PISSED OFF

[Ccrashca069]

I am now supper pissed off at this one place that sells reptiles. I don't think I am allowed too saw the name of it here but, it is very well known in the San Francisco Bay area.

I have now had 2 leopard geckos I bought from them die. My best friend Joe that has a Reptile Rescue and been in Reptiles for 20 years has had 4 of his last reptiles he bought from them die. All this has happened within 6-7 months of buying the reptiles. One of Joe's snakes that died was bought CB but after the autopys and the neothing, it died from a parisite that it would only have had if it was WC. Joe works at my locol vets office and is doing the neothing on my leopard gecko tommorow.

None of these reptiles have died because of husbadry . I have 12 other leopard geckos that were bought from other breeders and given too me and all of them are housed the same and get the same food and care. They are also all healthy.

Joe has about 20-30 other snakes, abunch of leopard geckos, tegus, monitors, turtles, ect and all of them are nice and healthy to. Just every reptile bought from the same place in the same time period has died.

Ok I am done venting. Thanks

 

[dprince]

John, that totally sucks. Sorry for your losses. :main_no:

 

[Ccrashca069]

Thank you Debbie. It is just really fustrating. Makes me wish that another Reptile and Supply store such as LLLReptiles or Amazon Reptiles would come to Northern Calif. Maybe then the un-named place will realize something is wrong and care more about their reptiles again instead of treating it like inventory. But I am not going their for anything anymore. Crickets, phoniex worms, supplies......... nothing.

 

[leolover2]

Sorry for your loses. Sounds like a crappy place. Could you PM me the name of the place?

 

[acpart]

Have they all died of the same thing? Is there a possibility it's crypto? If so I wonder if there's anything you can do through any government bureau or something to close them down until they take care of the problem.

Aliza

 

[Ccrashca069]

I just talked to my Reptile vet and she feels that it might have something to do with how that place cared for them or the breeder they bought them from. I am having a neothing( can't remember how to spell it) done in the morning.

 

[bleeding_sarcasm]

With any retail reptile chains you are going to get instances of parasite infested WC animals, and WC or CH animals that are sold as CB. You are going to have instances with employees and stores who have no idea about the history and the care of the species that you are interested in, let alone proper husbandry. I have had CB animals die many big name retail chains, and it comes with the territory sadly. In an ideal world that wouldnt happen, but it many cases, it is cheaper to replace dead animals, then to treat sick animals. And with buyers who care more about price then about quality, they continue doing what they do, and they make a lot of money at it. The best thing you can do is boycott them, if you contact them after a death and they make no attempt to resolve it.

People who "rescue" near death animals from stores [paying full retail price] are perfect examples of individuals reinforcing bad behavior of these retail chains. You can whine and moan about "this isnt right" but as soon as you hand your cash over, they have won. But, that is a tangent for a different thread

I honestly have a personal rule of not touching anything that comes from a place that deals with WC, that includes retail chains and booths at trade shows. Any risk of bringing back something to my collection is too much risk, and simply not worth it.

Even CB goes from the breeder to the wholesaler to the retail outlet. The wholesaler deals with imports and CB animals, and its strictly get them in move them out, nothing is quarantined, you're lucky if boxes are cleaned, I have read horror stories on the BOI. Improper husbandry at these locations is the least of the animals problems, and with the stress of being moved around so much, it causes weakened immune systems in even healthy looking CB animals.

I cant stress enough at what a great tool the internet is, because it allows you to buy direct from breeders, you may not be getting that gecko at $49.99, but at least you aren't paying $60+ for it in vet bills down the line.

I also cant stress enough QUARANTINING every new addition into your collection. New animals should not share boxes, racks, food and water dishes, anything. You should wash/sanitize your hands between touching a new addition and any of your established animals.

Besides, there are so many great breeders in the bay area, and on this site, why would you ever need to go anywhere else