What's so bad about Petsmart?

[meganmartin159]

Hi all,
I am a new Beardie mom as well as new to this site. I thoroughly enjoy reading all the threads and getting great information! However, I have noticed a general disgust/distrust with the chain store Petsmart. Nothing specific, per say, but everyone seems to dislike them.
I am writing all of you to find out what- specifically-- you dislike about Petsmart. See, I work there and absolutely LOVE it! I enjoy my co-workers, managers, and of course the animals. I feel like our store goes to great lengths to ensure the health and well-being of all our animals (Beardies included) and I am looking for suggestions on what we can do better. (Please keep in mind I am a lowly pet-care associate, so I can't make any top-level changes, but I CAN talk to my very receptive manager about that kind of stuff!) I look forward to all of your replies!

 

[Ofthelime]

Not all the Petco and Petsmart stores are bad but an overwhelming number of them are. Most of them ignore a lot of basic needs of the animals such as UVB, and misinform people. The prices are also outrageous on many products.

 

[CooperDragon]

I agree, the issues stem from many people experiencing problems after being sold improper equipment (sand, improper lighting, improper food/supplements, etc). Several people have seen dragons in dirty, overcrowded tanks with improper lighting as well. I'm glad to hear that your store goes to great lengths to properly care for the animals. I think a lot of the issues come down to lack of knowledge and/or resources at certain stores. I highly encourage you, your coworkers, and customers to use this forum to learn as much as you can about proper care for bearded dragons. The more knowledge and experience everyone has, the better. Feel free to use the care articles listed on the site and to ask us any questions you have about dragons. The people on this board are happy to share our experience with you. It's good to have a caring, knowledgeable employee at the store so your dragons can have the best life possible right from the start =)

 

[britjoejack]

We just got our baby beardie from petsmart yesterday and the biggest problem I saw was there were about 10 of them in a 10 gallon tank. Otherwise he seems healthy and he's active.

 

[Taterbug]

I have a couple problems with petsmart. One is I'm sure entirly region specific - that is lack of good husbandry. It's not nearly as bad as other chain stores but I've still seen sick, emaciated, or otherwise improperly cared for animals and filthy cages. Many stores also sell animals way too young, IMO. This contributes to one of my other complaints - they become impulse purchases.

Baby lizards are adorable, they are accessible and in the next isle over are "starter kits" to take one home right away. Some of those kits are mediocre at best, while others are downright inhumane. Bearded dragons are not particularly challenging reptiles to keep but they still have very specific needs, and pretty large space requirements. The assortment of products that exist only to fleece money from customers really upsets me, but not much you can do about that I know.

I'm curious how quickly the animals pass through the stores, some of the husbandry problems (such as lack of uvb or overcrowding) are a little more excusable if they are only at the store for a few day to a week or so. But improper husbandry paired with the stress of being in a high traffic area of busy store is sure to compound any health issues.

And to be fair, I have perused the literature at petsmart and while it's not complete by any means, nor cutting edge - it's not as misleading as many people claim. Though plenty of people show up here with "the pet store told me..." followed by poor or inaccurate information - again this will depend on the employees but I've overheard some pretty questionable advice (not just on lizards).

Do you know the supplier of your dragons, by chance?

So anyway, rant aside - petstores really set an example of care of the animals. Very few people on the street understand exotic pets or their needs. I still get asked if a (snake/fish/lizard) will only grow to the size of its cage. (My answer is yes, because once the cage is too small it will die) The dirty cages, nasty dried up food, overcrowding and poor choices of furnishings and lighting can send the wrong message about what is ok. If there is anyway to make sure customers take home the literature for the speicies and suggest they check out a few care sheets online as well. Stressing the importance of good UVB lighting, gutloading insects, using supplements, one lizard per enclosure at their forever-home.

 

[Pushkin]

My Petsmart is actually really great when it comes to their animals. At most, they'll have two baby beardies in a tank and they always look alert and happy. Several of the girls who work in that area own beardies, and one even ran a rescue for a while, so they have given me good advice (that this site and others have corroborated.) In the end, I think it's less about the chain itself, and more about the people who work at each store!

