# Semi Rant



## msredhead (Sep 28, 2012)

I was called into a meeting with my boss today. I had no idea what he wanted me for, so I had no idea what to expect. Upon entering the meeting, he proceeded to ask me if I saw the recent article about hedgehogs and salmonella. I saw it, I read it - so what? He then tells me that before I touch anything or start work in the morning, that I need to wash and sanitize my hands.

I wanted to explode! He just assumed that 1. my pet is dirty or 2. I was dirty. I take very very good care of Auri, and to be told something based on an article is just rude.

6 People so far have linked me that article... and I'm tired of it. Yea, they can transmit it - so what? Don't have a dirty pet! Also, they are not the only pet that can transmit it! So frustrated!! GRR

http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases ... llosis.htm


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## Katis228 (Aug 19, 2012)

I hear ya!! I've been lucky, so far everyone who has brought it up to me has been semi-joking about it (and I think curious about my take on it). 

But that sucks that your boss would be so rude. I would almost call it discrimination. If he is going to do that to you, then he needs to ask everyone in the office who has handled raw eggs while making breakfast to "sanitize" themselves. Cause let's face it, you're far more likely to get salmonella poisoning from raw eggs than any household pet!


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

WOW, I would be pissed too! He ought to do the same for everyone else that has a dog or cat or turtle or who wipes their own butt after going to the restroom. NO reason to single out hedgehogs.

One of my in-laws is a germophobe and doesn't want me bringing any hedgehogs to visit anymore, and I'm fairly certain will hose me off with soap and water before allowing me in their house again. ><


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

rude boss.
It's no different than human fecal matter. Humans carry harmful bacteria in their poop. And yet, so many people don't wash their hands.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Casually send this article to him, and watch him ban using the restroom on the job and require mandatory plastic bag uniforms for all employees. 

http://discovermagazine.com/2012/jun/03 ... RAMHYfF_Cd


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## msredhead (Sep 28, 2012)

Haha, his skin would be crawling! But yea - I didn't think it was the most appropriate thing to tell me to do. Just kind of started the day off pretty rudely, but we move on.I put a bottle of Purel on my desk to satisfy him (even though I won't use it)!


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

Remember, tricolsan an ingredient in some hand sanitizers and toothpaste, is a carcinogen.

Make sure you check the ingredients. 

Unless you work in a medical setting or food-handling profession, I don't see how it's his business. 
Whatever happened to common sense?

ML


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## msredhead (Sep 28, 2012)

Well, the company I work for sells biomedical batteries, but I'm just customer service - I go no where near the batteries themselves.

But agreed - it's none of his business!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

WOW, that is ridiculous!! :roll: People are so dumb sometimes...He has absolutely no place telling you do that. I like LizardGirl's idea!


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## SpikeMoose (Dec 9, 2012)

People are so ignorant! A particularly unpleasant patron at my work (children's library) has heard me babble about my hedgehogs before and smugly brought me a "gift" of hand sanitizer. I politely said thank you but I don't use that kind, I'm very particular about the chemicals I rub on myself. She told me she was just worried about my hands touching salmonella infested animals. I responded by asking if she made sure her four year old washed her hands every time she went potty :lol:


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## JulieAnne (Sep 3, 2012)

I just had someone send me a link on FB to an article talking about how 20 people got sick from salmonella that they got from a hedgehog. First of all... 20 people isn't very many... 2nd of all... no where in the article did it mention ANYTHING about dogs, or cats or any other animals carrying salmonella. I'm not terribly upset with the girl that posted it as I know she was just trying to watch out for me (I've known her since I was 3 years old) but the arrogance of the article is ANNOYING and is making a bad name for our sweet hedgies. As if they didn't have enough rumors going against them! Anywho, I replied by telling her that my Prim, like most hedgehogs, gets regular baths and I clean her cage daily as well and that she should be aware that hedgies aren't the only animals that carry salmonella. It's so infuriating.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

It's not even about bathing the hedgehog regularly. It's about washing your hands after handling the hedgehog or having contact with poop (cleaning the cage/wheel). That goes for ALL poop. Period. "Breaking news" indeed.

