cactus
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My son has been given a pet turtle. He is beyond thrilled and completely enamored with it.
His pet choices are extremely limited, since he's either allergic to most animals or anaphylactic to their food. So the usual critters are out of the question.
We are limited to reptiles and fish.
But turtles... they can carry salmonella.
I was treated for chronic salmonella along with Lyme - it was not fun.
And even though I'm out of Lyme treatment, my gut is not the healthiest.
The CDC (such as it is) says that people with compromised immune systems should not keep turtles.
Does this mean I should find another home for this little guy? And disappoint my son?
What would you do?
Thanks for your thoughts! Paranoid, Cactus
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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I would be angry. No one should give another person's kid pets unless they ask first.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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Keebler
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- True, he should not have been given this without your involvement and final word. But, now you are stuck in a tight place.
Talk to a vet who is knowledgeable about turtles. There may be simple precautions that would work well. Maybe not, but it would be good to ask an expert.
Your son should would have to be old enough - and responsible enough - to understand all precautionary measures (for the whole family) completely, though, or this may not work out.
Either way, maybe he should also be in on the visit to the vet (after you first hear the scoop so you know what the "verdict" or considerations are) . . . that way he will hear from an expert and you won't hold so much blame over the decision to let it go - or the rules if it stays.
Aside from handling the turtle, I would think cleaning the "cage" would be the most challenging regarding exposure. Touching may not be the only consideration but breathing in dust or getting some in your eyes might pose a risk. Still, the vet would know more about that.
If it does not work out to your satisfaction, maybe you could rent the movie "Free Willy" and then have a "Free (turtles' name)" event -- if the vet says it could be set free safely and not grow to monster size in some swimming hole.
What about an aquarium? I know you can't hold a fish, but that might be mesmerizing for him. He could design a cool home for a few colorful swimmers.
Angel fish can literally fly out of an aquarium, though. I recall a surprise from my youth about that.
Hope this works out well. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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cactus
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Six, I feel the same way. The culprit is my mother [rolling my eyes here] and this is typical of her. Ugh. I love her and all of her eccentricities, but wish she'd ask first!
(This is the same woman who will bring empty egg cases, snake skins, dead insects, etc... I grew up in a mini-zoo thanks to her.)
So, yes, Keebler, here we are and we're stuck.
My Mom is off on her travels and we are here with the new turtle, which she picked up during her last round of traveling and deposited with us as a wonderful "surprise!"
I started researching to find out what a turtle like this needs (which is a lot), and learned of the salmonella risk.
I think your vet idea is a good one. I have been looking into treatment options (for the turtle, as a preventative) but am not sure how effective they might be.
And if all else fails - we will "Free Flipper" since there are turtles of his type living in our area, thankfully. That is a great, creative idea!
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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sammy
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It sounds like your son has his heart set on keeping the turtle. Good idea to meet with the vet to learn how best to care for your new pet and what precautions need to be taken to prevent illness.
Limiting the amount of handling may be one simple way to prevent contamination/spread of germs. It could be more of a "look at" pet rather than a "play with" pet. Insist on good hand washing with soap and water after touching the turtle.
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sparkle7
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I don't know too much about turtles but I actually have a pet tree frog... I found her outside. They live in the area so I see them around pretty often but it was a big novelty to me when I first moved here. You aren't supposed to touch them because there are acids in our skin that can harm them.
Maybe if your son is careful not to touch it - it would be better for all involved. You (or your son) probably needs to use rubber gloves to clean it's tank.
I don't know if you can get salmonella from breathing in dust but I think it's spread by touching it. Just be careful... Or let it go if they live in the area - preferably before the autumn. Some of these things hibernate & they have to be able to acclimate.
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cactus
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Thanks, sammy and sparkle.
My kiddo is a sweetheart, and I'm sure that if we told him *why* we can't keep the pet... he'd be agreeable. I just hate to do it to him.
I think we're going to call the vet and get an appt, then explore our options for keeping it safely.
And we're going to discuss it with LLMD next week too - we both have appts (son's is not for Lyme but for other issues).
