Chams and Babies - Advice please?

Hi All,

As some of you know, I am expecting our first child in February 2013.

I have been advised that reptiles can pose a risk to pregnant mums and young children up to 5. The best way to remove this risk is to remove the reptile from the house.

Salmonella is the main worry from feces. I religiously anti bac my hands whenever I have fed or cleaned out Simba, but I'm worried that if I'm in the middle of tending to him and the baby needs urgent attention, I'll inadvertently forget and pose a risk to our baby.

Sorry if I'm over reacting, but I'm basically wondering if I'm better of rehoming Simba?

Gutted, obviously but our baby's health must come first!!

Any advice would be appreciated and if I am better off rehoming him, I'd like to know if anyone can offer him that home please? (UK)

I don't see any rational reason why a reptile can't live together in the same house with a child. Reptiles carry lots of bacteria, e.g. Yersinia, Pseudomonas besides Salmonella. But those don't "attack" anyone suddenly, spring over like flea or walk along the floor to find the baby . As long as you take care of good hygiene while caring for your chameleon there should be no problem leaving him in his home. Of course, the baby should not lick the chameleon's skin or play with its feces or you shouldn't let the chameleon run around the nursery... but that goes without saying, doesn't it? I know a lot of friends who have children and reptiles. Without any problem.

In my opinion, it's fearmongering telling people they should rehome their reptiles necessarily. You already wash and desinfect your hands after contact with reptiles, feces, cage equipment - that's the most important. I even don't think you would wash or put the chameleon's equipment at the same place you prepare your own food. Yes, there is a risk of infections for younger/older/pregnant/immunocompromised people, but you're obviously aware of it. You can minimize it and needn't rehome your chameleon. It's just all about reasonably handling.

I think there was a similar statement from the American Veterinary Medical Association, but I can't find it up to date. Edit: There it is.

I wish you all the best for your new family member . Hope he or she may learn to know our fascinating creatures in your home, too.

KatCham said:

Hi All,

As some of you know, I am expecting our first child in February 2013.

I have been advised that reptiles can pose a risk to pregnant mums and young children up to 5. The best way to remove this risk is to remove the reptile from the house.

Salmonella is the main worry from feces. I religiously anti bac my hands whenever I have fed or cleaned out Simba, but I'm worried that if I'm in the middle of tending to him and the baby needs urgent attention, I'll inadvertently forget and pose a risk to our baby.

Sorry if I'm over reacting, but I'm basically wondering if I'm better of rehoming Simba?

Gutted, obviously but our baby's health must come first!!

Any advice would be appreciated and if I am better off rehoming him, I'd like to know if anyone can offer him that home please? (UK)

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Of course your baby comes first!! But my sister had a bunch of reptiles, chams + to many others for me to remember, and she kept them while having 3 of her 4 children. The only big precaution, she took was disposable rubber gloves. My oldest nephew is 45, so when she had his sister 2 years later she had to get the gloves from the vet.And she started keeping jacksons while she had a toddler.

She used gloves, and still does, every time she cleaned a cage, her reptile stuff never comes to her kitchen, and she washes her hands each time she handles a reptile.

That is it. Nothing more than most of us do every day.

This is just my sister's experience, you might want one of our vet's to give an opinion. If they don't read your post I will pm them for you.

I need to watch your human baby angel grow up also.

Had to edit this, the Doctor told Lee (my sister) a cat in the house puts a baby more at risk that a reptile.

I'm sure I read an article about the salmonella risk from reptiles being grossly overstated, not that I could find it again.

Congratulations on the forthcoming human! I have two and they are awesome and husbandry is MUCH simpler than chameleons... I'm also qualified in infant nutrition, yes, I'm officially a boob inspector, so any advice or support, just let me know.

Once the baby comes you probably won't be cleaning Simba's cage as frequently! Things change when the human babies come. You will still love and care for your chameleon, but your baby will come first, as he/she should.

That said, you will be fine. When your baby is brand-new, you won't have time to clean the cage as much, and when you do, you WILL remember to wash your hands. Just clean the cage while the baby is napping in the crib. If the baby cries while you are cleaning, he/she will be in the crib and will be ok waiting a few minutes for you to finish. The bigger danger will be when you have a toddler who is pulling on the cage......THAT could be a disaster

Thank you soooooo much!!

