the way turtles do?

I saw one study that said they carry it more. The aquatic turtles don't carry it nearly as much as some people think either.

Salmonella is everywhere. You could swab the floor, the counter tops or even the walls in a normal clean house and culture salmonella. If you just wash hands after touching ANY animal, even dogs and cats, you reduce the salmonella risk to negligible levels. My four year old handles dozens of tortoises, even during poopy soaks, and we've never had a single problem. She's been touching her tortoises since she was a toddler.

My wife has a masters in microbiology and she signed off on this...

 

[Madkins007]

Yeah, Salmonella is sort of a Boogeyman issue. MOST cases of Salmonellosis are mild, short-term, and self-regulating. If you've ever had stomach flu or the 24 hour bug, it was almost certainly a case of Salmonellosis- nausea, possibly vomiting, diarrhea- takes about 24 hours to kick in and goes away in about a day in many cases.

Room temperature meat, chicken, and eggs (as in egg or chicken salad) are a frequent source, but as Tom said, the stuff is everywhere.

Practice good general purpose but not paranoid level hygiene and sanitation and you'll almost certainly be fine.

 

[JLSchmittou]

That's kind of what I thought... We own a restaurant, so I'm pretty well versed in the whole food borne illness thing... Still not scared...

---

LMAO @ Tom.... Your wife's masters in microbiology stamp of approval is good enough for me

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Hi and welcome. This thread is hilarious and your babies are super cute

 

[african cake queen]

hi & welcome!

 

[tortuga_mel]

Welcome

 

[81SHOVELHEAD]

Welco
Lots of knowlegegable people here .
Tom seems to be the resident expert on Sulcatas.

 

[Laura]

Welcome to our family!!
read the current stuff.. there is not One way to do it right.. pick and chose what works for you.. as long as it is good for them too!

 

[JLSchmittou]

Well.... 24 hrs in, 5 different stores for supplies, and a brand new enclosure and we are MOWING down food and some lettuce!!! I am pleased. And the girls are acting as if they are too. Can you upload photos via iPhone app onto the forum?

 

[pdrobber]

welcome

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Hi and welcome. I am assuming the babies are eating pooping and active today? Please continue to ask any questions you have, we all have answers for ya...

 

[JLSchmittou]

@maggie... Yes! I had an update and then lost it somehow on my phone. Today was a great! We finally got their enclosure put together, and they played in the backyard this afternoon and really seemed to enjoy themselves hiding in plants and such... Then they ate like little piggies, explored their enclosure-over and over and over again, had some lettuce and have passed out.... But not before the poop-pa-looza on a coffee table. Which filled me with absolute glee (because I'm a big dork like that). Weve had a good day... I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

 

[Yash Raj]

Welcome.