pet stores

[MissSkittles]

I may be, and probably am totally wrong on this, but I am giving a good guess that not only is the uvb offered the animals at chain pet stores is incorrect, but that the bulbs aren’t changed as they need to be. This would result in the animals not obtaining adequate or possibly any D3. So while in proper keeping they’d be overdosed on D3, isn’t the pet store’s regimen making up for the lack of it?

 

[Antoinetteandco]

I may be, and probably am totally wrong on this, but I am giving a good guess that not only is the uvb offered the animals at chain pet stores is incorrect, but that the bulbs aren’t changed as they need to be. This would result in the animals not obtaining adequate or possibly any D3. So while in proper keeping they’d be overdosed on D3, isn’t the pet store’s regimen making up for the lack of it?

I may be, and probably am totally wrong on this, but I am giving a good guess that not only is the uvb offered the animals at chain pet stores is incorrect, but that the bulbs aren’t changed as they need to be. This would result in the animals not obtaining adequate or possibly any D3. So while in proper keeping they’d be overdosed on D3, isn’t the pet store’s regimen making up for the lack of it?

Yes and no . Staffing changes constantly so sometimes theres 10.0 uvbs in stupid places like the chameleon cages or snakes. No one pays attention typically. So in some places it lacks in others too much

 

[MissSkittles]

Oh! That’s not good. Poor little critters.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I may be, and probably am totally wrong on this, but I am giving a good guess that not only is the uvb offered the animals at chain pet stores is incorrect, but that the bulbs aren’t changed as they need to be. This would result in the animals not obtaining adequate or possibly any D3. So while in proper keeping they’d be overdosed on D3, isn’t the pet store’s regimen making up for the lack of it?

Last pet chain store I was in, there was a translucent plastic sheet between the UVB and the lizards.
I asked why, and they said, "So the crickets don't escape."
I mentioned that UV won't penetrate the plastic.
They shrugged.
Don't get me started... ?

 

[Antoinetteandco]

Last pet chain store I was in, there was a translucent plastic sheet between the UVB and the lizards.
I asked why, and they said, "So the crickets don't escape."
I mentioned that UV won't penetrate the plastic.
They shrugged.
Don't get me started... ?

Ridiculous

 

[Antoinetteandco]

Oh! That’s not good. Poor little critters.

Yeah . Neglect happens unfortunately. It all comes down to minimum wage and staffing .

 

[jacksonchamnew]

My local store seemed to know how to care for them. They used the right calcium and were hesitant to recommend the multivitamins. They wanted to make sure that new owner of their juvenile veiled was knowledgeable.

 

[argulor]

I may be, and probably am totally wrong on this, but I am giving a good guess that not only is the uvb offered the animals at chain pet stores is incorrect, but that the bulbs aren’t changed as they need to be. This would result in the animals not obtaining adequate or possibly any D3. So while in proper keeping they’d be overdosed on D3, isn’t the pet store’s regimen making up for the lack of it?

actually we don’t replace the lights unless they burn out,,, ive been working there for a while and we have never changed them out once. so yes youre correct about the fact that the d3 we give them makes up for it. i hadn’t considered that before honestly

 

[argulor]

My local store seemed to know how to care for them. They used the right calcium and were hesitant to recommend the multivitamins. They wanted to make sure that new owner of their juvenile veiled was knowledgeable.

i try my best to educate people as much as i can but we are only given around 15 minutes with a customer until we are rushed to do something else,,,

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

i try my best to educate people as much as i can but we are only given around 15 minutes with a customer until we are rushed to do something else,,,

Do you have decent care sheets to give customers?
Do the stores still carry books on caring for the various pets?

IDK―I'm asking―it's been a long time since I was in a big-box pet store.

 

[argulor]

Wow that actually suprised me. My store has like 5 different cal options even though our reptile section is way smaller than Petsmart. I was going to say you can fight them on it and store use it if you carry it there. Other thing check out your stores uvbs... They re usually "off". My store di dnt even realize some idiot put plain floursent s in before I started working there. In my state there's mandatory maintenance and board of agriculture checks. See if the uvbs are right that will help alot. If not you can dig in at corporate on their audit s if that makes sense. Second this one I'm uncomfortable with because I don't want you to get fired but you could personally buy cal without d3 and container swap the cal at work with it....not recommended

so i talked to my manager more and we agreed that the concern with it all is that we probably dont provide the best uvb and so their skin wouldnt be able to produce it on its own,,, so we decided it would be best to keep the calcium with d3. still wish we could give customers an option though

 

[argulor]

Do you have decent care sheets to give customers?
Do the stores still carry books on caring for the various pets?