If the vet or LLMD tells us this is a no-go... then we'll re-home the little guy or find out about safely (for it) releasing it.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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Keebler
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- This is a very good learning experience for your son, too. He'll learn how to think about various considerations, how to find expert advice and even how to research.
It also comes down to learning how to establish priorities in choosing between family health or the turtle (and be glad he's not yet embroiled in teenage angst or the family may not necessarily come out winning).
He could also use this as a science project next year if there is some way to keep it - and teach others how to safely do that. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Tincup
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You may not like this answer.. but you asked the question and forgot to say.. "Everyone but TC can reply!"
Let the boys be boys!
I really don't like to see anyone forced to live in a sterile or overly guarded world.
If I had a nickel for every weird pet I had or the kids had growing up, I'd be rich. And what I got from the parade of strange critters crawling through and around made me and others quite happy.
Denying him a turtle, one he is fascinated with and loves already, is like kind of like trying to put him in a bubble to keep him away from anything and everything that may ever harm him.
If you get rid of the turtle to protect him from some potential problem that may or may not occur...
Next week he could get bitten by a dog.. or hit by a bus.. or bitten by a shark while swimming at the beach.
We can't live that way- we can not shelter our kids from all harm although we'd love to... Lyme patient or not.
Rather than give the turtle the boot, just calmly educate your son. But please don't break my heart and deny him a pleasure that all kids should have unless there is extreme danger as a consequence, of course.
Quick story- case in point.... while working outdoors the ONLY safety talk I was given was to not play with turtles because I might get salmonella. This was 20 plus years ago.
At that time they had info on ticks and the diseases they carry (even official documents that they were suppose to warn all employees of the risk of tick borne diseases- and this new "Lyme" disease).. but they never mentioned it to any of the employees and did not put up the posters as they were directed to do.
As it turned out... I never got salmonella because I was educated.
But I darn sure got all the other rotten stuff!
Who knows, his fascination with this turtle might be incentive later on to do some great work with animals or wildlife and lead him to the discovery of some wonderful technique that is the key to curing Lyme disease!
Oh, and when you tell him that he can keep the turtle.. tell him he can name it after me.
Hoosiers51
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I think you need to go with whatever your gut is telling you.
My personal thoughts are......IF you think your son would be okay getting rid of the turtle, I would get rid of it. If you think taking away his turtle would leave some kind of lasting resentment, then it's not worth it.
But if you think he would get over it (and I can't see why he wouldn't, children are pretty resilient), I would get rid of it.
When I was a kid, just as long as my parents gave me an explanation as to WHY, I would "get over it."
And I think you could get him some kind of other pet, and it would make him forget all about the turtle.
I have always found turtles to be gross (sorry to be so blunt). There is just something about them that really freaks me out. How they crawl around on the ground.
I prefer snakes....but you'd have to look into if those are "safe" for you, in terms of infectious diseases. I think you have to feed them mice though! Hmmmmm. That wouldn't be fun.
I think children as so resilient that he will be fine. But like I said, if you think it will cause a lasting scar to be parted with the turtle, don't do it. But my hunch is that a new pet will make him forget about the turtle.
It isn't worth risking your health over a pet! That's my two cents.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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Tincup
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Got thinking about this and came back to share what the officials say... as I was speaking mostly from the heart earlier.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````
Salmonella is often present in raw meat, fish and dairy products. Infection may result if these foods are not properly cooked or handled.
This includes foods and condiments made with these products such as mayonnaise, cookie or pastry dough and ice cream.
Salmonella has also been found in fresh produce. It is important to wash or peel fresh fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes.
Salmonella is also passed from person to person. Spread often occurs by contaminated hand-to-mouth contact or by hand- to-food-to-mouth contact.
Pet turtles, snakes and lizards are also carriers of salmonella bacteria. Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling.
Sooooooooo.. if the turtle has to go because of the potential risk of salmonella...
Then so does the meat, fish and dairy products... and fresh fruits and veggies.. and cookies, sandwiches with mayo and contact with humans who could pass it along.
Also no contact with ticks carrying salmonella, so no visiting the great outdoors... no going to the zoo ... no picnics... no church suppers or pot lucks.
sparkle7
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Hoosiers - I think you just don't like turtles... (LOL)
I remember all of my pets & the feelings that I had for them. Some people don't give a hoot about animals & it's their prerogative. I feel a kind of closeness with animals. I guess it's an individual thing.
