Quarantine period

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Chipewah

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Good evening members.

I am interested in peoples thoughts on how long quarantine periods should be for adding new animals to a collection?

I have one animal so far and am looking to get about 5 more this coming season. I have read a few different threads about quarantine period lengths and it seems it can be anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. I have also read that they should be kept in at least separate rooms if not in completely different buildings?

As I live in a two bedroom townhouse all of the above will be difficult but I can likely manage animals in separate rooms but different building will not be possible. I understand that all the animals have to have their own tongs, cleaning equipment and things like that so there is no cross contamination and that hands have to be washed between going near any of the animals for the same reasons.

I would like to know how long do you think is reasonable for a quarantine period?

2 years seems excessive but I understand for some peoples collections that may be worth considerable money it would be very wise but for someone who is just starting out, would somewhere between 6 to 12 months be enough?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Mat.
 
I quarantine a new snake for 3months , don’t fancy mites or anything in my collection


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I quarantine a new snake for 3months , don’t fancy mites or anything in my collection
Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

Sorry Richy but recommended quarantine in Australia is now 2 years.
This is not about mites its about some rather nasty viruses that are around and because some people have no morals and will openly sell sick animals. There have been a few large collections in Oz almost wiped out by sunshine virus.

Shane Simpson (The reptile Doctor) has recently been running sessions on this subject and has produced an ebook thats available to buy online.
I would suggest this is the best $30 you could spend before you buy any new animals Mat.

https://www.thereptiledoctorshop.co...-viruses-what-australian-keepers-need-to-know
 
You would find those people who quarantine for years would be worths 100s of thousands, like Kbrothers or The Larks

This might be a bit offtopic
But zoos importing animals from other countries quarantine for up to a year, to stop any virus and what not entering the country.

At 4-5animals 1month-2months would be enough, especially if you buy from reputable breeders that don’t allow anyone near their collection
 
At 4-5animals 1month-2months would be enough, especially if you buy from reputable breeders that don’t allow anyone near their collection

Great advice BUT.......A highly reputable breeder in NSW unknowingly took infected animals to a reptile expo a couple of years ago.
Within 6 months half his collection was dead. Some were later put down without actually demonstrating any signs of the virus but testing had proved beyond any doubt that they carried said virus. Even after the disease was contained he was under vet advice to not bring any new animals in for a minimum of 2 years.
Unfortunately 2 months or 2 years in quarantine there are no guarantee's. Generally speaking most transactions in Oz are undertaken with reputable breeders with little to no adverse problems.

While I agree that most reptile keepers in Oz practice little to no quarantine advocating that as a good practice is probably not (arguably) where we should be as a hobby. If someone is planning on doing the right thing surely they should be helped to do the best job they can of protecting their animals.
 
Great advice BUT.......A highly reputable breeder in NSW unknowingly took infected animals to a reptile expo a couple of years ago.
Within 6 months half his collection was dead. Some were later put down without actually demonstrating any signs of the virus but testing had proved beyond any doubt that they carried said virus. Even after the disease was contained he was under vet advice to not bring any new animals in for a minimum of 2 years.
Unfortunately 2 months or 2 years in quarantine there are no guarantee's. Generally speaking most transactions in Oz are undertaken with reputable breeders with little to no adverse problems.

While I agree that most reptile keepers in Oz practice little to no quarantine advocating that as a good practice is probably not (arguably) where we should be as a hobby. If someone is planning on doing the right thing surely they should be helped to do the best job they can of protecting their animals.
Wow.. ok

How far did that virus spread In the expo, was it a hands on animal?
 
I never heard of anyone having a problem with anything at the expo but this particular incident Im led to believe is one of the reasons that most expos/sellers have a hands off policy until you pay your money.

The problem of quarantine works both ways. I know some breeders who shower & change clothes whenever they return home from places where reptiles are kept/shown. Some people take quarantine seriously and others probably should.

The animal was handled by a few people during the day. A message was sent out once the problem became apparent though as far as Im aware no other problems were reported. Then again has that outbreak been contained or is it just sleeping?
He had some amazing animals and lost about 90% of his collection over the following months.
 
Ouch, that sunshine virus sounds horrific, not heard of that in the U.K. thank god. I can understand why it’s that long over there then, wouldn’t want to bring anything like that into my collection,


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Thanks for all the responses and I appreciate everyone's advice.

There are so many people selling reptiles out there it's hard to know who is reputable and who isn't. Then the other issue is do they have the animals that I am looking for at a reasonable price?