IDK―I'm asking―it's been a long time since I was in a big-box pet store.

we have caresheets but theyre very very outdated and mostly incorrect. they say you can safely put two beardies together in one tank,,, so i dont trust them in general especially for the reptiles. we dont carry books about the animals unfortunately its all up to the employees to educate,,,,

 

[Antoinetteandco]

we have caresheets but theyre very very outdated and mostly incorrect. they say you can safely put two beardies together in one tank,,, so i dont trust them in general especially for the reptiles. we dont carry books about the animals unfortunately its all up to the employees to educate,,,,

Same at my place says chameleons should have 100watt bulbs and red night bulbs. They are extremely inaccurate when it comes to reptiles. Small animals and bird caresheets are spot on but the reptile care sheets are horrendous

 

[argulor]

Same at my place says chameleons should have 100watt bulbs and red night bulbs. They are extremely inaccurate when it comes to reptiles. Small animals and bird caresheets are spot on but the reptile care sheets are horrendous

im not sure if our caresheets for small animals and birds are right either honestly,,,, its pretty unfortunate

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

we have caresheets but theyre very very outdated and mostly incorrect. they say you can safely put two beardies together in one tank,,, so i dont trust them in general especially for the reptiles. we dont carry books about the animals unfortunately its all up to the employees to educate,,,,

I wouldn't want to get you in trouble either, but I think if it were me, I'd try to slip customers a crib sheet of a select few credible online resources and sites. That would (IMO) at least put the ball in their court, whether they're buying or just thinking about it. YMMV―no judgment.

 

[argulor]

so today i had to sell the most beautiful bearded dragon to a customer who had their baby get eaten by their cat, because they had him in a 5 gal with no lid,,, and they needed a new one to switch out the baby so their 4 yr old son wouldnt notice. right after this happened, i put in my two weeks, i honestly cant keep working there if im expected to sell wonderful animals to negligent owners. so im done

 

[saradoggy10]

I go to a petco nearby but recently stopped going because the only good employee got fired. He wasn't allowed to quarantine the saltwater fish but he would hide the tanks under the counters and quarantine them anyway before they went in and if they got sick. Being the rebellious employee is a great thing.
But no I avoid buying pets from pet stores at all costs

 

[MissSkittles]

I’ve had ideas of slipping care sheets into the chameleon kits at chain pet stores. I’d probably get caught though with my luck.

 

[Antoinetteandco]

so today i had to sell the most beautiful bearded dragon to a customer who had their baby get eaten by their cat, because they had him in a 5 gal with no lid,,, and they needed a new one to switch out the baby so their 4 yr old son wouldnt notice. right after this happened, i put in my two weeks, i honestly cant keep working there if im expected to sell wonderful animals to negligent owners. so im done

I'm sorry it came to that

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

so today i had to sell the most beautiful bearded dragon to a customer who had their baby get eaten by their cat, because they had him in a 5 gal with no lid,,, and they needed a new one to switch out the baby so their 4 yr old son wouldnt notice. right after this happened, i put in my two weeks, i honestly cant keep working there if im expected to sell wonderful animals to negligent owners. so im done

When asked to use the word "horticulture" in a sentence, Dorothy Parker ( American poet, writer, critic, satirist, and founding member of the Algonquin Round Table), thought a moment, and replied, "You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think."

My point is, you can do your best to educate and enlighten people, but you can't make them do the right thing, or act in their own (their children's, or an animal's) best interest. Teachers have to come to terms with this fact, as do veterinarians (and techs), doctors, and any calling that tries to help people. I suppose we all do sooner or later.

It's a tough call, and I think in the long run, you'll come out better for it, (though the timing sucks). I echo Antoinetteandco 's regret.

I think we all understand your frustration, and (I believe) support your decision, and wish you only the best.