Ugghhh I hate Petco

**Cavykid14** · #1 12-04-05, 06:14 pm

Ok so I walked into petco to get my usual stuff and my mom said "hey look, Guinea Pig food" and we walked to the spot and I read the ingreadents and it had seeds in it and I tried explaining to my mom why Guinea Pigs can't have seeds so she thaught that I was making it up and just wanted the more expensive brand that is really just plain pellets with timothy hay in it and so she asked one of the employees if it was ok to give seeds and the employee said YES!. Well we got in a big arguement and I just walked away from it and as I walked away I noticed one of the other employees pouring some drops in the Guinea Pigs water and I asked what are you doing and she said "putting Vitamin C in it" and I explained why you can't do that and the whole time they were just humoring me and not taking it seriously.... GAH! I hate Petco so much!! If I was a pet I would never want to go there.

**Sabriel** · #2 12-04-05, 06:35 pm

Why don't you print out the GL hand out and try to educate your mom? It's flashy, "official" looking and has great info condensed so she can read it quick: Get one here.

Print up the colour one of you can. It looks extra snazzy.

Next time you are at Petco and someone is doing something stupid just give them one of these. Education can go a long way.

I keep one of these in my guinea pig folder in case I am stuck and can't get a cavy savy pig sitter. If they have a question and can't get a hold of me at least they have the basics on paper and the url for GL.

**Slap Maxwell** · #3 12-04-05, 06:44 pm

By buying products there you are supporting the crap that they are doing. Next time, try ordering online or shopping at a place that does not sell animals.

There are people who can't help but shop at a place that sells animals, but at least make it worth your time. Meaning stop someone from buying a ball for a guinea pig, seeded food, or vitamin drops. Make them refil hay or pay attention to a sick pig or something.

**falken** · #4 12-04-05, 08:59 pm

Huh?
Why do v-c not work?
I thought they needed it.

**Sabriel** · #5 12-04-05, 09:06 pm

That's what sucks about when I shop at PetSmart. I had gotten to the point where I could get all my supplies from supply only stores when my hay fell through this time. I went today to buy some emergency hay, but whenever I go the pigs are fed well (hay, pellets, water *and* veggies) and nobody is buying anything stupid. It's like they know I'm comming. I swear it's a throw back to my QA days, where people would pretend to work proper when I walked by.

I know PetSmart is still a cruddy place, but it's the only place I know of in Toronto that sells the Jumbo bags of Kaytee. Anything smaller is just a waste of money with 5 pigs. I don't like buying it ($20 for 96oz or $2.50 plus dinner or gas costs for a half a bale) but it's the only place I can get hay on short notice.

*Sigh* we need a online Canadian pet supply store. One as cheap as the Critter store or KM.

Edit: Vitamin C should not be added to water as it is water soluble. Vitamin C should be given in the form of 100mg tablets cut in four and fed 1/4 tablet a day (taken whole if the gp will eat it or ground up and mixed with water and sryinge fed) or via liquid vitamin C bought at the health food store and syringe fed (much easier if you can find it)

You can always just give healthy pigs lots of Vitamin C rich veggies like red bell peppers.

**Cavyslavesteph** · #6 12-04-05, 09:10 pm

Falken, I'm assuming you're talking about vitamin c. You are right. They do need it, but in the form of fresh veggies and fruit. Adding it to the water does nothing because it dilutes in the water and makes it useless. It can also add a taste to the water which can make some pigs drink less. They are just not advised. Healthy pigs can get all they need from well balanced daily "salads".

**falken** · #7 12-04-05, 09:15 pm

Dumb petsmart/petco.Are they able to eat salt thingys.

**Sabriel** · #8 12-04-05, 09:25 pm

No, they cannot have salt/mineral wheels. Only some forms of livestock (horses, cows) need that much salt.

**falken** · #9 12-04-05, 09:32 pm

Gosh,there dumb and have no clue!

Dude oh my gosh!

**Inrun** · #10 12-04-05, 10:52 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sabriel

No, they cannot have salt/mineral wheels. Only some forms of livestock (horses, cows) need that much salt.

Actually, most large mammals need salt to survive. Elephants have been found licking and grinding down walls of caves in Africa (along rather treacherous pathways in some cases) to get to said caves. Deer/antelope etc eat dirt with high concentrations of salt.
But some animals do get enough from their diet to not have to supplement.

**Sabriel** · #11 12-05-05, 08:18 am

Still, a cavy is not a large mammal so they don't need them. Humans tend not to need so much salt for that matter.

**Cavykid14** · #12 12-05-05, 02:47 pm

Well the only reason I have to buy from that is because I don't want to pay shipping prices of food and its just easier if I buy from them. Its cheap but it makes me mad whenever I walk in there and there is no veggies, a tiny glass cage so no ventilation, the cages are maybe 6 inches wide by 2 ft long. It makes me sick.

**2pigs4rats** · #13 12-05-05, 04:41 pm

One thing to be said about the petstore which I go to is that the animals do tend to have plenty of room. The guinea pigs have a run of about 16sq ft, one for males and one for females. They are still bad though - letting a baby pig get to hot in the summer and it died and they can't sex animals!

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