Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just found out that Im going to be a dad!!!!!!!!!!!! My wife is going to have a baby!!! I cant wait. Heres my question, are there any considerations we should know about concerning reptiles or the supplies and dangers with the newborn? (like the whole kitty litter issue)

Yes, you will have to be very careful about handling your beardie (or any reptile) and then touching the baby. After handling wash your hands with a good anti-bacterial soap and then follow up with a hand sanitizer. It is always a good idea to wash your hands before touching a baby--even if you do not have reptiles--and of course washing your hands after handling reptiles even if you do not have a baby...

Here is a photo with my youngest when she was about 18 months old...Drako was about 4 months.

I start putting my beardies on my kids at about 6 months old. Mine learn early to respect all the critters and I've had no problems. I make sure their hands are washed after they handle them and I get fecals done every 6 months to keep it safe. Here is my 19 month old son with Bayou my 6 month beardie.

A natural with his dragon heheheheh !

A real cutie pie your son!
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PHEve / Eve

PRETTY !
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PHEve / Eve

>>I just found out that Im going to be a dad!!!!!!!!!!!! My wife is going to have a baby!!! I cant wait. Heres my question, are there any considerations we should know about concerning reptiles or the supplies and dangers with the newborn? (like the whole kitty litter issue)

Congratulations!

There's a reptile sanatizer on the market, I have 2 bottles of this stuff that I keep, 1 in my room and the other in my brothers. It's called Wipe Out and it's made by Zoo Med. It's a sanitizer you can use after/in between handling reptiles or after they've made an accident on you.

It works very well. I used it when I went in between my sick Saharan Uro's (they had pneumonia, which is very contagious between herps) and my non sick Bearded Dragon, leopard gecko, and mali uromastyx.

I suggest you sanatize your hand before touching the herps, to prevent anything on your hands that may be harmful to them to spread to them, then sanatize after you get done touching them and wash with an anit-bacterial soap before touching your baby.

Congratulations once again and I hope your wife has a healthy and safe pregnancy.
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2 Mali Uromastyx-Ares & Apollo
2 Bearded Dragons- Draco & Hades
1 Saharan Uromastyx-Iris
1 Leopard Gecko-Kalypso
1 Tokay Gecko-Sid Vicious
1 Tarantula-Peter Parker
1 Amazon Red Head Parrot-Pancho
1 African Gray Parrot-Keya
1 Dog-Cheeka
3 Fish-no names
1 Beta Fish-also no name
1 Zebra Finch-Beeps

Congrats! I just had a baby in July, and he is a lot of fun!

Like the other posters already said, just wash your hands. Handling reptiles is safer than opening a package of raw chicken, and they are much less likely to get you sick.

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A mans got to do what a mans got to do. A woman has to do what he can't.

Mom to:

1 little boy born 7/19/04
2 male RES, born 1999
1 ribbon snake, age unknown
3 FBT, ages unknown
1 female bearded dragon, born 5/2002
1 male lab mix, born 5/24/03
1 female calico cat, born 6/7/04

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sig file edited 1/29/05 [phw]

Hes a real doll baby !
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PHEve / Eve

>>>>>Handling reptiles is safer than opening a package of raw chicken, and they are much less likely to get you sick.

I never knew that before, see you do learn something new everyday.

Also your son was born 2 days after my brother's birthday (7/17/84). I'm sure your baby boy will LOVE the summer just like my brother.
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2 Mali Uromastyx-Ares & Apollo
2 Bearded Dragons- Draco & Hades
1 Saharan Uromastyx-Iris
1 Leopard Gecko-Kalypso
1 Tokay Gecko-Sid Vicious
1 Tarantula-Peter Parker
1 Amazon Red Head Parrot-Pancho
1 African Gray Parrot-Keya
1 Dog-Cheeka
3 Fish-no names
1 Beta Fish-also no name
1 Zebra Finch-Beeps

CONGRATULATIONS ! So very nice to hear a guy so happy hes about to be a DADDY !

** Heres to you being a GREAT ONE ! **

I wish you and your wife the VERY best of everything, and hope you will live happily ever after

Just keep your hands washed after touching the lizards, I would think thats the most important thing.
CLEANLINESS
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PHEve / Eve