 

[DeltaElite121]

My Petsmart is actually really great when it comes to their animals. At most, they'll have two baby beardies in a tank and they always look alert and happy. Several of the girls who work in that area own beardies, and one even ran a rescue for a while, so they have given me good advice (that this site and others have corroborated.) In the end, I think it's less about the chain itself, and more about the people who work at each store!

Unfortunately it's both. There's a great Petsmart over by me and they do the absolute best job I've seen in a commercial pet store. The problem is, corporate tells them a certain daily routine for said animals, and they're expected to follow policy. Yes, that means that unfortunately the baby bearded dragons get fed meal worms at a young age and often times get subpar temperatures/lighting/space requirements. I've spoken with the store manager here and they admit they do the best they can and KNOW/tell the customers everything they need to know, however they are stuck with what they have. It's a sad situation, but also very admirable (in the same token) in stores like the one near me. I still buy animals from them, but so far I've bought mostly frogs because those are often very healthy there unless they are underfed like my Pyxie frog was.

 

[meganmartin159]

Not all the Petco and Petsmart stores are bad but an overwhelming number of them are. Most of them ignore a lot of basic needs of the animals such as UVB, and misinform people. The prices are also outrageous on many products.

I agree that the prices are ridiculous! I hardly ever shop there, even with my employee discount... but then again I am a broke college student. Many of my customers enjoy spending money on their pets and spare no expense with their animals. I also like to buy from LPS because I enjoy supporting small businesses and frequently refer my customers to area family-owned stores.

 

[meganmartin159]

I agree, the issues stem from many people experiencing problems after being sold improper equipment (sand, improper lighting, improper food/supplements, etc). Several people have seen dragons in dirty, overcrowded tanks with improper lighting as well. I'm glad to hear that your store goes to great lengths to properly care for the animals. I think a lot of the issues come down to lack of knowledge and/or resources at certain stores. I highly encourage you, your coworkers, and customers to use this forum to learn as much as you can about proper care for bearded dragons. The more knowledge and experience everyone has, the better. Feel free to use the care articles listed on the site and to ask us any questions you have about dragons. The people on this board are happy to share our experience with you. It's good to have a caring, knowledgeable employee at the store so your dragons can have the best life possible right from the start =)

Hi Cooper,
I guess it IS all about where you come from. Our management team regularly encourages us to do research at home on our own as well as reading the Pet Care binder & care guides. If we're asked a question and we're not 100% SURE of the answer, we're supposed to find someone who knows and never guess. (These are lives we're talking about!)
Also, every time I sell a Beardie to a new owner, I write the name of this site down and send it home with them! You guys have seriously been so helpful.

 

[meganmartin159]

I have a couple problems with petsmart. One is I'm sure entirly region specific - that is lack of good husbandry. It's not nearly as bad as other chain stores but I've still seen sick, emaciated, or otherwise improperly cared for animals and filthy cages. Many stores also sell animals way too young, IMO. This contributes to one of my other complaints - they become impulse purchases.

Baby lizards are adorable, they are accessible and in the next isle over are "starter kits" to take one home right away. Some of those kits are mediocre at best, while others are downright inhumane. Bearded dragons are not particularly challenging reptiles to keep but they still have very specific needs, and pretty large space requirements. The assortment of products that exist only to fleece money from customers really upsets me, but not much you can do about that I know.

I'm curious how quickly the animals pass through the stores, some of the husbandry problems (such as lack of uvb or overcrowding) are a little more excusable if they are only at the store for a few day to a week or so. But improper husbandry paired with the stress of being in a high traffic area of busy store is sure to compound any health issues.

And to be fair, I have perused the literature at petsmart and while it's not complete by any means, nor cutting edge - it's not as misleading as many people claim. Though plenty of people show up here with "the pet store told me..." followed by poor or inaccurate information - again this will depend on the employees but I've overheard some pretty questionable advice (not just on lizards).

Do you know the supplier of your dragons, by chance?

So anyway, rant aside - petstores really set an example of care of the animals. Very few people on the street understand exotic pets or their needs. I still get asked if a (snake/fish/lizard) will only grow to the size of its cage. (My answer is yes, because once the cage is too small it will die) The dirty cages, nasty dried up food, overcrowding and poor choices of furnishings and lighting can send the wrong message about what is ok. If there is anyway to make sure customers take home the literature for the speicies and suggest they check out a few care sheets online as well. Stressing the importance of good UVB lighting, gutloading insects, using supplements, one lizard per enclosure at their forever-home.