I'm not going to go camp out with grizzly bears in Alaska but it's nice having pets. If people are really worried about it - there are things you can get from probably all animal pets - dogs, cats, birds, etc.
I read that people who live around animals as they grow up - like on farms - have less allergies. It's keeping everything sterile that makes people more prone toward allergies. Don't know if it's true but I read it a while back.
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merrygirl
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I didnt read all the replies.
But I say keep the turtle. Do not let him handle it (they dont like it anyway) make sure you have a really good set up with a great filter. He will be fine. They eat pellets mostly and ocassionally feeder fish if you can handle that.
If your son wnats to handle the turtle all the time you probablly need to bring it back. Turtles really dont like handling. Thats when you can get salmonella anyway.
I would also be mad at the person who got it.
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just don
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I had a pet turtle once,,,they dont live long inside.
Keep the turtle,,,wash hands after feeding
Above all dont eat raw turtle,,,must be well cooked (that was a joke)
reality tho,,,people eat turtle all the time,,,one local guy here ate snapping turtle his whole life
People brought him those all summer long.
lots of foods and animals have diseases,,its life,,its what we do with it that is significant.
Hanta virus is far worse
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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seekhelp
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Make a soup out of it. KIDDING.
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Hoosiers51
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After handling raw meat, especially raw chicken, most people (I hope) clean or disinfect all surfaces the raw meat touched, so those surfaces don't contaminate anything else that will touch those surfaces (aka cross-contamination).
Is it normal to do that for raw meat? Yes. Is it easy? Yes, as long as you weren't playing hockey with the chicken breast on your kitchen floor. Is it normal to have to clean up after a pet like that? No.
My fear is that the turtle will be in more places than Friday night's chicken dinner, and you won't go around following the turtle and disinfecting everything the turtle touches, like his cage, etc, in the same way you do after you work with raw chicken.
The main question for the vet would be, can the turtle contaminate things it touches, or do you only need to be careful with direct contact with the turtle?
The other foods aren't a fair comparison. Beef and pork are more commonly "clean," (though you should still take precautions) but raw chicken is the more commonly contaminated. That is why people can order beef medium rare, but no one would ask for medium rare chicken.
Dairy: They are talking about unpasteurized, raw dairy. The milk you buy at the store has no risk of salmonella. Mayo: they are talking about homemade mayo (not storebought like Helman's), and uncooked cookies, and in both of those cases, it is very rare, because it's rarely found in eggs.
Person-to-person transmission of salmonella would be most likely only if you are in contact with a person who is having diarrhea from salmonellosis, a form of food poisioning, and that person didn't wash their hands after being in the restroom. So you wouldn't have to avoid people.
Since it's commonly found in raw chicken, and commonly found in turtles, raw chicken is the only thing I would try to compare the turtle to. So you can stop worrying about picnics and the like. Just worry about chicken and possibly turtles/reptiles, depending on how bad the risk is.
I would avoid playing with a turtle like I'd avoid playing with raw chicken, until knowing more.
By contrast, I don't stress out about fruits, veggies, mayo on sandwiches, or human beings.
If you are going to keep the turtle, I would find out how contagious turtles are....like is their feces and urine also contagious? And you'll just have to be honest with yourself, of how well you'd do keeping up with the handwashing, etc.
Certain animals are considered "gross" for a reason. Most of the animals people are afraid of, it's because they can hurt you in some way, or give you disease. And evolution has trained us to get the heebie jeebies from them, even if we don't understand the microbiology of what diseases they carry. It's not a coincidence humans hate roaches. Our evolutionary programming is telling us something. They carry tons of diseases.
Hoosiers51
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Just did some research. Looks like it IS as bad as I thought it was, and my raw chicken to turtle analogy is pretty sound.
You guys can make fun of me all you want, but turtles are nasty creatures. If you don't believe me, click the link below.
The guidelines for handling a turtle are very similar to how you are supposed to handle raw chicken. You can't compare handling a turtle AT ALL to handling dairy products or mayo, since like I said, most eggs don't carry salmonella and dairy is pasteurized.
