Can I spread germs to my tortoise?

tortilla4

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
South Dakota
Hello wise tortoise friends! I have a question for you all to ponder. Every time I get sick I worry that I might spread my germs to my tortoise when caring for her. Do you think that is possible? I want to know if this is something I should worry and be cautious about or if it simply isn't possible. Please share your wisdom! :)
 

Cathie G

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
14,906
Location (City and/or State)
Lancaster
I'm no expert but when you care for any animal(even humans) you should be careful. I wash my hands constantly when I'm feeding and watering my animals in the morning. I try to protect them from any cross contamination between all of us.
 

Pure Tortoise Power

Active Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
499
Location (City and/or State)
Hong Kong
I think the reason why tortoises are able to live up to 200 years is because they have high resistance or immunity to diseases. Or maybe just die to their slow metabolism? Don't really know.
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Here’s an interesting article on the issue, - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/pets/news-features/eight-diseases-pets-can-pick-people/

The best advice, as noted above:

How to minimise the risk of your pet catching an illness from you
The risk of trans-species transmission of diseases is far lower than same-species transmission. Your pet is safer in your presence than he or she would be socialising with other dogs and cats. That said, if you are concerned that you may be suffering from any of the conditions mentioned above, you should draw back from close contact with your pets. There is no need to ban them from the home, but you should institute strict hygiene measures.
  • Wash hands before and after petting, feeding and toiletting

  • Prevent pets drinking from toilet bowls
 

Ben02

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
1,830
Location (City and/or State)
Brighton, Southcoast, UK
Here’s an interesting article on the issue, - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/pets/news-features/eight-diseases-pets-can-pick-people/

The best advice, as noted above:

How to minimise the risk of your pet catching an illness from you
The risk of trans-species transmission of diseases is far lower than same-species transmission. Your pet is safer in your presence than he or she would be socialising with other dogs and cats. That said, if you are concerned that you may be suffering from any of the conditions mentioned above, you should draw back from close contact with your pets. There is no need to ban them from the home, but you should institute strict hygiene measures.
  • Wash hands before and after petting, feeding and toiletting

  • Prevent pets drinking from toilet bowls
MRSA is a interesting one. In hospitals now they sometimes take a sample of dead skin cells around the outside of the nostrils (this if for patients) and you can be a carrier of the bacteria but not have any symptoms. This bacteria can be extremely dangerous to very young children, the elderly or those who have a weak immune system.
 

tortilla4

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
South Dakota
Thank you all SO much for your advice. You are all so helpful and kind and I am grateful to have found this wealth of information! I feel much better about my sweet little Sally's wellbeing!!! :) Now if only I could stop getting sick myself!
 

TurtlTom

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2015
Messages
3
Hello wise tortoise friends! I have a question for you all to ponder. Every time I get sick I worry that I might spread my germs to my tortoise when caring for her. Do you think that is possible? I want to know if this is something I should worry and be cautious about or if it simply isn't possible. Please share your wisdom! :)
Dear Tortilla4,
This is the first time I have replied to a question.
Many years ago a tortoise club member and well respected breeder Mrs. Sandy Ververka speaking at our meeting explained that there are Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Humans have one kind and reptiles have the other.
You should not worry about infecting your reptiles. I understand that all of you owners just want the best for your pets but I believe in most cases you go way overboard with the things you're doing. Just give them similar living conditions and food similar to they had where the species came from and you can't go wrong. They have survived all these millions of years without us loosing sleep over whether their humidity got a little high or if we forgot to wash our hands.Keep it simple.
Sincerely, Tom
 

wccmog10

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 6, 2018
Messages
209
Location (City and/or State)
Georgia
Dear Tortilla4,
This is the first time I have replied to a question.
Many years ago a tortoise club member and well respected breeder Mrs. Sandy Ververka speaking at our meeting explained that there are Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Humans have one kind and reptiles have the other.
You should not worry about infecting your reptiles. I understand that all of you owners just want the best for your pets but I believe in most cases you go way overboard with the things you're doing. Just give them similar living conditions and food similar to they had where the species came from and you can't go wrong. They have survived all these millions of years without us loosing sleep over whether their humidity got a little high or if we forgot to wash our hands.Keep it simple.
Sincerely, Tom

Humans can have both gram positive and gram negative bacteria as pathogens. I’d have to do some research, but I’m sure that tortoise can have both as well. My thought process is (as previously mentioned), the bigger concern is tortoise-tortoise transmission and not human-tortoise transmission. This is why you need to wash your hands between groups of animals. If it is a disease that can be transmitted from humans to tortoises, washing your hands before handling them should help a lot. This way you don’t transfer any of the “bugs” to your tort, unless of course the pathogen is in some sort of open wound on your hand (where hand washing won’t be able to eliminate the bug). If this is the case the wound needs to be covered with something impermeable, such as rubber/latex/nitrile gloves. Usually you would touch an infected area or fluid with your hand, then touch the tortoise (or another person more likely) and transmit the disease. Washing hands before touching any animal eliminates any pathogens that are sitting on your hands waiting for a new host. There are certainly zoonotic diseases as well, as already mentioned, and once again hand washing is extremely important. Skin is a protective barrier to invaders, which is why cuts can be a big deal, as they are a tear in the barrier. What you are trying to do is prevent the pathogen from getting somewhere it can gain access into you body (eyes, mouth, mucous membranes, etc.). Hand washing means when you stick your fingers into your mouth, the bugs are already gone and cannot invade. This is also why you should never kiss your tortoise. Unlike a frog, it will not turn into a prince, so there is no reason to do it. The kissing puts the potential pathogens directly onto a mucous membrane, increasing the chances of transmission.

