Went to some local pet shops, appalled

[Seiryu]

So yesterday I went around to some fish stores, yep fish stores.

And what did I see in some of them, tortoises!

I was looking around and saw two, i'd say at least 7" pancake tortoises for $700 each. They were on reptile carpet (one of them actually UNDER the carpet, possibly stuck). Poop everywhere and the worst part being, the pancakes were pyramiding. I can't say i've ever seen a pyramiding pancake tortoise.

They also had a 6" or so Russian, that has a decently smooth shell, but it seemed to be higher domed than I have seen, somewhat deformed looking.

I asked the owner how long have they had the pancakes and he said about 6 months. I was asking as I was curious to see how long they had been in this care, but more in the way of me inquiring to buy them, wish I could.

I was just thinking to myself. Well it's a fish shop, who would go there for tortoises and even if they did, who would pay $700 for a pyramiding pancake? One of them actually had some scutes that fell off (looked like bright pink shell rot to me).

Anyways just thought i'd share. I understand pet shops can't keep their animals with the best husbandry because they are not expecting the animals to be in there long but yeesh. I don't think those pancakes will ever sell.

 

[angelrid]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

i live in england and often see torts kept in overheated vivariums with very dusty looking shells, i am relatively new to my torts, morla and victor but try hard to get the best advice possible - the trouble being most pet shops havent got a clue so how can they advise us!

 

[bikerchicspain]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

As most of you know i work in a petshop and all my reptiles are kept in their proper habitats, so the dessert animals have a dessert theme and tropicals have their tropical theme all with their relative diets and supplements.
We have had Tortoise mostly baby sulcatas,russians and cherryheads and they have all had the nearest setting and diet to being in the wild. I admit not all petshops are the same,
I visited one in the middle of winter, okay so here the coldest was 14ºc, and there was a sulcata with pyramids as big as egypt no substrate,no uvb and no proper lighting,
I did report this to the local authorities after talking to the stupid (i say that because what i really thought is un-repeatable on here) owner of the shop that was only interested in selling me it for 250 euros,
It closed down a few weeks later hardly suprising for saying that the reptiles only had lettuce leaves to eat.I think the authorities should be more controlling over petshops..Then maybe things like this wouldnt happen.

 

[chadk]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

As most of you know i work in a petshop and all my reptiles are kept in their proper habitats, so the dessert animals have a dessert theme and tropicals have their tropical theme all with their relative diets and supplements.
We have had Tortoise mostly baby sulcatas,russians and cherryheads and they have all had the nearest setting and diet to being in the wild. .

A lot of pet shops have this approach and still fail miserably. For example, they say "oh, a sulcata is from the desert, so lets put the little hatchling on dry sand with no water and a big hit basking bulb in this tiny glass tank." Not good.

 

[bikerchicspain]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

Sulcatas need grassy areas, I do reserch fully every Reptile that comes into my shop,They all have water dishes big enough for them to bathe in,the larger tortoise have cat litter trays with an opening cut out for them to access the water more easily.So you see Chad i do,do my homework.Not every one can be classed in the same catergory just because its a petshop,some of us really do care.

 

[Seiryu]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

Sulcatas need grassy areas, I do reserch fully every Reptile that comes into my shop,They all have water dishes big enough for them to bathe in,the larger tortoise have cat litter trays with an opening cut out for them to access the water more easily.So you see Chad i do,do my homework.Not every one can be classed in the same catergory just because its a petshop,some of us really do care.

No one specifically said you didn't do your research. Chad, like I made a general statement about pet shops. In my case, the 4 I visited were all pretty bad in terms of the other animals they kept. The fish were great (some dead one's). But that's to be expected if you have thousand's of fish.

You are taking this pretty personally for statements that don't specifically have anything to do with you.

And I must admit. All of the Petco's, PetSmarts, private owned shops around here (at least 20 I have ever visited in just my area), all have roughly the same care and it isn't that great, in some cases really bad like the one's I went to.

 

[Jacqui]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

I am lucky in that most of the shops I have been in (mainly Petco and PetSmarts) appear to do a very good job, considering the4 fact these are pet sores, not homes for these animals.

Did you give the store owners any nicely worded, non-judgemental advice on how to improve care or just walk away and not take any action on the pancake's behalf (and the others)?

 

[dmmj]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

I have 5 or 6 petstores close to me, petco's, and some private owned stores. horrible horrible horrible, the petco's well my thoughts on petco's are well known, and the private owned ones, well they have their tortoises with no water, no hides, rabbit pellet substrate, and he claims to be a reptile expert and lover of animlas, and their diet? you guessed it lettuce and lots of it. Bikerchick I think your store is the exception to the rule.

 

[Jacqui]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

Sure glad the ones in my area and the ones in several states I have stopped at are not like yours. I have had only good experiences and the tortoises I bought have all been healthy.

Have you talked to them about their care?

I have 5 or 6 petstores close to me, petco's, and some private owned stores. horrible horrible horrible, the petco's well my thoughts on petco's are well known, and the private owned ones, well they have their tortoises with no water, no hides, rabbit pellet substrate, and he claims to be a reptile expert and lover of animlas, and their diet? you guessed it lettuce and lots of it. Bikerchick I think your store is the exception to the rule.

 

[dmmj]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

Yes I have it is like talking to a brick wall. I was even nice about it.

 

[chadk]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

Sulcatas need grassy areas, I do reserch fully every Reptile that comes into my shop,They all have water dishes big enough for them to bathe in,the larger tortoise have cat litter trays with an opening cut out for them to access the water more easily.So you see Chad i do,do my homework.Not every one can be classed in the same catergory just because its a petshop,some of us really do care.

Grassy areas and water?

Do you have any pics of your various petshop tort setups?

 

[juliawright]

RE: Went to some local pet shops, appauled

Sulcatas need grassy areas, I do reserch fully every Reptile that comes into my shop,They all have water dishes big enough for them to bathe in,the larger tortoise have cat litter trays with an opening cut out for them to access the water more easily.So you see Chad i do,do my homework.Not every one can be classed in the same catergory just because its a petshop,some of us really do care.

Grassy areas and water?

Do you have any pics of your various petshop tort setups?

If you want to see bad conditions, so should see those here in Cyprus. They have no idea. They even sell them on markets and as prizes at fairs!! I have just rescued 2 from a pet shop limmasol. A local breeder gave me a tip off and found them to be in a fairly good condition so a pet shop here. Breaks my heart! I have uploaded the pictures for bubble and squeek!!