Quarantine, What do you do?

[cyberlocc]

I was curious everyone's thoughts on QT. I have been reading it for the last few hours and all the posts seem very old and a tad dramatic.

The dramatic part to me looking in is another room. I understand all the other stuff, and about parasites ect.

My thing with the "Other room" thing is 1, is that really necessary? 2, who could even do that correctly? If you have a central air (most people in the US do) then your rooms air supply is connected so what you build another room? Is there air borne issues that chams face?

In my personal situation, I do not have another room that I can dedicate to new arrivals. So what stop at one cham? That seems a little bit out overblown to me, so I ask you what do you do?

Do you honestly have a second room just for the occasional new arrival? Is that room share the central AC, therefor making the entire thing pointless? Do you feel that another room is overblown? Let me know please .

To be clear, I have no idea, I am new to chams and that is why I ask. Is there airborne issues that could present? However the thing is when reading all the old posts. I see some people going all out, they need there own room ect ect ect. Then others, even some large respectable breeders saying that is overdoing it. From what I deduce that is true, if I am wrong let me know. It may be that I can only have 1 chameleon . I simply do not have a ton of different rooms in my house to dedicate to chameleons lol, I would love to but I dont.

I guess I could build heat and cool another room for the occasional new arrival. But that seems a little extreme to me. However I dont know so you tell me .

This also honestly begs another question. With the common thoughts on here being Quarantine for 3-6 months in a separate room. (again this is completely washed if you have AC)

So lets say I got a cham and set him up in a separate room. then 2 months later I see another greeat deal cham or a rescue whatever, I get another cham. By the logic of separate rooms he now needs another separate room. This can get out of hand and out of reality very fast.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Typically, quarantine is advise able when introducing new chameleons to an existing collection of established ones. Airborne issues are unlikely and I've never heard of any, however 3 months is a minimum for quarantine with Wild Caught animals and longer is better. With Captive Bred animals, 3 clean fecals (checked by a vet) and 3 months isolation is just fine.

Quarantine is the same room is find. Use different tools, such as forceps, feeder bowls, drippers, and so forth for EACH new chameleon, use disposable gloves between each enclosure/animal, and wash your hands with antibacterial soap. You want 3 clean fecals with them, also, perhaps over a few month period.
If your animals of the same species came from the same seller, odds are they were exposed to one another or their contaminates/parasites, already, but it's still good protocol to follow the above and most chameleons are best housed separately, anyway, as they are not social animals and will fight/cause stress, even subtle, invisible stress to one another.

 

[jajeanpierre]

This is a toughie and there is no right answer. In a home situation, it is often not possible to set things up the way a zoo would.

I have a fairly large collection of wild caughts, some adults and babies I've hatched and a PetSmart veiled--who doesn't start in chameleons with a PetSmart veiled? Plus a couple of bearded dragons.

My new animals except the bearded dragons have all been wild caughts. My cages all have three sides (except for the emergency temporary cages I have set up for the 13 new animals I just bought), so I am not as concerned with cross contamination.

I divide my collection into groups based on the risk I perceive they pose to my other aninmals: I have my pristine, parasite-free captive hatched babies and adults; the PetSmart veiled; long-term captive wild caughts that have had some treatment for parasites; wild caughts that came in a shipment from Kenya; a wild caught from Madagascar; the new import of quads and graciliors; and the two bearded dragons. I put a mental ranking of how "toxic" I think each group is. For me, parasites are my worry.

I try to wash my hands between handling animals, even though they are healthy and have been in my home for over a year. I will never handle my pristine parasite-free captive born animals or service cage after handling a wild caught. I service cages in a sequence starting with the least likely to have any parasites to the ones most likely. I try to be meticulous and never cross contaminate cages. I'm not perfect.

One of my concerns is picking up Yellow fungus. I honestly don't think I will pick it up from a new import--maybe I'm naive--but a reptile show is a whole different matter. I don't touch animals at reptile shows. They are stressed (more likely to pick up disease) and lots of people are touching lots of animals and passing around lots of different pathogens.

For your captive-bred animals, I would worry about coccidiosis, yellow fungus and other parasites. Parasites can be dealt with (or not) but yellow fungus is a biggie. I would keep them physically separated and also wash your hands meticulously between handling animals or servicing their cages for months. I suggest you be careful about who touches your animals--do they have reptiles at home? Think along those lines.

I hope that helps. I also hope the more experienced people will add their suggestions to how I do things.

 

[cyberlocc]

Thanks for the great detailed posts guys .

I agree with all of what both of you have said. Seperate equimpment, gloves, hand washing ect. I will 100% do those things. The whole other room is the challenge for me and I am sure a lot if us.

Glad to hear from some experienced WC keepers like you guys on the issue.

Jajean, I didn't start with a Petsmart veiled .

Seriously though, isn't yellow fungus an air borne pathogen? I also thought that only affect frogs?

 

[FlChamMom]

I've never put new animals in a separate room. My main thing is like the others have said and use different equipment on the new arrival. The newbie doesn't use the free range either. I keep hand sanitizer in the cham room and clean my hands after touching anything with each reptile.

Everything I have read on Yellow Fungus suggests that is spread through direct contact or contact with bedding, plants or equipment from an infected animal. I have not read that is airborne, but chameleons can get it.

 

[cyberlocc]

I've never put new animals in a separate room. My main thing is like the others have said and use different equipment on the new arrival. The newbie doesn't use the free range either. I keep hand sanitizer in the cham room and clean my hands after touching anything with each reptile.

Everything I have read on Yellow Fungus suggests that is spread through direct contact or contact with bedding, plants or equipment from an infected animal. I have not read that is airborne, but chameleons can get it.

Missed the part of yellow fever, very good to know.

I definitely plan to setup some QT cages on the other side of the room, away from all the other chams with there own sets of everything.

So I have another question really for all 3 of you. Hand Sanitizer? What is your thoughts on it? I will wash my hands as well, but as an extra line of defense. I didnt even think about it till FL said it, and just went and bought a big thing of it now . For the reps and the bugs.

the thing with the sink is, unless you have a foot sink in the room you will spread anything and everything you touch. the sink handles, the door handles, ect. Maybe I am overthinking things, but I dont think so lol. I was thinking about installing an RO system in the bug room, (If I can make the space ha). Maybe a small sink with a foot spicket would be a good idea as well.

Or am I overthinking and hand sanitizer is just as good?

I am seeing alot of good things about this F10 stuff anywhere to get it in the US? I got the walmart stuff for now but would like something better.

 

[FlChamMom]

I use hand sanitizer because I don't have a sink in the room and I also have my Russian Tortoise in there. That way I can make sure I'm not passing anything between them when I am feeding and cage cleaning. I haven't had any issues. A sink in the room would be cool though...