Quarantine Talk Thread

[mustang]

Good. I like to be right.

what a coincidence! so do i

[chris-uk]

Time to resurrect an old thread, as it's important to me right now and I don't think this old thread had run it's full course. So, there's two posts in the thread that gave useful advice:

I think a thread discussing the quarantining of snakes is long over due. Whether those snakes are CB(captive Breed) or WC(Wild Caught)

Quarantine- A strict isolation imposed to prevent the spread of disease.
Seems simple enough, but is it that simple.
Why quarantine, what are we afraid of:
External parasites and disease like mites and ticks. If you've ever had to deal with reptile mites you should be a strong advocate of strict quarantine periods.
Sometimes wild caught or even captive bred snakes have skin disorders like scale rot or infections that can be spread when sores or blisters break.
Stomatitis- Mouth rot
Blister disease
Septicemia(blood infections)
Respiratory infections(sometimes caused by septicemia)
Eye Infections
Viral infections(difficult to diagnose without blood examinations)

Then the internal reasons for quarantine.
Parasites- hookworms, pin worms, tapeworms, protozoa, flukes.
All of these are easily transmitted to a new host.

I don't think it's realistic to imply that we as keepers can protect against all these listed and the many unlisted problems. Most of us don't have the money or we don't have access to a qualified reptile Vet.
I believe there must be some kind of quarantine period for all of us. It is inconvenient and a hassle in many respects but the fear of losing and entire collect should be the driving force behind imposing one.
I quarantine all WC or purchased CB snakes for 60 days(longer if needed). They are away for the rest of my collection and a strict hand washing rule is unforced. If money allows all my snakes get a fecal examine from time to time. If a parasite is discovered the entire enclosure is treated. I consider all WC snakes to have internal parasites until proven otherwise.
As noted above a quarantine period can be extended if need. I take in many sick and weak snakes. Some due to human neglect and other due to environmental reasons. Some are just old and tired.
I never want to have the quilt of losing some of my favorite snakes/friends because it was inconvenient to house them separately.

Please feel free to discuss your quarantine procedures as I by no means consider mine to be perfect. There are many other great ideas with regards to this thread that can help us all become better caregivers to these awesome snake.

Steve - Anything you have changed/added to your quarantine process since then (your post is over 18 months old)?

Great thread. I had thought about putting something up particularly with all the talk of WC animals being added to collections (as mentioned CB animals being brought into a new home also apply). A couple of things to add:

Quarantine in a separate room, preferrably in the opposite end of the house on a separate floor if possible. It sounds excessive, but there are airborn pathogens that can be spread by proximity.

Always handle, feed, or otherwise deal with your quarantined animals last. After you've already dealt with the rest of your collection & ideally at the end of the day if possible. Then you can wash up, and toss your clothes in the laundry. This helps limit exposure with you the keeper as a carrier.

Again - anything you've changed in the years since this post Spankenstyne?


Now to move the thread forward I'm looking for other people's views on what to do during quarantine, not just to isolate the risky snake, but also a time scale for what order things are best done in. So:

1. Is there a particular order of treatments? I.e. fecal float, anti-paracite meds, anti-tapeworm meds (I read that Pancur doesn't treat tapeworms, but it is most commonly used for deworming snakes).
2. Any advice on specific hand-cleaning? Soap and a scrubbing brush does it for surgeons... what do you do? Would you go as far as gloving up to deal with a new WC?
3. Would you do the basics, like keep the snake in quarantine for 2 weeks (or longer?) to see if it is eating, pooping, shedding, etc properly before looking at treating for worms?
4. Is the practice of de-worming a WC on the assumption that most WC will have a paracite load still valid?
5. Are there any drawbacks to de-worming an otherwise healthy snake?
6. What are the aeriel pathogens that are referred to above?

So, some points for discussion. I think this thread was started to try to get a concensus on best-practice, and whilst I value Steve's knowledge and experience, and it's a good starting point, I know there is a wealth of other experience on the forum so let's get the knowledge in a thread and maybe get a quarantine caresheet written from it.

[gregmonsta]

My process is pretty simple:

WC - standard observation of eating/shedding/pooping
1. House seperately in basic set up
2. Fecal test
3.Treatment if required
4.Follow up fecal
Timeframe 6 months minimum.

LTC - same as for WC

CB - from unknown breeder/shop
As for WC but 1 month timeframe if no issues found

CB - from trusted breeder
Straight in the enclosure

I would never medicate for potential parasite loads just 'for the Hell of it' always wait for a fecal screen first. De-worming can be a stressful thing depending on the meds and the method of administration, considering a new WC, LTC and even the occaisional CB have already had their fair share of stress getting to you in the first place, so adding that stress to a snake that may not need it seems completely wrong to me.

When going between main collection and quarantine I use a veterinary grade hand disinfectant (bought from the local vets).

[chris-uk]

Greg - does your vet do the decal screening? Or do you know a good lab in the UK that takes samples direct?

[gregmonsta]

I tend to just go to my vet. I know there were a couple of labs advertised on RFUK but, personally, I prefer dealing with my vet as he knows the history of my collection and I can get the meds straight away instead of waiting/having to dig for the appropriate meds. Also, he doesn't use a lab, he does the screenings himself and tends to be on par for price.

[aquamentus_11]

does anyone know if mites can climb upside down?

[guidofatherof5]

I would think they can, having the ability to climb glass.

Stinkin' scum of the earth mites.

[PINJOHN]

Greg - does your vet do the decal screening? Or do you know a good lab in the UK that takes samples direct?

Pinmore animal laboratory services limited ..tel.01829 781855 it's situated in Cheshire

[guidofatherof5]

Thanks Chris for bumping this thread up. It's a very important subject.

[chris-uk]

Thanks Chris for bumping this thread up. It's a very important subject.

I plan to give it a few days for everyone to contribute, then collate responses into a plan that seems sensible and suits my situation (and future situations I can envisage). I'll then share my quarantine plan in the same way that you did with yours back in 2010.