Great reply, taterbug! Let me try and address what I can:

Almost every single animal we sell-- except birds and some types of fish-- are at the store between one and seven days. We regularly sell out of Bearded Dragons, especially the non fancys. Our Beardies are kept in the biggest display tank we have which is about 2.5"x1"x1". There are a maximum of six 8-week-old Beardies per tank with fancys and non fancys separated. Like I said, we regularly sell out so there's almost always less in the tank. (But I know it's still not big enough.)

Any Dragons (or other animals including fish) showing signs of health issues like lethargy, loss of appetite, or crusty eyes and noses are immediately quarantined in the sick room in the back. Within 72 hours they're taken to a local herp vet and Petsmart does everything they can to keep the animal healthy. They may not be perfect, but not every pet store would take a hermit crab to the vet. :wink:

I don't know who our supplier is, but I have heard some nasty rumors. I will do some investigating when I go into my shift today. However, for the most part our Dragons who are shipped overnight arrive in great condition (albeit a little stressed) and I have never seen one with a missing limb or anything. A few toe nips have occurred.

When a customer buys any animal (except fish) they are sent home with two pamphlets they must present at the register in order to buy the pet. One is a pamphlet about all the fun diseases you can get from your pet (basically, wash your hands.) and the other is a Care Guide. We do this in hopes that they will continue to research the species. Also, if a customer seems sketchy or keeps returning dead animals or doesn't have a decent enclosure we reserve the right to deny them a sell! This is awesome because we can say "no" when some ***** mentions his baby Beardie is going into a Rubbermaid with his water dragon and six anoles. Sorry bud, no pets for you.

I hope some of this has been helpful and I truly appreciate your helpful comments to me. I will certainly relay the messages onto my coworkers and managers!

 

[meganmartin159]

Unfortunately it's both. There's a great Petsmart over by me and they do the absolute best job I've seen in a commercial pet store. The problem is, corporate tells them a certain daily routine for said animals, and they're expected to follow policy. Yes, that means that unfortunately the baby bearded dragons get fed meal worms at a young age and often times get subpar temperatures/lighting/space requirements. I've spoken with the store manager here and they admit they do the best they can and KNOW/tell the customers everything they need to know, however they are stuck with what they have. It's a sad situation, but also very admirable (in the same token) in stores like the one near me. I still buy animals from them, but so far I've bought mostly frogs because those are often very healthy there unless they are underfed like my Pyxie frog was.

We're ALL frustrated at corporate sometimes! Haha!
And maybe this is something I can change-- mealworms. Why are they bad for the babies? Is it the hard outside? If so, would getting everyone to change to waxworms be better?

 

[Taterbug]

Megan, what great responses it's heartening to know that not all stores are as dismal as the ones near me and it sounds like your does an excellent job.

The problem with mealworms is the hard outer shell. Babies have trouble digesting them, and more so if they aren't kept at high enough temperatures which is hard in those little tanks in sure. Waxworms are pretty junky when it comes to nutrition (lots of fat). As far as what your store probably has to offer them, crickets are usually just fine for babies.

 

[suikajusu]

I'd say the improper UVB is what bothers me the most. I really wish they would use a ReptiSun 10.0 instead of the bulb they use. I don't know if all PetSmarts use these bulbs, but the dragons at the one near me always seem lethargic and have their eyes closed

 

[retxeD]

I live in Washington State and the PetSmarts around here are pretty great actually! The employees seem like they care, and seem knowledgeable. I've even talked to them before and they said the won't sell mice as live food (very good), and like I said they generally seem to care. Their care guides (at least the ones I've read) seem pretty good too. The Petcos around here are another story, their employees are worse, and I've seem a lot of sick animals in their cages.

Anyway, I'm pretty impressed at the PetSmarts I've been too.

 

[Pushkin]

Yeah, again, I have to say that the problems mentioned here are not ones that I have noticed at my PetsMart! They feed the baby beardies small crickets and pellets, and the most I have seen together is two. Usually, they keep one to a tank. Of course the enclosures are small, but there is only so much space in a pet shop, so I understand that. It is too bad that not all of them are like this. Pushkin, one of mine, came from Petco and he has been wonderful - very sweet and very healthy!