Pet Stores New PetSmart

[graycurse]

You're from upstate new york too? I work at the Henrietta one.

 

[dra&pigs]

Yeah, I am. Woot, woot!! Those animals aren't for sale-they are strictly adoptions. Hey thats weird, I was just nosing around that store a couple days ago.

 

[yo FOO xD]

All of my views of my local PetSmarts are coming from my friend Brittany who used to work as a Pet Care Specialist there. As a vet, I recieve many patients who bought an animal at PetSmart and the animal has an eye infection, upper respiritory infection, or other common diseases. I recently saw a chinchilla that came from PetSmart who has a parasite called Giardia as a result of dirty drinking water. This chinchilla had been bought within a week of coming to me and the chinchilla's owner told me that they changed the drinking water everday, but PetSmart had been using a water bowl instead of bottle. They were thinking of returning the chinchilla, but they were afraid that PetSmart wouldn't treat it properly.

Brittany also informed me that within the 3 months she worked at PetSmart there had been 2 pregnant sows and this PetSmart was supposed to only have female animals. They had also had a number of male hamsters shipped to them from the mass breeding industry they recieve them from called "Sun Pet." Brittany quit after two baby guinea pigs arrived almost dead and died within a few hours later, no vet treatment.

As for the vet as this PetSmart, she only sees dogs and cats. She is "not comfortable around small animals and birds." So no animals were ever seen by a vet, occasionally a vet tech would come see the animals and once a week a manager would go into the back room and do a brief lookover on the sick or injured animals in quarantine.

PetSmart also recommends a horrible brand of food called Nutriphase which they also feed their "merchandise." This food can be deadly over a long period of time and it contains no timothy hay, only alfalfa. As far as fruits and vegetables go, the guinea pigs are only given oranges every other day. Definitely not enough vitamins for these guinea pigs.

GrayCurse, if the animals from the shelter aren't PetSmart's and they work alongside the animal shelter it could be possible, though no PetSmart have I heard doing that. It's probably one of the few.

Brittany also informed me that one of the parrots had what is called "Parrot Fever" which was found after the bird was purchased. No harm was done to the family that purchased it, but they could have sued the PetSmart for selling a bird with such a disease, one that can kill humans. Their vets need to be able to treat small pets, birds, and reptiles. They really need to stop the sale of animals altogether.

 

[yo FOO xD]

I think I might have repeated something in my last post. Anyway, thats everything I have to say for now.

 

[IluvePiggies]

What do you have to say about Petco?

 

[yo FOO xD]

That sounds like a verrrrrry poorly run petsmart then. I'm amazed they were allowed to stay opened. Every day each guinea pig is required to be fed I think 1/2 cup romaine lettuce and 1 baby carrot. Hay is layed directly on the bedding or sometimes in this little solid plastic half-bowl sort of thing, and the bedding is changed every day. Since our guinea pigs come from the animal shelter and I don't feed them I can't remember the exact specification, only what I learned from training. I'm absolutely amazed that they sold the babies- corporate must've had a fit. Fish are born in the store all the time, and occassionaly certain reptiles lay eggs, but we're not allowed to sell any babies: just adopt them out. We do have adoption forms for that.
If they sell the babies, it completely screws up inventory and the district managers and stuff would have a fit. That store should definitely be shut down

I'm not sure how they get away with it. This is kind of a new PetSmart and people go into it all day long, thinking it's amazing. They just don't know what goes on in the back rooms and behind the public. I never go to PetSmart, only if I'm with a friend and they need to go there for something. I go to the two pet stores we have that only sell supplies or order online.

 

[yo FOO xD]

What do you have to say about Petco?

I say the same thing. They're basically the same store, different management, but neither is better.

 

[IluvePiggies]

I took my Guinea Pig to the vet and she was perfectly healthy and she came from Petco so there!

 

[VoodooJoint]

I took my Guinea Pig to the vet and she was perfectly healthy and she came from Petco so there!

Yay! You won the petstore animal roulette! Too bad these people (and animals) didn't.

Petco
Petco guinea pig dead of serious infection
Petco GP sold with URI dies
Petco bought pigs keep dying
Petco lied about GPs being spayed/neutered. Female GP dies of unknown cause 3 months after purchase
Petco pig sold sick. Taken back to store for treatment
Petco will do anything to make a sale
Petco Missexing
Sick Petco Pig and Rats
(broken link removed)
Inside Petco
Petco pig passes, infects owner's previous guinea pig with URI
Pregnant petco sow, both babies pass, one was a lethal
sick Petco pig passes
another sick Petco pig
petco pig passes
Petco pig has two babies, possible lethal white newborn passes
Another Petco pig has surprise babies
Petco pig with URI
more sick Petco pigs
Petco pig with URI
sick Petco pig , companion possibly missexed
Petco pig with URI, owner given Baytril without a prescription
sneezing Petco pig
Petco employee notes the guinea pigs have lice, manager unconcerned
Petco pig losing hair
pregnant Petco pig births two stillborns
Petco pig near death, they decline to take him back
Another sick Petco pig
lethargic Petco pig
Petco pig deteriorates a few weeks after purchase
Petco pig passes a few weeks after purchase
Petco pig passes, infects owner's previous guinea pig with URI
recurring URI in Petco pig
Petco pig diagnosed with fungus
Petco pig diagnosed with URI
Petco pig with lice
Petco pig gives birth
Petco pig with abscess
Neglected guinea pig from Petco passes
Petco pig with URI, Petco gives poor advice
young Petco baby with mites
sick Petco pig
Guinea pig with URI, Petco says it's a hairball
(broken link removed)
Surprise Birth from Petco Pig
Young Male bought at Petco Gives Birth
Petco Bought Pigs Both Have URIs

That's just a few from Petco. Now how about all of these other ones from other pet stores.

