Quarantine Talk Thread

[Stefan-A]

Agreed. I'd still quarantine for a period, I was using this as an example for how different people have slightly different methods. How do you handle quarantine Stefan?

I haven't had any new animals come in, in the last 4 years, I think. Last time, I had the new animals separated from my other snakes by a good 155 km for about 4 months. That time, I had the two that came in the same container, in the same enclosure.

[guidofatherof5]

Well I am actually just feeling out everyone's opinion here...since my situation is a little different...with the snake having the neuro issues. I was wondering what Greg would do in that case...snake is coming from a trusted breeder but has the neuro problem, which is most likely congenital...but we can't be absolutely cI am also curious as to the answer to Chris' question...I mean obviously if you, Steve, send me two snakes in the spring that have been housed together...I won't have to quarantine them separately, right?

That would be correct unless you want to do it separately. They should still be quarantined though.
In my opinion a quarantine period should be blind to whom or where the snakes came from.
I hope everyone who receives snakes from me will quarantine them. It's just good procedure and policy.

[EasternGirl]

Right...well I do plan to quarantine them...I just didn't think it would be necessary to separate them from each other.

[ConcinusMan]

Probably not. It's just that if one of those snakes has a contagious disease, but not the rest, if anything goes wrong you lose them all.

Also keep in mind that a truley effective quarantine means keeping them in a separate room, not just a separate enclosure. You would also need to take all precautions necessary to avoid bringing microbes and parasites from the quarantine area into the main collection. (cross contamination)

Personally, my quarantine practices aren't very strict. But with that said, I must accept a tiny bit of risk of losing an entire collection. That has never happened in all my years of keeping snakes, knock on wood. For the most part, just keeping new snakes in separate enclosures and watching them closely over a couple of months has worked for me. If there's any health issues with new snakes its usually apparent within 60 days and most problems aren't so contageous. Most problems I've encountered, it's enough just to keep them in separate enclosures. For example, taking in wild snakes that turn out to leave parasites / eggs in the water dish. That happens. I don't want my "clean" captive snakes to drink that water. I would only allow those snakes to join others after they have been treated for parasites and are apparently free of them.

If you can take a more strict and cautious approach, it certainly does no harm to do so. As they say "better safe than sorry"

[guidofatherof5]

With a lot of people getting new snakes I thought I would give this thread a bump.
Quarantine is a very important subject and all keeper should set some kind of rules when it comes to their collection.

[ProXimuS]

I never actually did a quarantine with mine, but didn't think it would be necessary since he's my only one. Should I have done it just to monitor him regardless of the fact that he won't be around other snakes? Is it too late to do it now?
He's been to the vet and dewormed, but didn't get the actual fecal test done. Should I just to be safe?!

[guidofatherof5]

A single snake is already in quarantine. You should be fine.

[ProXimuS]

Ok good, Thank you for the stress off my shoulders I feel like everything is fine, but I read threads like this and get all paranoid!

[kerensa]

alright, Here is my question. but first back ground.

I have ALWAYS quarentined any new reptile, but have never before gotten more then one from the same source at the same time. I expect when I purchase this this fall (or maybe next summer if I have to wait due to availability) I expect to be purchasing several from the same person in a couple of cases. Likely some even from the same birthing. They will all be shipped togeather I expect. sould I seperate these snakes for a 6 month quarentine? Or is it fine to quarentine snakes that arrive togeather, togeather?

[katach]

Personally I would separate them until I see if they are mite free, see a poop, and a shed then I would put them together for the rest of the quarantine. That is just me though. I'll let other put their thought in.