Petsmart

[Love_my_piggies]

I am new to this forum and was just reading all of the things about mainly Petco. I can't believe how anyone can be so heartless and cruel to animals. I had my own experience with a local Petsmart. I've never had any problems with them and all of their animals, in the stores around here, seem to be well taken care of and the employees are kind and caring, as far as I can tell.
But anyway, I was unaware that there were guinea pig rescues and I purchased a girl guinea pig from a Petsmart in my area. She was, and still is, very healthy and several months later I decided to get her a buddy because I was going to be starting classes again and didn't want her to get lonely or bored if I was gone. I went to the store and fell in love with one guinea pig. I watched her as she ran around and seemed to be healthy....except for one thing....she was breathing hard. I asked the lady if she was sick and she said it was probably from running around. How stupid and naive of me to think she would be okay!! I brought her back the next day and the vet said she had an upper respiratory infection. She gave me antibiotics and instructions on how to get her well again. The store was going to make ME pay for the visit and medicine. But I had none of it, since THEY sold me a sick guinea pig, I'm sure knowingly. I gave her the medicine and she seemed to be well. She still breathed a little heavy but didnt have any sneezing or other symptoms that went along with upper respiratory infection anymore. She did well for almost two months.
Then one night, she was visibly not feeling well and stopped eating. I took her to the emergency room and waited for three hours. She had a seizure in my hand. The vet was stupid, he didnt know anything about small animals, and sent me home with a sick guinea pig and an $85 bill. All he did was tell me she was not well. Oh really???
The next day I took her to the Petsmart vet who informed me she had something wrong with her brain, or possibly cancer. They told me to take her home for a few days, feed her lots of good foods with Vit C and see how she was in a few days. Well that night, I stayed up with my little girl and held her in my lap as she had seizures and eventually died in my hands. I cant even explain how much it hurt me to see her like that.
I called the manager and she said I could come get another guinea pig. Like she was just some piece of merchandise, and they wanted to keep me quiet. After a couple weeks, I returned to see if I could find a young guinea pig and brought all of the paperwork. The sales girl treated me like I was SO stupid and that I had killed my guinea pig. She gave me so much grief and told me things like, don't use Vitamin C drops, they kill your guinea pig, and THIS time be more careful! Excuse me?! By the time I left, I was in tears because, I somehow felt like it was my fault. But after looking back, I realized, I was just unaware that this store doesn't even care. They sold me a sick guinea pig from the beginning and didn't even care. I am so frusterated and upset that my little girl had to go through all of that because they are so incompetant. I have been reading all of the things on this site and I will NEVER buy another guinea pig again. EVER. I will not support that sort of lack of compassion. I just wish that I had known all of that before hand. I think that anyone interesting in getting a guinea pig should read this site beginning to end FIRST.

At least I know my little girl is in heaven now and she knows that I loved her very much. I just hope that no one else has to go through what I did.

[Twinkle_Toes]

I'm sorry you had to go through this. And that you little piggy didn't make it. That's so sad.
I got my last Guinea Pig at PetsMart and although they said that all their Guinea Pigs were female the one I bought turned out to be a male. When I realized this and called the store manager a week after we brought Rodney home, to tell them, they said bring him back and they would trade me a female. Oh PLEASE, we had had him a week already, he wasn't just something to be traded because he wasn't what we were lead to believe. This piggy is with us for the long haul.
The sad part is that my older female got pregnant by him, well appears to be. I seperated them as soon as I realized she (Rodney) was a he, but it seems it was to late by then. Now I worry everyday that I am going to lose my sweet girl Matilda.
I asked the manager if PetsMart was going to cover the vet bills if she did end up pregnant and had complications, and was told "No, that wasn't their responsibility!"
No, their responsibility was to be honest to me and tell me I was in fact buying a boy as I stood there telling the salesperson I HAD to have a female because it was going to be a cage companion for a female and it would most likely kill her at this point to have babies, so NO MALES. But instead I was assured he was a she.
Bottom line PetsMart Employees could care less as long as they make a buck.

[Love_my_piggies]

I'm sorry twinkle. I know the feeling...they wanted me to bring Pipsqueak back when she got sick before Christmas and they would give me another.... are you kidding? I asked what they were going to do for her and they said, " well, we'll take care of her and then adopt her back out." WHAT?! adopt her out to someone besides me? I don't think so. They just don't understand. And, like you said, they wouldn't cover my vet bills either because they said I should have brought her to them....Sorry but she was having seizures on a Sunday night, they weren't open. What was I supposed to do? I wouldn't trade my guineas for anything, but I definately know better now.


