Asked petco for feeding advice

[htidavid]

I already knew what I was doing feeding wise. The man at petco seemed so confused as to why I wanted so many crickets.

He told me they feed their Beardies 5 crickets a day :x ... that 30 should be more than enough for a week... I wanted way more than 30 by the way.. That just happen to be all they had so I had to go some where else for more

 

[1968dart]

Yeah I was looking at some babies the other day waiting for some feeders and the guy that was watching them also asked the lady how old they where and she said 4 months. These babies were not even 6" long I was like I think you mean 4 weeks. Then the other lady said no there 4 months the guy they got them off of didn't care for them that well. They sure can stay small along time if malnourished. one little guy was trying to eat everything in the Viv even the rock. Had to leave..... Can't save them all.

 

[htidavid]

Yeah I was looking at some babies the other day waiting for some feeders and the guy that was watching them also asked the lady how old they where and she said 4 months. These babies were not even 6" long I was like I think you mean 4 weeks. Then the other lady said no there 4 months the guy they got them off of didn't care for them that well. They sure can stay small along time if malnourished. one little guy was trying to eat everything in the Viv even the rock. Had to leave..... Can't save them all.

yeah.. I stood next to a female employee as she horribly explained to some other customers the things they need for their baby Beardie.. heat pads, sand, red lighting for night... This website has seriously taught me so much that hearing all the dumb things like that make me really sad / mad

I definitely talked to the other customers after the lady had walked away and let them know what they should actually be doing

 

[cvontres]

I was at Petco checking if they sold ReptiSun 10.0 or Arcadia 12 % and peeked in on the Beardies. There was only one poor, little, teeny guy. He looked sick and frail and all he had was some romaine( or another lettuce) and a dish of mealworms! The cage was all one temp- 85 or so! Plus he had no basking spot! Poor guy. Oh, and the only book/ careguide was FULL of all wrong stuff. I wish pet stores would actually research their pets before selling them. Breaks my heart.
Sorry, I needed to vent. Hoping the wold will someday be rid of Beardie cruelness, M

 

[Demonica1610]

I only go to Petco when I have to buy supplies (not even food). I am usually disgusted with them and their "suggestions/answers" 9 out of 10 times. :evil:

I've had various encounters with them where I couldn't believe what they were telling me. When I first bought my Leopard Gecko (before my Beardie) and when he was only about 5 inches in length and about 3 months old, they told me to use sand and medium sized crickets.

At the time, he was my first reptile and I only knew what I read on him. I trusted them, figuring they should know what they are talking about, boy was I wrong!! :x

Not to mention, their food is OVERPRICED. I was buying 100 meal worms for about $8.00 And 30 crickets for $14.00
Now I buy 200 meal worms for $3.00 and 100 crickets for $2.00 thanks to Sabrina's Reptile Kingdom...love them.

I'm now taking my chances with giving my Beardie some sand, which he seems to like. And hoping that this works for us.

Petco is just a disappointment to me now.

 

[jezwolf175]

Yes most corp stores are like that. Unfortunately it really isn't the employees fault because they just do what they are told by their managers. So if you really want to get somewhere talk to the managers and tell them your concerns. If that doesn't work go to corporate. It really is sad seeing animals treated like that. Exotic or not. It breaks my heart seeing beardies piled in the enclosures like that glass dancing; their eyes saying "please take me home and love me." I try not to go their anymore. It sucks because I am an animal lover to the point where I would take all of them home and figure out something later. :? But I have to think of myself and my partner.

 

[Katiedud]

If I can help it, I refuse to buy anything from big corps like petco ans petsmart. The way their animals are "cared" for makes me sick. And the little information books or sheets they have to help new owners are loaded with the wrong information.
Last year I started researching on this site and a few others because I was going to get my first beardie (didn't work out then cause of my living situation ) and I went to a few pet stores, both large and smaller, and I was just dumbfounded by all this wonderfully, WRONG information they had for potential new owners. From the lighting, down to the food! One thing that stood out was something I learned early on was about carrots. And how they shouldn't really be fed often (if at all) but everywhere I looked, there it was. Carrots in the bowls (with iceberg lettuce ) and carrots being a staple in their diets. At that point id only been researching for a few days, but I wanted to ream the employees from top to bottom!!! I can only imagine how many beardies(and reptiles in general) are malnourished, suffering, and coming to an untimely end because of al the bad information that's out there, so readily, for people. UGH!! *Rant off*

 

[sweetiepie9]

It's ok to rant, it really is awful how petshops don't take care of their reptiles, yet take care of their dogs, cats, birds. I drive the pet shop where I buy the bugs I need crazy because I'm constantly telling them they're selling the wrong things & not feeding their dragons right. Now they've actually changed the way they're doing things because I go in there weekly for crickets for my geckos and superworms for my beardies and go straight for the beardie tanks. So at least I'm able to help some beardies have a better start. But I don't go to Petsmart or any other big store as I can't stand seeing the bad care they give the beardies. And you're right, it's not the employees fault, but they should read up on what dragons need before they give the wrong info to the people buying the dragons. My hubby worked in a pet shop for a few months, he made copies of the care sheet we made up (have had beardies at that point for 3 years and being members of this site) and he got hell from the manager that he wasn't to do that, as then people wouldn't buy supplies at their shop ('cause they had all the wrong kind of supplies!), but Roger wouldn't stop, he stayed extra hours to make sure the beardie babies were fed twice a day and I made them beardie baby salads daily, too, that he took in for them to eat. As a result they had healthy beardie babies to sell. Even so, they laid him off after only 5 months working there, said he cost them too much in crickets. So there's my rant for the day.