Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently sold a baby to someone who wanted a pet for their 9 year old son. She emailed me two days later and the dragon wasn't eating. I checked a few things with her via email and it turned out the basking site was running about 90 degrees. I told her to get it up to the proper temps and he should start eating again for her. Then I got an email saying "Wow he ate 14 crickets, I am thrilled, Thanks for letting me know about the basking site". Then yesterday I got an email saying that she thinks she may have accidently fed him crickets that were too large and that he wasn't using his legs and fell of his branch, etc. So, I wrote back to her and told her to keep him warm, well hydrated and maybe some mineral oil... well hydrated and warm being the key "if" he was going to pull through this. Then she tells me that the crickets she fed were 3/4" crix!!! The pet store had "assured" her that they have babies that eat them every day and that she wouldn't have any problems........ This baby was one of my Tangerine dragons and is only 8 weeks old and 6 1/2" STL...... 3/4" crix OMG! I would be shooting that pet store clerk!

Will let you all know how it turns out
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

Well good news! (I hope)

The baby is moving around today and is using his arms and legs He pooped this morning and seems to be acting ok according to the owner. Seems like he may pull through this after all
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

Glad to hear the dragon is going to be ok. I would suggest sending her a proper caresheet with maybe some basic care methods. Maybe this will prevent common mistakes from happening again. Oh and be sure to mention to her she should never trust anything a petstore employee states about proper herp care.

Thats part of the problem.... I had sent her a care sheet and some other info. I knew this was her first dragon, so he left here with EVERY piece of info she could possibly need. She is going to go into the store again today and give them Heck! LOL

>>Glad to hear the dragon is going to be ok. I would suggest sending her a proper caresheet with maybe some basic care methods. Maybe this will prevent common mistakes from happening again. Oh and be sure to mention to her she should never trust anything a petstore employee states about proper herp care.
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

Before they are allowed to leave with the baby... I must ask them 5 times if they understand everything, then I follow up with emails daily for the first few weeks.... even then a few do things totally opposite what I printed or said.... it happens... frustrating!

Yes it is, especially since I was dealing with this lady for a week and a half before I even sent the baby to her. Her son was away at camp and she wanted time to get everything set up and learn as much as she could before he got home and before the baby arrived....... which I thought was a great idea.
I sent a two page care sheet with him in the shipping box and also a supply of pellets (Which go out with every baby I sell) The problem was, she listened to the pet store owner like many people tend to do.
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

Hey!I resent that...I know some petstore employees may not know what they're talking about....but not ALL of us are bad. I researched bd's for a while before I decided to bring one home. I've extensively researched every herp that we sell (I work at petsmart) and give decent advice I think. I always give them kingsnake as a reference to cross-check questions. It IS important to research as many places as possible and not go totally on the advice of one person, pet store employee or not.
I hope the little beardie turns out ok.

for animal deaths and serious illnesses than private sources of pets and that people believe what the people working there tell them. And its almost impossible to get them clued into correct husbandry within their OWN store.

I know some vets that state Pet Stores are their main referral source because they can count on the animals being ill or in poor condition when bought or shortly after following directions from the pet store employees....... rare is the knowledgable person in them giving advice and they will not listen to anyone else.

It took us over 4 months to get a large chain to stop buying from an import breeder that was shipping in diseased animals even when they were dying at the pet stores!! ! person had to talk to another and then another and up the line, in the mean time hundreds were sold to the public who lost them due to poor advice or not knowing the signs and to get them to a vet.

Pet stores should sell products and leave the animals and husbandry to the professionals, something the are NOT, althought they like to claim that.

We're not ALL like that. I know that happens all the time and it makes me angry....but not all of us are bad. And this is why I don't post here often....being a pet store employee is like having the plague around here.
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1.0 Beardie, 1.0 Green Anole, 2.0 Green Tree Frogs, 3.1 Hermit Crabs, 2.1 Hamsters, 2.0 Bettas, 0.1 cat *NEW* 1 male Takydromus sexlineatus