I am just getting into the 8th month of my pregnancy and my husband and I are in the process of getting our apartment baby-ready. I've hired someone to steam clean all the carpets and I've been scrubbing everything within an inch of its life, but I have a growing concern over our pets. I have had a fully grown adult male green iguana for over 4 years now, and my husband has a hatchling iguana. We've built an enormous glass and wood enclosure for them, complete with palm trees, water misters and areas to climb. Obviously they wouldn't be near the baby and we wouldn't think of handling them while the baby is around, but I still just wonder if its better to just give them to someone else... The baby comes first and if there's any risk at all I won't take the chance, heartbreaking as it would be to part with them. Anyone have some advice? My research hasn't given me a clear answer at all.
Do I need to find new homes for my pets before the baby arrives?-Myspace pets www.myspace.com
My parents "adopted" my iguana 10 years ago when I couldn't take him to my new home.
I can't see where they will pose ANY harm to the baby. Just wash your hands after feeding and handling the iguanas. It's not like you have them running free where baby is at risk from their tails and claws...as you know they wont bite normally.
Okay...just a thought. At 8 months pregnant I went nuts trying to clean and prepare for baby. We were moving at the time which made it seem even more chaotic. It is normal to want to nest and right now getting rid of pets to prepare for numero uno sounds right.
Please think twice? Iguanas are great...and when your child is my childs age (6 months) he/she will LOVE to watch them!
***edit***
oh girl, I was scrubbing baseboards...and moving...lol. I was freaking! That being said...keep your "babies"
I may be partial because I love iguanas but it sounds like you do too! There is that whole salmonela link...but just wash your hands and use the hand sanitizer after handling or cleaning their cage.
Do I need to find new homes for my pets before the baby arrives?
-(Myspace.com)yay! good choice. Report It
Do I need to find new homes for my pets before the baby arrives?
-(Myspace code myspace.com)
I consider my two cats part of my family and wouldn't consider giving them away because I am adding to the family.
cats and dogs are alot more dirty then your pet. i would not worry about them.
We have 2 dogs,a cat and a turtle! I am 37 weeks and would never even think about getting rid of any of them, they are all part of our family! Everyone will just have to adjust!
We have a cat and a dog and are keeping both.
Why would you need to get rid of the iguanas? They are in a glass enclosure and like you said, you wouldn't handle them with the baby around. You can have pets and have a baby at the same time.
I would think you can and should keep them so long as like you said, you keep them securely away from the baby. Have you started interviewing pediatricians yet? I would ask the pediatrician that you choose what his opinion is.
i could never give my cats up because of my baby!!! they are a part of my family. your lizards ;-) will be fine in their cages!!!!
Nah, don't get rid of them. You have been responsible enough to know the "risks" and what not. As long as you wash your hands everytime you mess with the iguanas you should be fine. You have them pinned up nicely and once the baby gets older it will be fun to introduce the baby to the iguanas. At least you are being responsible as a parent and are asking questions, even though you are probably the "guru" on the question. Trust your instincts!
I think your being very responsible and mature about this, but I don't think there is any need to get rid of your pets. I think it will only stress you out more, they can be a comfort to you, and you will need that. trust me
Why would you give them away, your baby is not going to be in contact with the animals. If you see it a problem when she arrives than yes I would give them away.
Call the pet store they will know if it's not a good idea to have your animals when your baby comes.
I changed my advise GET RID OF THEM!!!
No, don't get rid of them. It isn't necessary! Just make sure to wash your hands before touching the iguanas and after touching them; don't let the baby near the lizards or anything having to do with the lizards. I think you're being slightly paranoid, no offense! :-) Your baby will be fine and your lizards will be fine! Just think how much your child will enjoy watching the iguanas when he/she gets bigger! Congratulations!
Oh, man, what a question. It is true that reptiles can carry diseases. But they are all diseases that are transmitted by touch. So as long as you wash your hands immediately after handling the iguanas, and they are not likely to escape and wind up in the crib, I wouldn't worry about it at all. ;)
So, my advice is to keep all your babies. Just keep them apart for now.