I'm so relieved, thank you all of you.

Oh of course you'll be watching baby grow up too Aunty Laurie!!

HAHAHA a boob inspector!!! I love it!! Hoping to breastfeed so I might have some questions for you eventually Lol!

I'm so glad he can stay

Hoping to get his new enclosure sorted by the time baby comes anyway, which will be toddler proof for when that time arrives haha!!

Just realised I've spent the last 2 hours feeding him n taking pics n sorting the silks LOL!! I'll miss that when the baby comes...sigh....oh well xx

Will post that lot in another thread!

Thanks again xx

The best book you can buy: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Love-The-Successful-Breastfeeding/dp/0954930959/

You'll do wonderfully. And you're in the UK so you can get in touch with the Breastfeeding Network which offers incredible and completely independent support, no links to any companies involved in infant nutrition or childcare, and won't push particular baby-rearing ideas.

Don't let people scare you too much, it won't be that bad! Otherwise nobody would have siblings. And I speak as someone who got pregnant with my second when my first was 7 months old. AND I was still breastfeeding and continued to do so!

I inherit the neighbor's 3 and 4 year old on a semi daily basis (mental note, if you give them ice cream bars, they dont leave) and they love hand feeding the lizards. I also have 2 lizards in the Halloween dish every year during trick or treat.
My personal opinion is lizards are just like any other pet, You have a dog that sits in its own waste in an unkept cage and never washed, its gona get your kids just as sick as with a lizard in the same position. I do give the lizards baths before they go into the candy bowl

Trillian said:

I'm sure I read an article about the salmonella risk from reptiles being grossly overstated, not that I could find it again.

Congratulations on the forthcoming human! I have two and they are awesome and husbandry is MUCH simpler than chameleons... I'm also qualified in infant nutrition, yes, I'm officially a boob inspector, so any advice or support, just let me know.

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That is a great post. Congratulations indeed. While I'll agree the husbandry is simpler, once they approach adulthood they can develop mean, nasty tempers and unpredictable behavior patterns. Chameleons are much more stable. If they hate you, they hate you from the start and that's just how it is. They never go from loving you intensely and needing you for everything to "Why can't you just leave me alone?" in the space of 12.3 seconds.

Congratulations

Perhaps someone else in the household can clean the reptile cages, if you are concerned. But I think the risk is minimal. Washing hands is a good practise regardless, for whomever cleans up.

I had reptiles as a child, my neices have been around chameleons and frogs since they could walk, my neighbours children come visit me (just to see the pets, they dont really care about me).

You cant entirely rid yourself of all risk - You can get Salmonella from the food you eat, and no one is suggesting you stop eating.

sandrachameleon said:

Congratulations

(just to see the pets, they dont really care about me).

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LOL I could see you rolling your eyes at that one

sandrachameleon said:

Congratulations

Perhaps someone else in the household can clean the reptile cages, if you are concerned. But I think the risk is minimal. Washing hands is a good practise regardless, for whomever cleans up.

I had reptiles as a child, my neices have been around chameleons and frogs since they could walk, my neighbours children come visit me (just to see the pets, they dont really care about me).

You cant entirely rid yourself of all risk - You can get Salmonella from the food you eat, and no one is suggesting you stop eating.

Click to expand...

True dat. I have food poisoning as we speak.

Amusement park food.. ugh.

Congrats!

The husbandry is easier? I don't know about that! lol I'll take a room full of chameleons over babysitting/caring for an infant any day.

But like others have said, the risk is minimal if you take every-day normal precautions. My boyfriend's nephew is 1.5 and LOVES visiting the chameleon room, he'll sprint towards it when his family comes to visit. He'll even give the chameleons kisses on the back and not even his mom is worried, because I keep their cages very clean and they aren't dirty animals (not like small mammals that poop everywhere in their cages and they walk all over it all day long.) Then at dinner time his hands get wiped with a disinfecting towelette and it's time to eat.