Did you know that the sale of turtles less than 4 inches has been banned in the United States since 1975? This is because turtles pose a high risk of spreading disease, especially to children. The ban by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has prevented an estimated 100,000 cases of salmonellosis annually in children. This ban prohibiting the sale of small turtles likely remains the most effective public health action to prevent turtle-associated salmonellosis.
What can be done to prevent turtle-associated salmonellosis?
* Do not have a turtle in any household that includes children under 5, the elderly, or people who have lowered natural resistance to disease due to pregnancy, cancer, chemotherapy, organ transplants, diabetes, liver problems or other diseases. A family expecting a child should remove any pet reptile or amphibian from the home before the infant arrives. * Remember, turtles are cute, but contaminated. Handle all turtles and surfaces that have come in contact with turtles as if they are contaminated with Salmonella, because there is a good possibility that they are. * Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after handling turtles or their cages, or after contact with pet feces. Do not touch your face, other people or any surface until hands are washed. * Wash surfaces that the turtle or its cage has come in contact with. * Separate the turtle from possible contact with food: o Do not allow turtles to roam freely about a home or living area, and especially do not allow them in food preparation areas. o Kitchen sinks should not be used to bathe turtles or to wash their dishes, cages, or aquariums. o If bathtubs are used for these purposes, they should be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected with bleach.
* Separate the turtle from contact with high-risk individuals: o Don't handle a turtle and an infant (e.g., feed, change diaper) at the same time. o Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling an infant or preparing a baby bottle. o Persons at increased risk for infection or serious complications from salmonellosis (e.g., children under 5, the elderly, or people who have lowered natural resistance to disease due to pregnancy, cancer, chemotherapy, organ transplants, diabetes, liver problems or other diseases) should avoid contact with reptiles and amphibians and any items that have been in contact with them[3]. o Turtles should not be allowed in childcare centers or nursing homes. o Turtles in public settings (e.g., zoos and exhibits) should be kept from direct or indirect contact with patrons except in designated animal-contact areas equipped with adequate hand-washing facilities. o Food and drink should not be allowed in animal contact areas.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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just don
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good info Hoos.
Is it the same as tortoises,iguanas and snakes?
I ask because my grandson got a tortoise for Christmas and it is just a turtle who lives on land to 'me'
Lots of people have iguanas.
People who have pet snakes are just creepy to 'me'. Specially the very poisonous ones or those huge constrictors.
Obviously they think they never escape and roam free. so NOT reality.
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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kam
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What kind of turtle is it?
Did I miss that part?
Many moons ago, I recall having a book on having turtles in the classroom.
But, all I can recall is that I needed to make sure the kids washed their hands before and after picking up the turtle...and don't trust my memory on that one.
I'd do some research on line on how to keep the turtle healthy and alive.
Enjoy!
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kam
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Hoosiers51
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Yeah, but no one tells you to wash your hands after touching fruits or vegetables. That's because if fruits/veggies have salmonella, they are considered contaminated. It is out of the norm, though it does happen.
Whereas, if chicken has salmonella, it's considered normal and expected (that's why you have to cook it all the way through, and wash your hands, countertops, etc). That tells you about the frequency with which you'd expect to find the pathogen on the food.
My point is that you need to treat all turtles (and probably other reptiles too) as if they are contaminated, so there must be a much higher risk from touching reptiles vs. fruits and veggies.
I suppose if you are willing to live with that risk, and be very careful of what the turtle touches, what the cage touches, if you thoroughly clean poop/pee, etc.....then it would be okay. But I don't know many people that would want to be that persistant about cleaning up after an animal.
Regardless that it says in that link I posted that people with weakened immune systems and children under 5 should not keep turtles in their homes.
No one says that about eggs or fruits and veggies, unless you are very fragile....like you just got out of ICU or you are having chemotherapy for cancer.
You can feed raw veggies to a child under 5, right? But they say no turtles. So turtles must be worse, higher risk.
Just as long as people understand the risk, I think that's all I'm trying to get across. I'm not trying to spaz out about it, I just think it's a bigger problem than people realize.