If your baby isn't going to be handling them, then keep them. AFAIK, the only reptile that poses a risk is a turtle (people can contract salmonella from their shells). However, if you and your husband thoroughly wash your hands with soap/water after handling your iguanas, and don't let your baby play with them, you should be perfectly safe.
Honestly, I'd be more concerned with cleaning products these days than with pets. There are a heckuva lot more harmful chemicals in those than anything that a household pet would carry.
iguanas dont carry diseases, vet check to make sure their healthy and they should be good to go..
Hmmm, that's a tough one. I would not see why you should have to get rid of them. As long as you keep them and their area clean and away from the baby you shouldn't have any problems. I am certainly not an expert in iguana's or anything so I really don't know. Maybe try calling your local vet office or a pet store and see if they have any suggestions. Do iguanas carry any diseases? Can they get sick? I would think that as long as you keep them healthy and clean you shouldn't have a problem. Maybe even ask your doctor what they would do. Good Luck!!
We have a dog and a trantula and fish, we wouldn't give them away just because a baby is coming.
They are fine. My friends with iguanas just keep some hand sanitizer nearby and use it scrupulously every time they handle or feed or clean the environment.
Watching them will even amuse the baby when he is a little older. And iguanas are vegetarian right? Its not like they'll eat your baby;-)
I would say to anchor the play center so he/she can't pull it down when baby becomes toddler. Also, iguanas carry salmonella, and it is a very bad idea for babies and toddlers to handle them. If you don't plan to handle them around the baby, as long as the aquarium and all equipment is secure, I don't see anything wrong with having them. Just wash your hands a lot!
Don't give them away. Baby comes first, but as long as you're not handling the iguanas and then baby then everything should be fine. When baby gets older don't let him/her touch it, they can get sick. Wash your hands thoroughly. Dogs and especially cats that use a litter box is way dirtier than your pets!
You may know that reptile can spread Salmonella to humans. You may want to check out this website;
http://www.arav.org/SalmonellaOwner.htm
Congratulations on your impending arrival! Best of luck.
With proper sanitation, you have nothing to worry about. If you try to raise your baby in a sterile bubble you're just setting him up for asthma, IBD, and food allergies later in life.
I think if you decided to get the animals you should be responsible and not give them up. I can see if they posed some serious threat to the baby but I don't think iguanas harm people (I don't know much about them though) but it sounds like you have a great home for them and I am sure they love it and would hate to be removed from their wonderful home. I have 3 cats and an 11 week old baby, I would never give my cats away, just my opinion (and believe me I was worried about them bringing in fleas and ticks, worms, etc). The best person to talk to is your vet (I assume you have a vet for them) they can give you advice on the pets and a newborn, I talked to my vet about my cats when I was first bringing the baby home and if there was any advice they could give me or anything I should be careful of or aware of. If you don't have a vet then try to find one with experience with iguanas and call them up. The cats have been great and I could not imagine life without them! As someone else said you don't want a completely sterile environment anyway Just wash your hands if you handle them.
Your pets are enclosed- no harm in keeping them
I have two cats and there is and will always be cat hair all over everything, but at no point in time would i consider giving them up.... unless you have a rabies infested posum at home you can keep your pet.
I dont think it would should be a problem... im not too familiar with iguanas and things but im guessing they dont get as much attention as a dog or cat would... my sister has just had a baby last week and their cat used to get all the attention, now he is used to not getting all the attention but he kept urinating on their bed where they had had the baby the first few nights. At first it wasnt very fair on the cat as everyone was giving the baby attention and forgetting about him but now things have settled down everythings fine.
Do whats best for your baby and for your iguanna x
Congrats on the new baby!! Keep your pets, too. It sounds as if you are smart, caring and going to be great parents. I agree the kids come first but I think you have solved the problems and can have both successfully.
Good luck and enjoy!
Iguana's can carry salmonella......
That's the only risk. All you need to do is wash your hands. I have a 10 day old, and know what you're worrying about.
But honestly, keep the adorable little Iggies... they're great pets. All you gotta do is wash your hands after handling them. Same as any pet really. Good luck!
i would give them away... better safe than sorry.
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