Do bearded dragons carry disease?
Let’s face it. You have probably asked yourself more than once if you can catch a disease from your bearded dragon. Unfortunately, the answer is yes. According to science, bearded dragons carry certain diseases.
To help you know more about your living with your bearded dragon, we will discuss some of the diseases that you are vulnerable to. Do not freak out, however. You are most likely going to be fine if you exercise a level of care with your bearded dragon.
What diseases to bearded dragons carry?
Bearded dragons carry three diseases, which are: Salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis and Aeromonas infection. Let us discuss these.
- Salmonellosis-
Salmonellosis is the most common disease you can get from your bearded dragon. It is estimated that 90% of reptiles are carriers. Some lizards carry bas many as five different strains. Now, the thing is, reptile’s feces spread Salmonella since carriers shed the bacteria as they defecate.
Salmonellosis affects the intestines. Extreme cases might cause the spread of blood or meningitis, which causes brain damage. A large percentage of infected parties recover in a week, which is one of the reasons why most owners do not believe that their reptiles carry a disease.
How do I know if I have Salmonellosis?
This disease causes fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stool, and abdominal pain. In extreme cases, however, one might undergo dehydration, blood poisoning, and reactive arthritis.
How can I contract the disease?
Salmonella, which is the bacteria- causing organism is mostly spread through ingestion. One of the most common ways of contracting this disease, therefore, is through handling your pet. Chances are you are going to end up infected if you come into contact with your bearded dragon’s stool during handling and fail to wash your hands thoroughly.
You can also contract Salmonellosis through contaminated objects, food, and water.
- Campylobacteriosis
This disease is a self-limiting illness. It, therefore, eliminates itself after a few days, which makes it less dangerous than the first one we looked at. However, you still need to be careful since some cases may require hospitalization.
The most characteristic symptoms of this disease are fever, headache, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and malaise. Severe cases might also affect the nervous system or result in reactive arthritis. However, the chances of experiencing such complications are low.
How is this disease spread?
Just like Salmonellosis, you can easily contract this disease from handling your pet. Campylobacteriosis is primarily regarded as a food-borne disease. Studies, however, show that contamination or coming into contact with wild lizards are also leading causes.
- Aeromonas disease
This last disease is a bacterial infection that attacks both reptiles and human beings. Some of the most common symptoms are gastrointestinal infection, wound infection, and necrotizing fasciitis. This disease can also be an opportunistic infection in people with reduced immunities. Just like the other disease, this too can be contracted from handling your pet lizard.
Is it safe to kiss my bearded dragon?
No. A lot of pet owners allow their bearded dragons close to their faces, which is not advisable. Never in your life should you kiss your bearded dragon. Remember, most of these diseases we have looked at are transmitted from ingestions, which comes as a result of contact.
Should I allow my kids close to the bearded dragon?
No. Even though this may come off as harsh, bearded dragons are not safe for your kids. These reptiles carry diseases that can easily attack kids. Babies are more susceptible to the diseases associated with these lizards, and with their weak immunity, this should be the last thing you’d want for your kid.
One of the most common ways of transmission is through contamination. It is, therefore, easy to transmit the pathogens through contaminated baby bottles. Babies touch anything they in sight and might even place the hands in their mouths after handling the pets.
Can a bearded dragon’s bite cause illness?
In case you didn’t know, bearded dragons bite. And shockingly, a bearded dragon’s bite can cause illness. Well, these dragons are venomous, just that their poison does not affect human beings. How then will I get sick? Tetanus. Most animal bites make you vulnerable to tetanus, and therefore, if a bearded dragon’s bite is not treated, the chances are that you will end up infected.
You might also end up with a bacterial infection.
Can I infect my bearded dragon?
Now that we know that your pet friend can make you sick, it is only in order that we discuss whether or not you can infect your bearded lizard. The answer to this question is not conclusive, however. Bearded lizards are vulnerable to the disease they carry, which makes human to lizard transmission a possibility.
Salmonella does not cause illnesses to lizards. Aeromonas disease and Pseudomonas, however, affect lizards in different ways.
I have a cold. Is my bearded lizard safe?
Most reptile owners prefer to stay away from their lizards when they have a cold. Having a cold should not be a cause of alarm, however. You cannot spread your flu to your bearded friend. The thing is, most of the viruses that cause common colds in humans do not attack lizards.
In as much as your bearded friend cannot catch your cold, kindly desist from the following:
- Sneezing on your pet.
- Handling your pet and then blowing your nose.
What should I do to avoid getting sick?
The truth is, your bearded dragon can make you sick. Most of the reported cases arise from improper handling of these pets. What then should you do to avoid this?
- Washing your hands- It might sound dull and ineffective, but washing your hands goes a long way in preventing particular bearded dragon induced illnesses. Make sure, therefore, that you properly clean your hands with water and soap before and after handling your pet.
- Keep away from food during handling- the disease-causing germs in bearded lizards are generally spread through ingestion. You should not, therefore, come in contact with food when handling your pet or you risk consuming these pathogens.
- Be careful when cleaning your lizard’s cage- You need to put on gloves when cleaning your pet’s cage since you risk coming into contact with the pathogens. You must also wash your hands with clean water and soap after the process or, if possible, use an alcohol-based sanitizer.
- The most common mistake that people make is cleaning their pet’s containers with the family utensils. This is wrong. Do not combine your pet’s food containers and family utensils.
Contamination is one of the leading causes of reptile-induced diseases, and therefore, mixing these two classes of utensils is putting your life at risk. Do not even use the kitchen sink to clean your pet’s food container.
- Proper waste disposal- You should not come into contact with your lizard’s droppings. Make sure that you dispose your pet’s waste in the toilet and not down the bath or sink. Remember, Salmonella is most found in the lizard’s dropping, and, therefore, the last thing you want is to contaminate your sink.
- Keep your pet’s accessories away from the kitchen or dining areas- this helps in preventing contamination. Having your pet’s accessories in the kitchen also makes you vulnerable to the ingestion of the disease-causing germs.
- You should not allow your child near your bearded reptile. Children are usually playful, and therefore, it is not rare to find your child trying to kiss the dragon. Keeping your kid way from the reptile also prevents him or her from getting bit.
In case your child comes into contact with your pet, make sure that you wash his or her hands with water and soap. In case you fear that other body parts may have been contaminated, give your child a warm bath.
- Take your feeding elsewhere- There are a lot of places you can eat from in your house. The last place that you should smoke, eat or drink is near your reptile. You should endear not to perform any hand to mouth activity while in the company of your pet.
- You should also limit your pet’s movement. Your bearded dragon might defecate on the seat, leaving it all contaminated. Limiting the movement area of your pet is, therefore, a proper way of keeping both you and your family safe.
- Lastly, never kiss your bearded dragon. I know that it might be tempting to kiss your pet as a show of love and affection, but for the sake of your health, do not. Kissing your bearded dragon means directly ingesting the pathogens, which is the last thing you want.
Apart from kissing, you need to practice the utmost care during handling.
Conclusion
In as much as bearded dragons are some of the most favorite pets among reptile owners, these amazing lizards carry diseases. You, therefore, have to be careful and practice the right hygiene measures if you do not want your put your life at risk. Even though most of these diseases are self-limiting, have in mind that you might be among the severe cases that require hospitalization.
To answer our main question, Do bearded dragons carry diseases? Unfortunately, yes.