PS. There is no reason to kiss a frog either, they can make you sick too.
 

tortilla4

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
South Dakota
Dear Tortilla4,
This is the first time I have replied to a question.
Many years ago a tortoise club member and well respected breeder Mrs. Sandy Ververka speaking at our meeting explained that there are Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Humans have one kind and reptiles have the other.
You should not worry about infecting your reptiles. I understand that all of you owners just want the best for your pets but I believe in most cases you go way overboard with the things you're doing. Just give them similar living conditions and food similar to they had where the species came from and you can't go wrong. They have survived all these millions of years without us loosing sleep over whether their humidity got a little high or if we forgot to wash our hands.Keep it simple.
Sincerely, Tom
That is excellent advice Tom, and something I needed to hear! :) Thank you for the reassurance!
 

tortilla4

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
South Dakota
Humans can have both gram positive and gram negative bacteria as pathogens. I’d have to do some research, but I’m sure that tortoise can have both as well. My thought process is (as previously mentioned), the bigger concern is tortoise-tortoise transmission and not human-tortoise transmission. This is why you need to wash your hands between groups of animals. If it is a disease that can be transmitted from humans to tortoises, washing your hands before handling them should help a lot. This way you don’t transfer any of the “bugs” to your tort, unless of course the pathogen is in some sort of open wound on your hand (where hand washing won’t be able to eliminate the bug). If this is the case the wound needs to be covered with something impermeable, such as rubber/latex/nitrile gloves. Usually you would touch an infected area or fluid with your hand, then touch the tortoise (or another person more likely) and transmit the disease. Washing hands before touching any animal eliminates any pathogens that are sitting on your hands waiting for a new host. There are certainly zoonotic diseases as well, as already mentioned, and once again hand washing is extremely important. Skin is a protective barrier to invaders, which is why cuts can be a big deal, as they are a tear in the barrier. What you are trying to do is prevent the pathogen from getting somewhere it can gain access into you body (eyes, mouth, mucous membranes, etc.). Hand washing means when you stick your fingers into your mouth, the bugs are already gone and cannot invade. This is also why you should never kiss your tortoise. Unlike a frog, it will not turn into a prince, so there is no reason to do it. The kissing puts the potential pathogens directly onto a mucous membrane, increasing the chances of transmission.

PS. There is no reason to kiss a frog either, they can make you sick too.
That makes a ton of sense and it sounds like an easy fix to my worries! Thank you so much!
 

TortillaTheTortioise

Active Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2019
Messages
127
Location (City and/or State)
N/A
I always sanitize my hands and then wash them before and after handling my tortoise, it's foods and touching things in the enclosure, especially since I have other animals. Tortoises are more susceptible to respiratory infections etc when they have a low immune system which can be caused by stressed. I also believe different species of tortoises can give diseases to other species of tortoises. But I doubt your tortoise could catch a cold from you.

Btw is your tortoises name Tortilla? Cause then they have the same name lol
 

tortilla4

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
South Dakota
I always sanitize my hands and then wash them before and after handling my tortoise, it's foods and touching things in the enclosure, especially since I have other animals. Tortoises are more susceptible to respiratory infections etc when they have a low immune system which can be caused by stressed. I also believe different species of tortoises can give diseases to other species of tortoises. But I doubt your tortoise could catch a cold from you.

Btw is your tortoises name Tortilla? Cause then they have the same name lol
Thank you for the advice! :) No, her name is Sally I just call her tortilla every now and then because I think it’s funny! :) Excellent name choice!
 

Cathie G

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
14,906
Location (City and/or State)
Lancaster
I don’t know anything about passing a disease onto a tort, but I think I’ve contracted Mad tortoise owner disease or MTOD if you like:D. Seriously though just wash your hands before and after touching your tort:)
I caught that too! hahahaha and don't kiss your tortoise either without a clean finger available.
 

Cathie G

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
14,906
Location (City and/or State)
Lancaster
I think the reason why tortoises are able to live up to 200 years is because they have high resistance or immunity to diseases. Or maybe just die to their slow metabolism? Don't really know.[/QUOTE or they just take life easy most of the time.
 

Bee62

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
11,981
Location (City and/or State)
Germany
I grew up with a lot of animals: birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs, cats and tortoises. I never recognize that I spread germs to any pet or they to me. I was a healthy child and washed my hands not too often..... I ate unwashed fruits from our garden. My grandparents often said: Dirt is good for your guts.:eek: Animals and humans mostly have a good working immune system.
I sometimes give my torts a nose to nose rub. They overlived it until now.... and I am too.:D Btw: I don`t wash my nose after the nose to nose rub...:D
 

katieandiggy

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Messages
1,022
Location (City and/or State)
Suffolk, United Kingdom
I grew up around horses and farm animals from around 5 years of age. I would handle the animals all day long and never wash my hands, I would pick up the horse poo with my bare hands (gross I know) that’s how we were taught to do it. I would then eat my lunch, normally a sandwich, with the same unwashed hands. I was never at the doctors as a child, never caught anything from any of them. I’m a bit more cautious as I am older and I do always wash my hands after handling my tortoise, but I doubt I will catch anything from him. You would probably have more change of catching something from a dog when the owners let it lick their faces.
 
Top