Urgent Care :: Are there dangers in owning a RES?

[klmesser]

I was told that a pet store cannot carry a red eared slider until it is at least about 6" in diameter and also something about seminella... I have a three year old and his grandma got him this turtle, "Jack", at a flee market. Should I be concerned, does anyone have any information about this?
Thanks so much!
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[jenaero]

All reptiles carry salmonella. For turtles, it's a necessary gut bacteria and aides in digestion. Kids shouldn't be handling turtles. I won't even let my 11 year old nephew near them. They're a "look but don't touch" pet. If you wash your hands thouroughly before and after handling the turt or anything in the tank you'll be fine.

There is a law that turtles under 4 inches cannot be sold but there are loopholes. For example, they can be sold for educational purposes. Don't ask me what that means or how it works. It must be an American thing because I've never heard of it here.

If you plan on letting him keep the turt, it'll really be your pet. Read all the stickys on this site. It'll fill you in on the basics of what your turt needs.

Good luck.

[STRAYKINGFISHER]

Think of handling a turtle kinda like handling a piece of raw chicken, the danger is about the same, if your children are young and might put the turtle in their mouths, I would put the turtle where it can't be reached, I make sure that my niece and nephew always wash their hands very well when handling their turtles.

[marisa]

Salmonella lives in the intestines and is shed from the turtle in times of stress/illness. In addition to washing your hands, keep your turtle healthy with the best living conditions and diet possible.

[jezzell]

my daughter is three also and isabelle is "her turtle". she interacts with isabelle by talking to her by her aquarium or sometimes i let her hold her in a towel-and of course wash her hands personally-but i never let her hold isabelle unsupervised. she likes to kiss too much=). i started 2 weeks before i started letting her hold her blowing kisses to avoid that, so she will blow isabelle kisses-i knew that would be an issue=). but it's been over a year that we've owned turtles and no sickness, so as long as you are careful there's no problem with letting your child have one-i think=)