Scratched by my leo

[moxsum]

Hey guys,

So im taking care of my sick leo, hes got an eye/mouth problem so I am handling him a bit more then usual, and hes more feisty then usual.. I think he scrateched my finger the other day trying to escape, its a very very tiny scratch but theres a red mark so he obviously cut through the skin a bit.

Is it possible to get salmonella from that? Im kind of a hypochondriac so I get worried over things like this.. I actually had salmonella (from food) a few months ago and crapped my brains out for a few days but then I was ok.. however, a blood infection would be worse im assuming..

I asked the vet im seeing and he said it was pretty unlikely. I think the concern with reptiles having salmonella is getting it on your hands and then ingesting it by touching mouth/food etc. I mean, ive had a staph infection on my knee before, and as far as I know it was localized? but then again I did have to take antibiotics.. If you get a scratch/bite does that mean the salmonella bacteria gets into your blood and spreads around your body?

Who else has been scratched/bitten by there lizards..? Any problems from it?

 

[Tony C]

I've been bitten, scratched, urinated and defecated on by hundreds of animals over the years and never had any trouble, just wash your hands and keep it clean like any other minor injury and you should be fine.

 

[LateNightGrubber]

I've been bitten, scratched, urinated and defecated on by hundreds of animals over the years and never had any trouble, just wash your hands and keep it clean like any other minor injury and you should be fine.

HAHAHA so true. I guess as long as you take caution with what you are handling and where you put your hands, you should be fine. Wear some gloves if it really worries you that much.

 

[M_surinamensis]

The strains of salmonella normally carried by reptiles are nowhere near as virulent to mammals as the ones associated with food poisoning (avian strains mostly, spread through contact to other foods). Your body temperature and metabolism are not ideal for the bacteria to begin with and our immune responses generally beat the hell out of most pathogens that have evolved for success in ectothermic hosts.

While all reptiles are potential carriers of salmonella as a gut fauna, it's uncommon in many species. The likelihood of a leopard gecko carrying salmonella is very low; the contact infections are almost exclusively a result of handling species that are more aquatic. Those species which defecate in a wet or moist environment and then come into contact with their own feces, reintroducing the bacteria load to their own digestive tract and swimming/crawling through heavily infected water and their own waste.

Reasonable precautions should be taken when handling any animal, but reptiles are really not very common vectors for zoonosis. Possible of course, but not likely. Especially unlikely when dealing with species that are kept in relatively arid environments.

 

[gothra]

I've had several horrific bites; I just washed the wound and put antibacterial cream on it and I never had a problem.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Reasonable precautions being handwashing after handling animals and their accessories as well as proper sterilization and clean husbandry habits. It's also a good idea to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer near animal cages.

 

[moxsum]

Thanks guys That makes me feel a bit better.. im sure im just freaking out as usual.. its a very very tiny cut, and believe it or not I was wearing gloves! lol.. but his little nails were kinda getting stuck in the latex and when he thrashed around a bit I think his nail poked through and scratched me.

You see, this is the first time ive had to give him medicine, or any lizard for that matter, and when they dont want it .. its not very easy. Normally if im holding him just for fun, its not a big deal, but I have to hold him in a way that he cant move around a lot and bite me etc, and I dont hurt him at the same time, and also try not to get scratched.. the vet seems to avoid holding his arms and legs, sort of cups his middle/abdomen and then lightly pinches his neck and that seems to stop him frmo moing or scratching or anything, ive just never done that so im afraid of hurting him

 

[im faster]

LOl yeas last month i got a female out and she DID NOT want to be handled and she peed all over me.. i was like wtf.. really? that was a first

 

[M_surinamensis]

On a completely unrelated topic, how does one manage to get scratched by a leopard gecko? Just how soft is your skin? Do you moisturize? What do you use?

 

[Dog Shrink]

Reasonable precautions being handwashing after handling animals and their accessories as well as proper sterilization and clean husbandry habits. It's also a good idea to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer near animal cages.

However DO NOT handle your herp directly after using hand sanatizer, in fact hands should always be washed after using hand sanatizer before handling your herp. It can hurt them badly.

 

[im faster]

How?