germ fear, just need some reassurance

[DonnaRaine]

I have severe anxiety and OCD, its presenting as germaphobia now which it never has. I've had my dragon for a year now, raised him from a hatchling, but since he's hit puberty he's been running through his feces and just during the tank and I believe that helped trigger the germophobia. I've been told countless times I can't get sick unless I don't wash my hands and then eat, but I have an IQ of 125 and my brain keeps telling me that there's something I touched before I washed my hands or that it's on the ground and I'm transferring it with my feet. It as in germs, salmonella parasites etcetera. He's had parasites his entire life, we go to the vet regularly we believe it's due to a low immune system from Bad breeding or bad husbandry from the pet store I got him from. I just need some reassurance that none of you have ever gotten sick from your reptile, I know it's like a 1% chance but my brain tells me that I'm going to be that 1%, the more people I can get to tell me exactly the opposite of what I fear the easier it's going to be to work through it. He's my baby, I don't want to neglect handling him because I'm afraid. I used to carry him around on my damn head, I spent hours letting him run around his very own room, but for whatever reason I can't get the thoughts out of my head now. Please don't be cruel, I'm not sure my mind could handle it. I just need some simple reassurances to help me move past it

 

[Gormagon]

I have handled reptiles for many of my 60 years and, have never gotten sick from contact with them. I believe that they are more apt to catch something from us from handling them when we are sick.
Relax and enjoy your dragon, it will be fine.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I agree, the chance of a person picking up a decease from their pet lizard is extremely remote.

If anything having regularly contact with your pet dragon will do your immune more good than harm.

But if you are so terribly scared of germs, invest in some F10SC and a spray bottle , and some F10 germicidal wipes.
Use the wipes to clean sterilize the hands after handing the little hatchling.
use the F10SC diluted 1:125 in water in the spray bottle to spot clean where ever he has accidents.
Apply some common sense and these measures and you will be fine.

I'd also talk to you doctor and get a referral for treatment, is very unfair to the little dragon who will not understand,

 

[DonnaRaine]

Thank you guys, this is helping. My biggest fear is that I'm going to catch something from the feces, because he's been running through the s*** lately, got the cage clean yesterday managed clean his 'present' up this morning before he went through it, do your animals do that? Or did I just get unlucky LOL I'm laughing but it has severely affected my life for the past 2 months. He's not a hatchling anymore he's just hit a year old, I've had him since he was barely a month old. What is in the cleaning solution you mentioned? I know that we're not supposed to use bleach or anything like that I usually use vinegar, he had coccidia for a while and some sort of parasite that was able to transfer to humans and I believe that may have set me off a bit

 

[kingofnobbys]

Spot clean the viv daily (at the very least) , and there shouldn't be an issue .... none of my pet lizards crawl over their own poo very often, certainly never in over 6 years have had to give a dragon a bath because it had soiled itself.

http://www.chemicalessentials.com.au/f10-disinfection-and-biosecurity.html

 

[DonnaRaine]

He's a little special, I always end up with the high maintenance animal no matter what species, ferrets cats turtles hamsters rats dogs. It wasnt a problem till 3 months ago when he started this crap, he almost immediately runs through it, like no time for me to get to it and I'm home all day due to a disability. I managed to get to it today before he had a chance thank god. I'm planning to five him a bath today but its been freezing here lately and I haven't wanted to subject him to it.

 

[DonnaRaine]

Example, this was a few days ago, it was deep cleamed the day before he did this

 

[AHBD]

No need to feel like you're neglectful if your dragon poos + walks through it. Not everyone is home all day to see exactly where + when the dragon will poo, many owners have dragons that poo in the tank + at least sometimes walk through it.

As for germs, add me to the list of long time reptile owners with exposure to poo a daily occurence, having also bred +raised beardies for a span of 20 + years. So poo is a daily encounter for me as well as everyone else here on the forums. Just wash your hands after handling them and before eating. Don't allow him on the kitchen table or food prep areas and just use common sense. You will be fine !

 

[DonnaRaine]

Thank you guys, I really appreciate it and that your all being nice lol I Love my little guy and this is helping me not be so freaked