As a breeder, and being in WA (where 7 of the 20 cases were reported, including the man who died) I have been hounded with calls/emails/questions/etc every day since this started. And I'm happy to say the same thing over and over (and over and over and over and over) again for the sake of education and clearing their bad reputation. So far everyone I've explained it to has listened and had no concerns after that conversation, including someone with an 11 year old who came in later the same day to put down a deposit. They just need an "expert" to reassure them, and I'm filling that role.


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## JulieAnne (Sep 3, 2012)

She was concerned that I "kiss" my hedgehog or hold her up to face and such things. Personally I think people have too much time on their hands lol.


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## jholstein11 (Dec 13, 2012)

Maybe I should report my coworker then... He kisses so much butt surely he's a carrier. :lol:


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## JulieAnne (Sep 3, 2012)

LOL!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

JulieAnne said:


> She was concerned that I "kiss" my hedgehog or hold her up to face and such things. Personally I think people have too much time on their hands lol.


People are silly. Do the people all concerned about hedgehogs never kiss their dogs, cats, etc.? I kissed Lily all the time on her cheek or forehead, or rubbed my nose against her fur. Never gotten sick from an animal once! Which is pretty amazing since I'm interning at a wildlife shelter and I'm terrible about remembering to wash my hands properly with soap...even after cutting up mice! :lol:



jholstein11 said:


> Maybe I should report my coworker then... He kisses so much butt surely he's a carrier. :lol:


'

:lol:


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## JulieAnne (Sep 3, 2012)

Lily- exactly! I've never been sick from an animal! I've never had salmonella and I LOVE raw cookie dough lol. I used to work at a vets office and we never had an issue with salmonella and I work with horses and again, never had an issue. Like you, I forget to wash my hands after petting a dog or riding a horse or holding Prim. Obviously I was them after I go to the bathroom but if I washed them EVERY time I pet my dog.... my hands would be so dry and damaged.


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## eskye (Oct 5, 2012)

I would be incredibly angry with that boss. I feel your pain. As a keeper of around a hundred reptiles and amphibians, turtles included, you have no idea how many people ask me if my animals are sanitary. Even the hedgehogs. "Don't they carry so many diseases?" "You need to be very careful, you could catch salmonella." And all that silly stuff. The fact is, even turtles, which are notorious for being "the worst salmonella carrier" only account for 3% of salmonella outbreaks. It's all about media. If you have an animal, your salmonella can't possibly be from the chicken you had last night - it was surely the pet!

Even with over a hundred reptiles, I guarantee that I am _still_ much more likely to contract salmonella from food. As a necessity with working with so many animals of my own plus at the pet store, I keep everything as sterile as possible. But people will always think they know more than you.

Also, as a matter of culture, I grew up eating dishes with raw egg in them, such as an egg on rice in the morning, and love cake batter/cookie dough more than the baked product. If I ever get salmonella, it will be from one of those things, I'm sure of it. Plus, the vast majority of animals that carry salmonella are wild caught, and captive bred animals that have not had outside contact are much less likely to carry it - as opposed to your dog that will go out and lick everything there is in the world. Reptiles and amphibians have definitely been made out to be the worst for the issue, with any "educational site" saying that most, if not all carry salmonella. That is simply not true.

But alas, the world we live in is happy to make scapegoats out of anything to hide the truth from themselves - that their favorite mongrel or chicken parmesan was the cause of their sickness, not their daughter's smelly rodent or unfortunate turtle.

My girlfriend is for some reason more grossed out when I kiss my hedgies (only after a bath) than when I kiss my reptiles. Odd standards there! I have so many bottles of hand sanitizer strategically placed throughout the house that it looks like I'm hoarding them.


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## alexvdl (Dec 19, 2012)

I want a nine banded armadillo. They apparently carry leprosy! 

And one of Maggie and Reginald's favorite bonding activities is nose kisses.


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