General Petstore Threads
Petstore pig is pregnant with lethal
Petstore Missexing with birth complications
Petstore Missexing
Pregnant Petstore GP
Petstore Abuse Case
Petstore hands out bad advice and dead GP in petstore tank
My piggy passed away last night. She was only 3 months old
Sick Petstore GP dies
Petstore bought GP has running lice and dies suddenly
Female housed with male in petstore is pregnant
(broken link removed)
Misexed Petstore GPs
Second Petstore GP dies
Misexed and pregnant Petstore GP
Surprise Babies from Petstore GPs
GPs in and from Petstores Pictures
Petland GP pregnant. Owner may dump babies back at petstore
Just Purchased Guinea Pig had Babies
3 Month Old Satin Pig Pregnant by Inbreeding
(broken link removed)
Petstore Bought GP Sick and Dying - Sold with Rabbit to live with as well
Petstore GP gives birth to 3 Dead and Deformed Pups
(broken link removed)
missexed Petland pigs with parasites
pet store employee says they get a lot of sick guinea pigs, many do not make it
lethal from pet store
sick pet store pig
three pet store pigs pass away from same illness
Pet store supplier houses males and females together, does not guarantee gender and cannot tell when guinea pigs are fertile
Pet store pig with URI
GP purchased at Christmas passes from URI
Two pet store pigs with mites
Person goes to buy 2 sames sex pigs. Petstore sells them a male and female
Pet Stores?
Petsmart
Sick Petsmart GP
Petsmart hamsters killing each other on video
Petsmart GP has URI
Petsmart GP is Mite Infested
Petsmart GP delivers 3 babies and dies
2 Petsmart bought GPs die during their first day home.
Sick GP from Petsmart
Breeders noticing that new Petsmart (Pets at Home) opening near them means more animals needing rehoming
(broken link removed)
Two petsmart pigs just bought pass the first day, Petsmart vet also prescribes toxic AB
sick petsmart pig
sick Petsmart pig, same owner
Petsmart pigs have ringworm/mites
sick Petsmart pig
sick Petsmart pig passes
sick Petsmart pig passes
Petsmart male gives birth to one stillborn
4 petsmart guinea pigs pass from URI, 5th Petco pig comes down with URI
Petsmart pig with URI
(broken link removed)


So there.

 

[salana]

I know for a fact that all 8 stores in the region get all animals, except fish and reptiles, from animal shelters. Yes, animals get sick, but that's completely the breeder/vendor's fault.

So...your animals get sick, but it's the breeder's fault, but you don't use breeders??

 

[AnimalHouse36]

I took my Guinea Pig to the vet and she was perfectly healthy and she came from Petco so there!

So what about all the piggies that VJ listed?

They weren't healthy.

Have you seen the Petco video (it might be petsmart). Would you like to see where most animals come from? The places YOU support?

 

[yo FOO xD]

I took my Guinea Pig to the vet and she was perfectly healthy and she came from Petco so there!

I'm glad your Piggy was healthy, but I see a lot of patients with animals (including a majority of guinea pigs) who bought the pet at PetSmart or PetCoand their pets have illnesses. Some of these illnesses can be treated quickly, others can be lifelong. Please don't support this cruel cycle because in the end, adopting a pet is all worth it. I don't and would never support PetCo or Petsmart, not until they stop the sell of animals and that will never end until people refuse to buy!

 

[Paula]

yo FOO xD - just out of curiosity, do you see strictly exotics in your clinic?

 

[theresaj]

Yay! You won the petstore animal roulette! Too bad these people (and animals) didn't.

Please add my little guy Dino to the list of those lost to the pet store roulette. He was my "Christmas Present" from my Uncle's family. And he inexplicably died. My cousin after they gave him to me told me he was housed with rabbits at the pet shop.

 

[VoodooJoint]

Sorry about your loss Teresa. I added Dino to the list. Hopefully his story will help make a difference.

 

[graycurse]

So...your animals get sick, but it's the breeder's fault, but you don't use breeders??

What I was trying to say was we get our animals from shelters. The animals that come in are perfectly healthy and stay that way. If we bought from breeders, and the breeders sent perfectly healthy animals, they'd stay that way as well. It's not about the care that the store provides, it's about their original suppliers.

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Putting aside buying from breeding mills and selling live animals, sometimes it is about in store care and selling them as impulse buys to uneducated public who doesn't know what they are getting into and dumping the pigs soon after.

 

[Deenanicole08]

Instead of complaining to eachother about their care, you need to start going to a higher power, take it to corporate everytime you see something wrong and take pictures of it! It's very very important to gather proof. If there are enough complaints they will pull animals out of individual stores and maybe eventually altogether. I would love for them to stop selling animals and start adopting out through the local rescues. But nothing gets done without complaints!

Corporates contact numbers are right on this link.
(broken link removed)

 

[yo FOO xD]

yo FOO xD - just out of curiosity, do you see strictly exotics in your clinic?

I mainly see exotics. I work alongside another vet who doesn't treat exotics, but I will also see dogs and cats occasionally.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

yo FOO, I am confused and don't want to assume things so I have a question to ask you.

Are you saying you are a vet?