Petco = Fail

[GarinGazelle]

Well, as some of you may know, my little beardie hasnt pooped for over 4 days. he pooped a little this morning, which was half urate half poop. so my mom made me call them(even tho i know they suck at education). this is about how our convo went on-

Me: yes, my beardie hasnt pooped since thursday. he pooped a little this morning but not very much. and he's been getting an increase of about 5 crickets a day since thursday. he had 40 crickets yesterday.
Them: 40 crickets? you feeding them the large cricks?
Me: no, the small to medium sized ones.
Them: you should really switch to the large cricks, your going to go broke with the small ones. What kind of substrate are you using?
Me: paper towels
Them: ooohhh. thats a big problem. they can ingest the paper towels and impact them, much like sand. they could go after the cricket and get paper towel.
Me: thats impossible because i feed him in a different tank, and i would see where he took a bite of the towel.
Them: hmm, he's been acting fine then?
Me: yes.
Them: okay, well i would watch him for the next couple of days. but i really recommend switching to the large crickets.
Me: okay, thank you bye.

problems with what she told me?

1: i guess i feed him the right sized wrong sized cricks? i guess maybe their supposed to be as big as the beardies head itself? hmm, dumbass. rule of thumb, no bigger than the width between their eyes.
2: paper towels dangerous? its the safest thing for babies. go look it up stupid person. and you tell me sand is bad also, yet you have sand in your damn beardie tank.

what a dummy.. i should go down there and give them a link to this website and tell them to read this website. or just knock some sense into them.

 

[pogona050897]

she is not very intelligent (inappropriate language removed by moderator) i got my baby girl at pet smart and the worker (inappropriate language removed by moderator) there told me just to feed her cale and crickets. So then i go home look a few things up talk to a vet, turns out you can feed them almost anything. So if anyone buys a beardie from Petco or Petsmart i reccomend not listening to a word that the (inappropriate language removed by moderator) workers say there, just talk to a vet.

- Quigley

 

[pogona050897]

P.S. how do i edit my user statistics?

-Quigley

 

[GarinGazelle]

Petsmart is generally more knowledgeable about their animals though.

and you cant feed them anything. use this site for their salad http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

Vets can also be uneducated. best just to ask the ppl who know the most. the people here

 

[dragons1222]

i agree

i work at petsmart and unfortunatly there are some things that we have to do(like substrate) petsmart does not keep any baby beardie or leopard geckos on sand(anything less than 6 inches) so if you ever see that tell an employee to change it it is a rule

also petco is supposed to be changing their way as well and not housing on sand i know of several location that have done so

i agree most of the worker know abslutly nothing but i am very knowlegable lol

did the person know how big your beardie was? maybe she though you had an older beardie and were feeding it small crickets? lol

 

[Lupe]

I was just at Petco today and they had the baby dragons on sand =/ it is a very new store too.

 

[GarinGazelle]

@ dragons


yes she knew. for one all the ones they have are babies, and thats where i bought my baby. and i told her. they feed their babies adult cricks like i said.


i want to get a job at petsmart.

 

[Lupe]

I applied at Petco and tried Petsmart but PS wont let me because I'm under 18 xP (I'm 17)

 

[GarinGazelle]

What? you cant work that if your under 18? im only 16! :O

i will prevail! me showz them how much i knowz about reptilez!

 

[pudden318]

i was at petco today and the "reptile specialist" (*****) told me that their corproate office makes them put the babies on sand uuggghhh im boycotting petco they could at least have some kind of training

 

[GarinGazelle]

like dragons1222 said pudden, they should be changing their way.

 

[sara24354]

Just a few hints for helping with getting your dragon to poop. Try baby food applesauce(unsweetened) or strait canned pumpkin. Put a little on your dragons nose and let it lick it off. Also soaking your beardie in a bath will help to keep your dragon hydrated which helps with pooping. You can also GENTLY rub your dragons belly down the right side from just under the armpit to the vent area in small circles,this will also help with pooping.

 

[GarinGazelle]

Thanks sara but he's already pooped lol.

 

[dolphinsilversea01]

Although many here have owned bearded dragons for years, and they have been available for sometime, the information on proper care has changed alot over just the past few years.

I work for Petco. For a long time it was "Petco law" to have them on sand, and it has not totally changed yet. It is the choice of the GM (general manager/store manager) to either keep them on sand or change them over to carpet. Everything the stores do and use (food, supplies, using certain substrate, etc.) is chosen or approved and is available through the store use catalog. The carpet just recently became available TO ALL stores, but it is up to that store to make the change. It is no longer just in the hands of corporate - they did give the "clearing" to have carpet available to each store and leave it up to the stores to make the change.
My store made the change before it was technically "ok" by corporate. All I had to do was show my GM the back of the store use sand that states the sand "may, can, and will cause impaction to juvenille reptiles".
It is sad that we have to follow "Petco law" for the most part, but I know many people that push for what they believe in for the animals. I mean after all we work for a company who's motto is: "Where animals always come first"! I hear the stories on here and although I know and understand the frustration because I work there, I also know that there are many that work at Petco that love there job and most of all love those animals!

I would suggest to anyone who sees sand at a Petco and wants to help them realize that the change to carpet is better: collect some information, whether it be from books or/and printed off the computer and ask for the GM. Talk to them nicely and with respect - they are just following the "Petco law" and doing there job. Let them know that you know for a fact that it was recently approved for ALL Petcos to have the choice on whether they use sand or carpet, and that carpet is now available for them to order through store use. Show them what you have collected and brought and explain to them that you are conserned for the reptiles (the leopard geckos are/were also on sand) and that you understand they may not know this piece of information yet. Let them have what you brought to look over, offer to be available for any questions, or anything else they may need. If you do this I can almost gaurantee that change will happen soon, but not for all as there are those who have done their own research and still feel as though sand is appropriate.

Also, you can thank... oh I am going to go blank on name now.. oh poo! We all know, the wonderful one who put out the petition... it is this that started the change and it is those that work there or those who just care that have continued to push the changes within each store.
Sorry guys.... starting to get a bit sleepy.