Pet Stores

[laswabbie]

I'm about ready to start looking for my new beardie. I don't need or want a well bred $200+ super rare nuclear powered translucent orange-back green-tounged friend, but I do want a healthy animal. It's a 12 hour round trip to the nearest breeder I can find online and I can buy a pet store beardie for the cost of shipping alone. But........ I worry about buying local.

Where do the chain and independent pet shops get their stock? Are they more likely to carry parasites or have other diseases? Do they come from genetic disaster "beardie farms" like puppies sometime do? When they reach 18" will they turn rabid and devour my wife's weinie dogs? (Not necessarily a bad thing!)

 

[Elders]

I'm about ready to start looking for my new beardie. I don't need or want a well bred $200+ super rare nuclear powered translucent orange-back green-tounged friend, but I do want a healthy animal. It's a 12 hour round trip to the nearest breeder I can find online and I can buy a pet store beardie for the cost of shipping alone. But........ I worry about buying local.

Where do the chain and independent pet shops get their stock? Are they more likely to carry parasites or have other diseases? Do they come from genetic disaster "beardie farms" like puppies sometime do? When they reach 18" will they turn rabid and devour my wife's weinie dogs? (Not necessarily a bad thing!)

It's really hit or miss with pet shops; we have many folks on here who have lost their guys and gals from pet stores; and others who have ones who did and are doing well....

Stores buy from breeders who inbreed their dragons; they are not the healthiest of stock; and they are more than likely not taken care of as a breeder with qualification would.

 

[Kathryn Kinney]

Do you know if their is any reptile shows near you. Usually they have great prices at shows from breeders. Repticon is a big one by me.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Both of mine came from Petco Izzy is 1 year old fe now and Simon is 6 months old..Both I got when they were tiny babies..Neither of them have missing body parts and neither have any parasites nor did they when I got them...

So yes it is hit and miss when buying from a chain like that... Now I was just at (few days ago) at the petco where I got mine and they actually have leatherbacks!!! which is a rare thing that I've not seen..

The key is to spend your time watching them, how they move, how they hold their head, how does their body look? coloring? ask to see if they will give them some food see how they eat, what does the poop look like in the tank (hopefully you won't see any but chances are high you will) when in multiples in a tank where is the dragon your looking at is it on the bottom of the pile? how are they breathing? How are their eyes are they clear and bright? Are they alert or do they look un interested?

If they are on sand you can ask them how long have they been on it so you know what you could be dealing with once home. Are they impacted with sand and need good juicy bugs, bath to clear them out. Have they been getting the proper food items?

There are many stores that really do care for them well, and there are some that are borderline cruel..And there are some that are just clueless to how to care for them and go by what they are told to do. ie:loose substrate, mealworms, lettuce and not warm enough enclosures and over crowding and big dragons with smaller ones..

 

[Hdrydr31]

I'm about ready to start looking for my new beardie. I don't need or want a well bred $200+ super rare nuclear powered translucent orange-back green-tounged friend, but I do want a healthy animal. It's a 12 hour round trip to the nearest breeder I can find online and I can buy a pet store beardie for the cost of shipping alone. But........ I worry about buying local.

Where do the chain and independent pet shops get their stock? Are they more likely to carry parasites or have other diseases? Do they come from genetic disaster "beardie farms" like puppies sometime do? When they reach 18" will they turn rabid and devour my wife's weinie dogs? (Not necessarily a bad thing!)

Pretty funny post

 

[PatsyB]

I love your post! I read it out loud to my BF and he said "that's the same way we feel"! I agree with everything that Hdrydr31 said. I got my oldest girl from Petsmart 3 1/2 years ago and my boy from Petco 2 1/2 years ago. Both are healthy and have never had any issues related to being bought at a petstore.

 

[JUNGLE JIM]

Eat wienie dogs? Hilarious !!!!!!!!!!!!! I got mine 3 weeks ago from Petco and both are fine. Follow the blueprint of Hdrydr31 and you'll be fine. I made several trips to two different stores and watched how active they were and wanted to see them eat.After those trips I knew which two I wanted and set up a tank. Had some anxiety because I was worried someone would buy them before me. I actually bought one from each store. Take your time and one will catch your eye. There is a reptile shop here and I paid it a visit last week. Loads of reptiles and had a strong smell. They had one small enclosure with about 40-50 baby beardies in it. There was no food in the food dish, some looked sick and a couple looked dead. You couldn't give me one of those dragons, not worth the headache.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Eat wienie dogs? Hilarious !!!!!!!!!!!!! I got mine 3 weeks ago from Petco and both are fine. Follow the blueprint of Hdrydr31 and you'll be fine. I made several trips to two different stores and watched how active they were and wanted to see them eat.After those trips I knew which two I wanted and set up a tank. Had some anxiety because I was worried someone would buy them before me. I actually bought one from each store. Take your time and one will catch your eye. There is a reptile shop here and I paid it a visit last week. Loads of reptiles and had a strong smell. They had one small enclosure with about 40-50 baby beardies in it. There was no food in the food dish, some looked sick and a couple looked dead. You couldn't give me one of those dragons, not worth the headache.

OMG that is soo sad.. I would try and report it somehow to corpt or animal care for inhuman living conditions.. poor babies

 

[laswabbie]

Jungle Jim - that is exactly the pet store attitude that scares me and Hdrydr31 is right, the store should be reported and investigated.

Dragons are people too!

It looks like it can be hit or miss with pet stores. I'll just have to be careful like you all have explained. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Jungle Jim - that is exactly the pet store attitude that scares me and Hdrydr31 is right, the store should be reported and investigated.

Dragons are people too!

It looks like it can be hit or miss with pet stores. I'll just have to be careful like you all have explained. Thanks for the help everyone.

Yep just really watch and spend some time watching them...
I would also recommend going with one that is bigger than the others even if it's a bit older you may be getting the healthiest one there. As it may be the one getting more of the food, more of the UVB and heat...It is hard when you see a baby that is adorable it just sometimes is better not to get the one you feel bad for as your setting yourself up...Now if your out to rescue that one and you know there may be issues go for it for sure! I'm all for saving them if I can.

 

[JUNGLE JIM]

I hadn't been to that store in 15 years and in that time they have tripled the reptiles and added a tropical fish section, all crammed in that store. The inventory is too large for the shop.Anything that you see at a Reptile show they had. Snakes, frogs, lizards, spiders, sugar gliders, hedgehogs,etc. This shop is privately owned. I knew the owner back then and didn't care for him then and have even less respect for him now. Place is called EXOTIC ARC or Exotic Amphibian & Reptile Center here in the Saint Louis area. I saw a video on u tube with a guy walking through the store giving a mini tour of the shop and you can see how jammed it is. See if you can't find the video. Guy cursed about every other word so you might want to hit the mute button. Amazing how people think this guy is funny and request more videos from him. Sorry, don't mean to go on a rant but get mad just thinking about it.

 

[JUNGLE JIM]

To see video type in EXOTIC ARC REPTILE STORE ST.LOUIS- YOU TUBE Fortunately the video didn't have smell-a -vision.