So, today at the local pet store chain...

[csdelisle]

I was excited because I walked over to the reptile tanks and noticed that the leopard geckos were on sale for just $24.00! I was looking for babies, and they were all very tiny. If you told me they were hatchlings, I would believe you. I looked at them and then noticed something. Every single leopard gecko (there were about 6) but one of them had missing tails. What is with that? The poor babies all had this short fleshy stub and I felt terrible. I never support these stores but I feel like I should buy them to make sure they get proper care. They looked so skinny and small. What do I do?

 

[Shera]

Personally I wouldn't buy them. If they don't sell these then they probably won't want to carry them anymore. If you buy them they will just replace them with more sickly geckos.

 

[ReptilesForTheWin]

Well you could feed them or give them gecko soup.

 

[thegeckoguy23]

its a chain store there unhealthy and misstreated

 

[JoshuaTrana]

Yeah dont do it. I did 3 or 4 times and it usually turns into heartbreak

 

[Lala]

do what you want! if it ends up bad then atleast they had some sort of care and attention in their lifetime! and thats not to say it will end bad! a little love and care can go a loooonnngg way!!

 

[ViciousAlice]

I just want to point out that I HAVE worked for pet smart, and not ALL large chain pet stores mistreat their reptiles, it is all on the pet care manager as to weather or not they treat their sick animals... some of them are just ignorant or don't care as much as they should... if ours were shipped in too small or sick we took care of them before putting them out in the cages. we never sold one that was under 10 grams, or didn't look healthy...

oh and the assumption that "if they aren't bought they won't carry them anymore" IS bull, Pet co around here will just keep buying them. Now that is BS

 

[bjleemkuil]

I just want to point out that I HAVE worked for pet smart, and not ALL large chain pet stores mistreat their reptiles, it is all on the pet care manager as to weather or not they treat their sick animals... some of them are just ignorant or don't care as much as they should... if ours were shipped in too small or sick we took care of them before putting them out in the cages. we never sold one that was under 10 grams, or didn't look healthy...

:main_thumbsup: Totally. I have FOUR petstore geckos and they all are pigs. If they are CLEARLY not well, or you see terrible droppings or regurgitated shed unless you're up for a few exotic vet visits don't go for it. If they look healthy then get it! Just because they have regenerated tails doesn't mean that they aren't healthy. A local store around here sold a ton of leos with regen tails because they get them in for cheaper. It could also be (Little ones are fiesty!) that someone isn't quite sure how to handle them as well as they should. It doesn't mean they aren't healthy. And it doesn't mean that the whole team of reptile people there don't know what they are doing. Just some things to think about.

 

[ViciousAlice]

:main_thumbsup: Totally. I have FOUR petstore geckos and they all are pigs. If they are CLEARLY not well, or you see terrible droppings or regurgitated shed unless you're up for a few exotic vet visits don't go for it. If they look healthy then get it! Just because they have regenerated tails doesn't mean that they aren't healthy. A local store around here sold a ton of leos with regen tails because they get them in for cheaper. It could also be (Little ones are fiesty!) that someone isn't quite sure how to handle them as well as they should. It doesn't mean they aren't healthy. And it doesn't mean that the whole team of reptile people there don't know what they are doing. Just some things to think about.

amen my friend!

 

[jfreels]

Ignorance and elitism....gets me wound up!

Where do you think these big chains get their animals? Do you really think it's from some monster gecko factory? Do you think it's from some socially awkward kid who sits in his basement and breeds leopard geckos all day and treats them like crap?

I know first hand, my wife works for a *****. Most of you work off of speculation. I can't tell you who they get them from, and yes, most of them are a breeders rejects (OH MY GOSH NORMALS) but they are still perfectly fine.

So all but one were missing tails, huh? Sounds to me like it's the fault of an employee who thought it was cool to watch them drop their tails. There is NO WAY a chain would accept an entire shipment of geckos with dropped tails. Their supplier guarantees healthy and complete arrivals. They go back if they are not.

 

[gmaier19]

almost every pet store that i come across has a majority of geckos with regenerated tails. its not a huge deal aesthetically, but you said they also look really skinny, which is not a good sign. they were probably at some point kept in overcrowded conditions that lead to their tails being dropped.

i wouldnt buy any if they look sickly. your just encouraging the pet store to continue the same protocol (whatever the protocol is, whether is be buying unhealthy geckos, or turning healthy geckos into unhealthy geckos).

its not ignorant or elitism to refrain from buying a really sick looking gecko. i wouldnt buy a gorgeous but skinny looking anything because it has health problems, because i dont support how it was cultivated. somewhere along the way these geckos started to look bad, and buying from that petstore will just continue the same cycle, however it runs.

but anyway its really just up to you, if u really want to try to save one or more go for it, i just wouldnt because i disagree with how they were raised (its kind of like voting for me). if i disagree with how a company is being run i wouldnt buy their products.

 

[RocksMama77]

I get a touch frustrated when I hear people say don't buy them cause if you do they will get more and continue the terrible cycle. I heard this about turtles as well. Ok fact number one, if you don't buy it someone else will. Maybe someone without a support system like gecko forums, maybe someone ignorant that will follow the stores directions and put them on sand or bark. Fact number 2, there will never be a united front for reptiles. There isn't even a united front for who should be president. There are always those who will not care or will be against it. Fact number 3, a store of any kind will go where the money is and geckos are very popular. It is a nice thought to not have terrible pet stores sell any animal of any kind but it will never happen. I have two pet store leos and they are both very healthy, eat like little pigs, and are more sociable than some of my breeder geckos. As I learned on here if you want a pet store leo, ask a worker to drop some crickets in the cage and watch the ones that go after them. Get the lively ones if you want to avoid heartbreak and tons of vet bills. Always do what you think is right.

 

[bjleemkuil]

I get a touch frustrated when I hear people say don't buy them cause if you do they will get more and continue the terrible cycle. I heard this about turtles as well. Ok fact number one, if you don't buy it someone else will. Maybe someone without a support system like gecko forums, maybe someone ignorant that will follow the stores directions and put them on sand or bark. Fact number 2, there will never be a united front for reptiles. There isn't even a united front for who should be president. There are always those who will not care or will be against it. Fact number 3, a store of any kind will go where the money is and geckos are very popular. It is a nice thought to not have terrible pet stores sell any animal of any kind but it will never happen. I have two pet store leos and they are both very healthy, eat like little pigs, and are more sociable than some of my breeder geckos. As I learned on here if you want a pet store leo, ask a worker to drop some crickets in the cage and watch the ones that go after them. Get the lively ones if you want to avoid heartbreak and tons of vet bills. Always do what you think is right.

:main_thumbsup: Right on! I'd rather get a gecko that looks healthy enough but is a little thin and save it myself than to have someone who is inexperienced taking care of it. I just got my friend into Leos, she got one and it just recently died from malnutrition. Believe me, I'd rather have taken care of that TUG Tang.