Regarding snakes and other reptiles, I guess you'd have to see if the rate of salmonella is just as common in those pets, and if so, I would take precautions. Maybe turtles just get all the publicity because they are the most common of the salmonella-contaminated pets.
I am not a vet. I did take a food safety course though for restaurant managers recently, so I am up to date on the guidelines of what meats and foods carry what diseases, and what the risk is, etc. That's why I keep insisting chicken is different than fruits/veggies and dairy or egg products. Yes, they all can carry salmonella, but you don't need to handle all of them the same.
The best defense of all is a strong immune system.
You can get salmonella from cats and dogs too, but I'm sure the frequency of transmission to humans must be greater with reptiles.
When speaking of salmonella transmission from person-to-person, the freqeuncy of that should be lower. That would be because humans don't walk around in cages with their own feces and urine (sorry to be graphic, but that's the reason why you'd be more likely to get it from an animal carrier than a "human carrier").
When coming from humans, salmonella is a "fecal-oral" transmission route, meaning you get it in your body from somehow ingesting traces of feces, from someone else not washing their hands after using the restroom. So even if 1 in 5 humans carries salmonella, the risk of transmission is lower because of our hygiene.
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sparkle7
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With any pet, you have to be careful & wash your hands...
When I was a kid, we used to put raw eggs into blender drinks. It was considered "healthy"... Not any more. Having an egg in your beer was considered a luxury way back when.
Eating raw foods is a risk these days because they may use sewage water or run off water from farms where there are animals to water the crops. People think it's healthy.
The Chinese used to think people who ate raw foods were savages. It's just a matter of perspective. We have to be careful in general these days. It's no different for handling animals - whether we eat them or have them as pets.
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Tincup
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Dear Mr. Turtle...
If you notice anyone headed toward you with a shoe box... RUN, don't walk to the nearest exit.
Then give me a call, I'll meet you out back and we will go to a place where people like turtles!
merrygirl
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Yes do tell what is happening with the turtle!!
just dont lick the turtle things will be fine
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MADDOG
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Ha i have a giant iguana,I keep her in a giant cage.
The cage sits on a rubber maid tote with kitty litter in the bottom,the poop falls through and i cover it up.
Lator I dump it out never touching it,and put new kitty litter in there.
The key is dont touch the poop and then put your fingers in food or your mouth.
Wash often,and use hand sanitizer after handling the turtle.
Clenliness is what is needed.
MADDOG
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cactus
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Aaaaaahhhhh! I am still torn on the turtle issue!
(And, no, I haven't licked her/him ... nor allowed the little one to do so! No turtle soup here, either. )
You all raise great points.
My heart wants to keep the little guy. My head wavers back and forth.
For now - Flipper is happily hanging out, eating turtle food, swimming and basking and generally doing turtle things, whatever they may be.
My son is happily watching all this, and is constantly scrubbing his hands at my insistence.
Not sure how long we'll keep this up, but for now, we're just in limbo.
Anyone here want to adopt a cute little turtle??? Save my sanity, maybe???
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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Tincup
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sparkle7
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My pet tree frog Drexel says hello... I used to have a parakeet named Flipper.
I think you can learn alot from animals...
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cactus
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Hello from Flipper to Drexel, sparkle7 and Tincup.
I think he's going to be staying, by default. He (she?) is just way too cute!
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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If you sterilized his container and gave the turtle antibiotics, couldn't you get rid of the salmonella?
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sparkle7
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re: If you sterilized his container and gave the turtle antibiotics, couldn't you get rid of the salmonella?
You would have to test it first to see if it even has it... I don't know if you could treat them the same as a human. Animals are different.
I'm glad you are going to keep it for now. I'm sure your son is happy. I think the benefits outweigh the risks. Just be careful & keep things clean, wash your hands well, etc. No reason to be overly paranoid of everything.
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kidsgotlyme
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Once you name it, you have to keep it!! I'm with Tincup: SAVE FLIPPER!!
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
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Keebler
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- The main thing is if the kid is old enough to never put his hands in his mouth other than to floss (and then, after a good wash).