Good luck with your girl! I hope she does well.

[DocDolittle]

I know exactly how you feel, Twinkletoes! I got my boy Cocoa(Now one and a half! Such a cutie) from Petsmart and I was guaranteed a female. Well, when I got 'her' a buddy, they started acting a bit mischevious and I pulled them apart. Luckily the baby girl didn't get pregnant. I brought her back to the feed store(a family friend's store where they sometimes breed guinea pigs which I have TRIED to tell them not to, but they won't listen. Long story. The baby girl is actually now a pet of the owners.) and asked them to sex my pig. She was definitely a he. Well, I got a boy companion, but they eventually ended up fighting. My one boy crossed the Rainbow Bridge in November but Cocoa is still here, running rampant in his new C&C cage. I bought him a new friend but they aren't getting along right now. Stupid guinea pig puberty...

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Write corporate at Petsmart and keep complaining. Make a big stink. Get the name of the person who oversees the store's conditions. Many people have been able to get reimbursed. Make it unprofitable to sell animals for them.

[crittermom]

Love_my_piggies, I am so sorry for your loss. When you are ready, there is a terrific guinea pig rescue in the Denver area. http://cavycareinc.org/

[carrotflavour]

I'm so sorry for your lose.

What you should do is go there in a rage, and ask to speak to the manager. MAKE sure you get to talk to him/her and tell them about what happened. Then make complaints etc.

I suggest tellings as many pets owners as possible to not give them any business, such an ignorant, thoughtless store doesnt DESERVE to get any business.

I remember like when I was a little kid (like 5 years ago) being told by my friend that in petsmart, after a month if they dont sell any of their animals they kill them (dont know if its true or not?) so i've always been pretty annoyed at them.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

They usually send them back to the pet mills who add them back to their breeding stock or sell them as snake food.

[Himino]

That's sick!!

[mncavylover]

Oh wow, I'm so incredibly sorry. Get the word out about this, write to a local newspaper if you can, maybe as a letter to the editor. Even something small, like telling a few friends, may grow to be something larger. I hope everything is well, and that you find a new vet as well.

[Elliepom]

Wow, that is truley terrible. I bought a cavy from a petstore that was privatley owned and they handled her daily. That is the only way i would ever do it, especially after reading what you wrote. I used to work for Petsmart pets hotel, and they actually did treat the dog guests very well, as far as the animals in the store i have no idea. If anyone has any feedback on Petsmart, I know a lot of people high up in that chain, and i would be more than happy to pass your expirences on. I have always been wary of the treatment of small animals by chain pet stores. Again, I am soooo sorry for your loss. Keep lovin piggies!

[Ly&Pigs]

Tell people up the petsmart chain to give their piggies bigger cages, hay and veggies.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

No, tell them to stop selling animals from pet mills while shelter pets die. I got three emails last week from people wanting to adopt after their Petsmart pigs died after protacted illnesses. One spend over 2 grand on vet bills and arguing with Petsmart over the bills.

[Elliepom]

You know, petsmart claims to have this motto of wanting to rescue animals. they work with several carities, and yet their own animals need rescuing. thats just ugly.

Originally Posted by rabbitsncavyluv

No, tell them to stop selling animals from pet mills while shelter pets die. I got three emails last week from people wanting to adopt after their Petsmart pigs died after protacted illnesses. One spend over 2 grand on vet bills and arguing with Petsmart over the bills.

[Elliepom]

Hey, I found this online as well. Take a look at other experiences people have had...
http://members.aol.com/homeforgps/advice/petstore1.htm

[Ly&Pigs]

Rabbits, I did think of that first off but what are the chances they will do that. Slim to none and more likely none. If the store is going to continue to sell at least they could provide better living conditions for all the animals.

[Elliepom]

You know, I'm sure that they are registered with the better busniss beureau. Every report they get against them costs the company $1000. Also, writing letters to the editor always works as well. I will talk to the regional manager out here. We'll see what he has to say.

Originally Posted by mncavylover

Oh wow, I'm so incredibly sorry. Get the word out about this, write to a local newspaper if you can, maybe as a letter to the editor. Even something small, like telling a few friends, may grow to be something larger. I hope everything is well, and that you find a new vet as well.