I want quality animals but also have to be mindful that I need to stick to some kind of budget as well. I don't have thousands of dollars to spend on each individual animal. I will likely spend about $3000/$3500 on a Coastal Ghost but hopefully only a few hundred per animal after that. Also, I will likely purchase from a few (2 or 3) different breeders which will make things a bit more difficult.

I think I will aim for 12 months quarantine with two check ups with the vet 6 months apart testing for any viruses. I will possibly keep my Ghost away from my other animals for longer as he will be my high cost animal. Hopefully that will be enough because space is an issue for me and having animals all through the house for 2 years will be very difficult, especially if I ever purchase further animals which seems very likely. So many species of Carpets that I like.

Thanks again for the assistance. As always, it is appreciated.

Mat.
 
Quarantine is a real tough one ! Makes things quite hard especially when you are wanting animals from all over . As mentioned by others dealing with reputable breeders who have a private collection is a good start ( still no gaurantees unfortunately) personally i try to f10 all utensils and my hands between each animal interraction from different clutches and sources etc . Realistically not many people have the luxury of keeping new animals in seperate rooms
 
Quarantine is a real tough one ! Makes things quite hard especially when you are wanting animals from all over . As mentioned by others dealing with reputable breeders who have a private collection is a good start ( still no gaurantees unfortunately) personally i try to f10 all utensils and my hands between each animal interraction from different clutches and sources etc . Realistically not many people have the luxury of keeping new animals in seperate rooms
Or seperate buildings
 
Ouch, that sunshine virus sounds horrific, not heard of that in the U.K. thank god. I can understand why it’s that long over there then, wouldn’t want to bring anything like that into my collection,

Unfortunately there are several viruses out there (including in Europe) that can not be quarantined out. In one case an infected animal displayed no obvious signs of the virus in over 3 years. Even testing in some cases has been difficult with animals displaying a negative test followed by a positive some 6 months later. Which is why vets will always recommend conducting test for some of these viruses at least twice.
 
What if I have some in my quarantine room for 18 months and then get another snake? (legit question, not being a smart ass)

Im no expert on quarantine Mick but I think it best to keep the new animal isolated from those that have been in quarantine for that 18 month period. Could be that you take the decision to get those animals tested for viruses and from the results of the test release them from quarantine. (Keep in mind there are several different 'layers' to quarantine protocols).

Its really down to each individual to decide whats appropriate to them. We have all trusted 'reputable breeders' in the past and in most cases our trust works out. We have also all heard of animals coming into a new keepers care turning out to be sick and in some cases exteremely sick.

Im not saying everyone should follow the 2 year minimum quarantine period but its down to each of us to protect the animals currently in our care by whatever means we have available. i know some people who dont even use different cleaning equipment, feed tongs and even cage furnishings are often shared between animals. That in my opinion is dangerous and foolish.
 
I have read all the posts about quarantine but find it difficult to follow the strict rules,if I pick up a new animal say 3 months after another aquisition,how do I isolate it?There are are only so many rooms in my house.
 
Hi Paul, are you able to please elaborate on this sentence when you get a chance. Cheers

What I mean by 'layers' is the extent one can go to in order to minimise any cross contamination.
For example.....quarantine brings a picture into mind of total isolation, a different room from your established animals. Not everyone can achieve this so is there another option? Of course there are other options that will 'reduce' the risk but might not be AS effective as total isolation but be more practicable.
A few examples;

Some people like the idea of feeding animals in a separate 'feeding tub'. While whether this has any positives or not is a different argument is it a wise move to feed a new animal in a feeding tub then share that tub to feed your other animals?

Antibacterial washing of hands between handling/cleaning each animal.

No sharing/passing food on to another animal if its not eaten by a 'new' animal

Quarantine animals have their own cage cleaning utensils, feeding tongs etc.

No swapping water dishes.

There are many other things that can help but the most effective is full quarantine for 6-12 months coupled with testing for infection. Problem with this is that in many cases the testing will be more expensive than the snake so likely not an option for many keepers.

Probably not the most detailed account but its been a long day. Hopefully this answers your question.
 
Absolutely perfect!! Thank you Paul. So basically risk management if you can’t keep seperate rooms. Really appreciate this advice.
 
I don't buy animals that often however I also do work with animals and will ensure I change all clothes and make sure to wash my hands and shower .With any new animals I have ,I keep them in a spare enclosure in the opposite side of the house with the bare essentials to ensure that if anything appears , I can easily see it.One of the drawbacks of bio active enclosures is that you do sometimes miss things.

With those in quarantine I only ever check on them at the end of the day after i have already checked my other animals to prevent any possible spread.

In saying that unless your in a quarantine facility and even then when you are in one, things do eventually slip by.
 
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