As long as we don't touch our eyes, under our nose or our mouth we can live among lots of germs. Teach the turtle to use his flipper when he sneezes and then all bases are covered.
But, I'd still talk to a vet to be sure all the bases are covered. I'm glad it is working out, though. Sounds like Flipper has made a good friend. And, by now, there really is no going back, you know. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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You could let a domestic turtle go in a completely unfamiliar environment.....not good. You could make turtle soup. Cooking would certainly eradicate the germies. You could explain that any contact with the turtle could make you even sicker than you are now. Then, tell your son that it is his complete responsibility to care for the turtle and then sanitize himself prior to coming in contact with you. This all comes from the woman who 14-20 years ago lived in a hike-in cabin that had deer mice in the kitchen...and I live-trapped the deer mice...and kept them as pets in a cage in the outhouse because they were so cute......I never handled them, but how stupid can you get! Keeping the animal that harbors the lyme bacteria as a pet in ones "bathroom"!!!! I'm so glad my husband never said, "I told you so!"
-------------------- Lyme is like the flu. You can get it and recover, but you can always get it again. Posts: 607 | From (deer tick)Heaven! Angeles National Forest | Registered: Oct 2000
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Keebler
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- OptiMisTick,
I didn't know salmonella could be airborne. That would sure change things. Would it be only if the turtle sneezed ?
I guess education never really stops. More to learn. -
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sparkle7
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re: And there IS evil in the world, and it grows when ignored.
Taking it a bit far there.... It's a pet. It's not the end of the world or the axis of evil.
----
I don't think I'd keep wild mice around. I'd let them go somewhere away from the house.
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
Yes, it's really good to keep the home dust-free, because germs (bacteria, etc), allergens, and chemical toxins from off-gassing electronics, furniture, etc live in dust, and get kicked around that way.
Wouldn't be surprised if there are heavy metals in some dust too. But the biggest concerns with dust in my mind are the chemical toxins (like endocrine disruptors) and/or the allergens.
Haha....we need to change the name of this topic to the paranoia thread. But seriously, being sick makes you think about things like this. You can't fear everything...but if you can know more and thus reduce your exposure with knowledge, that is a good thing.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
These are all great points, thank you for all the thoughtful replies. It's nice to see where we all are on the paranoia scale.
OptiMisTick, I had no idea salmonella could be airborne. That fact is significant.
I appreciate your thoughts on kids' perceptions of danger. We struggle with balancing this in our kiddo, and teaching him that tiny actions can have big consequences.
Your words have more significance than you know, because of his allergies. It can difficult to balance fear and caution with as much normalcy as possible.
A tangent, but here is an example: We were leaving the pool about a month ago. There were 5 kids sitting in a circle next to the elevator door, eating snacks. They were pouring cashews into bowls and passing them around.
Now, both my son and I know that nut particles can be airborne, and invisible. We know that if one of these lands in my child's mouth - the result could be bad. He is anaphylactic to all nuts.
We stood as far away from the nut-eating kids as possible. We got into the elevator and left.
Moments later, in the car - my son had hives. Soon after, his asthma kicked in, mildly.
Some allergy parents at that point would have epi-penned him and taken him to the ER. Maybe I should have. Instead I gave him Benadryl and an emergency inhaler, and watched like a hawk the rest of the night. He was okay. We were lucky.
His allergist feels that this was likely from contact only, not ingestion, although it's hard to say. Who knows?
Cashews are not evil, nuts are not evil. But knowing that one is anaphylactic to them and thus reducing one's chances of exposure to them is smart. We will still go to the pool, and possibly encounter nut-eating people, but we don't allow nuts in our home.
Baby turtles are not evil. But knowing that I've already had one bout of chronic salmonella makes me very cautious about potentially keeping it in one's home.
I don't want to live in fear. Of ticks, of germs, of foods.
Then again, I want to be realistic and teach my munchkin to be realistic and well-informed as well.
...And thus ends my tentative peace with Flipper in our home...
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
Well it sounds like you have decided, at least for now! Good luck!!!!! You have always struck me as a great Mom, so I'm sure everything will turn out with Flipper. If you can handle the nut allergy with such grace, I'm sure you can handle the turtle. Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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