Young children & iguana's

Hi-

I've just adopted a 7 year old iguana from a local rescue. She is in very good health now but has had poor health in the past. Her spine is slightly bent but she is a very sweet iguana. I have a question. I had thought of everything else prior to getting her. Care, area for her, food, lighting, ect. However, I have a 5 month little boy that hadn't crossed my mind as being a danger sign. The rescue says that as long as we're careful with cleaning, washing hands ect. that the iguana can even free roam/share a bedroom with the child. I've been reading non-herp sites who say no way. My brother said to ask the herp people and see what they say. I don't want to give her back, she is just so sweet and wonderful, however my child comes first. I do have an old cage that used to belong to a bearded dragon (4' X 2' X 2') that we can modify larger for her if need be. Right now she is free roaming in the bedroom. However, he will be crawling shortly over area she walks. Any input? Please no flames, I really hadn't thought of the reptile being a threat to the child. They weren't going to be unsupervised together. We've had snakes, bearded dragons and leopard geckos over the years with no problems with the other 6 children. But this one is larger and out and about. Please let me know. Thanks!

Laura

I wouldn't have her roaming free, especially with a baby in the house. Firstly your baby will be putting everything and anything in his mouth when he starts crawling, so he may pick up any 'dirt' etc.
The best thing you can do for your iguana is to build her an appropriate size enclosure, where you can monitor her food,heat etc.

So no free roaming, even in the bedroom only when the child is older? And how high really is the risk of the infant getting sick living with a reptile? As long as we practice cleanliness, which is done anyway with the snakes we already have.

Laura

This is just my personal opinion and I'm not an expert but I do have kids so I'm trying to look at it from that viewpoint too...

Personally I would let her have supervised outings out of her enclosure but she would always have the enclosure as her main space. Infants are more likely to becoming ill than older children/adults so I wouldn't even risk it personally.
I'm sure you would practice cleanliness but there is always the risk especially with a baby/toddler. Also there is the risk of her tail whipping your little boy, even supervised it would only take a split second.

I dont know and I'm definitely not flaming you but I think she would feel safer in an enclosure as well, with small outings outside her enclosure..

Well, I just called the vet in our area and he says with small children we should NEVER let the iguana free roam. UGH!! They say that the salmonella is on the animals skin and wherever it goes it is spreading salmonella everywhere. Please tell me this is over reacting. I'm leaving for home depot in a moment to get supplies for an addition to the bearded dragons cage I already have. I'm basicalling cutting a hole in the top and extending it upward with a frame and mesh. She'll have a basking spot in both her upper and lower sections with a cool place in each as well. But, I really wanted to let her free roam at times. I hate the thought of her stuck in there all the time.

Laura

Personally, and this is a matter of personal experience and the experience of those I have talked to on the subject, salmonella gets blown way out of proportion. I have worked with reptiles, including tons of iguanas(close to 100 if not more) for years and never gotten it. I have shared meals with iguanas and never had an issue, as a matter of fact one in peticular used to pick off of my lunch everytime he was out, and I have never ever gotten sick. Needless to say infants are much more sensitive, and will put things in their mouth as previously noted. I have never eaten dead skin or feces ect, so who knows. I suggest having the iguana out when the infant is not around, ie: taking a nap, at a sitters or in a different room. Iguanas can fly off the handle from time to time, and the damage an adult could do to a child is astounding. With the child being so small the iguana might try to be dominant with your son/daughter whereas it would never try this with you. All in all let the Iguana out for supervised visits and make sure you clean up before your child is around where it has been. Whether or not its harmful isnt an issue in my opinion, just dont take the uneccesary risk and you have much less to worry about. Hope some of this is helpful, Dan M.

Please say the iguana was not going to be free roaming in the room with the baby. A baby's immune system is not nearly as strong as ours. So where we might not catch something from something the iguana touched the baby would. Not to mention the iguana would hurt the baby in a second if given the chance. They don't like little things that threaten their dominance. I would Never have an iguana anywhere near my baby.
Love the iguana in a cage away from the baby!!!

I would not even think about letting it roam free as some of my worst lizard bites have come from iggys.Whats going to happen when your child grabs it and it wants to defend itself,bite scrach ,tailwhip.Your child should always come frist.....RON

Maybe keep the baby in the cage and let the iguana roam around the house?

No seriously. Honestly if it was me I would let the iguana out but only if there was someone there to sit and hold the baby away from the Iggy. Let the iggy play for a couple of hours have your husband or whoever hold the baby and keep them seperate. Then Lysol and Vacuum the heck out of everything. Salmonella is dangerous and babies are very susceptable, but your iggy deserves a chance to get out and have some fun otherwise I think you should consider finding it a new home. It's not fair to an animal like that to be cooped up in a little cage all the time.

Anyways all the best and I hope you find a solution that works for you!

No, the iguana was not to be free roaming with the baby. He is not old enough to be on the floor yet. Well, he has 'tummy time', but in the same room. The iguana is in our bedroom, baby sleeps with me. However the iguana has been all over the bed, floor, ect. I sprayed with Lysol afterward, but everything (from non herpers) says I'm just courting disaster. She's now in a roomy cage in our room. I still want her to be able to spend time free roaming most days. I know better then to let her unsupervised with the kids or any other animals for that matter. She can be a danger if provoked, I know.

Let me ask the parents this question. After you handle your reptilles, do you shower and change clothes before handling your baby then? My vet says ALL reptiles have salmonella ALL over them 100% the time. This is wrong, correct? If this was so, every time she is out she is spreading it everywhere. Also, I would have it all over me, my clothes, my hair, ect. She climbs all over me as well. How clean is too clean? My DH & brother feel I"m overdoing it a little. Actually they think I'm nuts. Both we're raised with reptiles. My brothers son spent time on the floor where an iguana was allowed to roam with no ill effects. Am I being too paranoid? Thanks for the patience. I just want the baby to be OK and keep my new family member.

Laura