Brought home a free sick retf... Hope I can save him

[mrzoggs]

you did the best you could. at least shes not in pain anymore. im so sorry for your loss

[Pibblet]

Ah! Heather I am so sorry! I was just reading this story and was hoping for the better. You went above and beyond for this little one and that is all that matters. Angel could not have had better help or comfort. And her reception was beautiful!!!!

As for Petco, I hope you did send those pictures to corporate. I worked at Petco for a year in high school, and I can tell you that the way they change things is very, very slow. The whites enclosure at this store was horrendous; 10gal for 14-16 froglet/juveniles from farms, and they'd all perish within a few months. The ones that would manage to pull through usually became quite ill with bacterial infections. Cultures for frogs were never approved by District managers at my store (I was the weird one pushing for the sick whites to be taken in the the vet when they looked "fine") And it was all a horrible, stressful and frustrating thing to go through on a day-to-day basis.

If you leave a customer comment for your store, they will be read by the district manager, and hopefully those heartbreaking pictures will be enough to get them into high gear and update that enclosure, or simply order another kind of animal with easier requirements. Keep an eye on those little ones! You just might be the only one looking out for them

[Heatheranne]

Thank you . I was very hopeful too. Tuesday was a hard night. I didn't want to put her down, knowing .

I talked with my favorite reptile girl there. She talked them into taking the other 3 to a vet and they are there now, thank goodness. Their vet got in touch with Dr.Frye, thanks to guidance given to me here. They are working together to save them . They were in better shape than Angel so I think they have a chance. I hope.

Petco also refunded me the money for the other two last week when I went to get crickets. I hadn't asked. It was unexpected. Angel was given to me as an adoption. Miranda said she had spoke to her manager about everything. They also sent an email to their corporate office stating they didn't want any more red eyes sent to them. So, some good has come out of it, though horribly sad it was out of loss of a life .

That is a great idea and I think I will. Sometimes seeing how sad it is can make them understand more than a verbal complaint. I am a valuable customer to them and buy a good amount of supplies there which are not cheap. Maybe then they'll understand that animals should not be disposable, no matter what species and no matter how big or small.

Still my heart breaks for the loss of her life just out of poor husbandry and negligence.

[BlueisallIneed]

I am so sorry for your loss. Angel was very lucky to have been taken care of by a very loving home. Hope you are at peace with knowing you did everything you could do for this sweetheart and she died with dignity!

[Heatheranne]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your kind words.

[Bruce]

I'm sorry to hear she passed heather you did the beat you could though, but I guess there was nothing anyone could do, and she's out of pain now. It makes me sad that pet stores just neglect the pets the sell, then the customer will generally think the animal should be cares for how the pet store is caring for them and in the end the animal always suffers.

[Heatheranne]

My other two, though still under treatment, are doing well, thank goodness. They are improving every day.

[Heatheranne]

Yes, when improper care is taught the bad cycle just continues on and on...

[Pibblet]

My other two, though still under treatment, are doing well, thank goodness. They are improving every day.

That's wonderful! Do keep us updated!

[Shade38]

Wow....so sad. I admire your persistence in talking to the store employees. I would have gotten frustrated and given up.

Your efforts certainly weren't in vain-- Angel had a caring home in which to finish her life, and now two more little ones have hope of surviving.

Thanks for all the updates.

[Heatheranne]

Thank you!

The employees there know me pretty well. I'm in there a lot buying supplies and crickets. They know about my frogs. We always chat about all of our critters. I feel bad because the employees there weren't taught the proper care for them. When I came in and then started teaching them, the girls were receptive, but it was too late and they were already sick. They didn't even provide them with care sheets. So, who's to blame? Both, but I think it should have been the responsibility of the buyer of the frogs to be sure they are educated on how to care for them. Just a bad cycle... Ugh!

And it doesn't take much for them to get sick with improper housing, and especially with dehydration. Breaks down their immune system and their "skin" can no longer fight infection. They become like a sponge just waiting to soak up bacteria with no protective layer against them. They can't develop "fevers" to fight it off either. They are victims of their environment. I really think dehydration and stress started it bc I saw them the day they arrive to them and they were thin and dehydrated but their skin looked otherwise healthy. They just needed rehydrating, some fattening up, and a good clean, proper, quiet home to de-stress.

Mine all perked up considerably with just a 15 minute dilute pedialyte soak the night I brought them home. It only took a couple days to completely rehydrate them. I soaked them every night for a couple days. The rest was just normal misting. The tank at the store had the humidity at 50%. I told them they needed to get it to 80%. Its frustrating...you wouldn't keep a beardie in a wet enclosure, right? So why put a retf in too dry a home? It took about a week to get mine fattened up and looking good. Callie was stressed and needed fed for a week or so. I fed Lucky for the first couple days. Of course, by the time I took them, they already had spots.

I'm glad I took them home. I wish I could have taken the other 3.

[Branman]

I'm sorry for the loss. I was reading the thread and it's very heart breaking. I'm glad you tried to save the frog before it just died in the store. It's sad to see that the frog passed away. I'm glad she had her final days with you. Her final days were with someone who cares and loves her. I'm glad the petco near you is not gonna have red eyed tree frogs. But I wish other stores would be smarter and learn proper husbandry before they stock and animal.

[BerryNight]

Omg! Thats not ok! Petco needs to not be holding them at all if they are going to be held like this! Or they need some better employees! That is down-right cruel and sad!

[IrishRonin]

Well this is what happens when big chain store push out all the little stores where people actually care about there animals, of course its not always the case either. One of my best friends worked at a vet near me for 5 years and said they (petco) would bring in rept/amphib. all the time for euthanasia for stupid improper care problems. As he said "how hard is it to care for a leopard gecko?" It also doesn't help that everyone is in need of a job right now so they get al ot of people who don't know what there doing but need the job. They need to put there employees threw better training
P.S.- thanks for doing all you could for the little one and his friends, your like me and try and help every little one you can, I know in my case it tends to end up bad considering people wait until its to late to get help. Sorry for your loss

[NatureLady]

You did so much and I hope THEY learned their lesson. Poor angel, but at least she had you by her side in the last days of her life! Made me cry as I read this entire thread, soooo sad!

[Heatheranne]

I agree. It's so saddening. I'd take them all if I could .

[Heatheranne]

Thanks Amanda!

Me too...when I first saw her there, and again all Tuesday and Wednesday . It was so hard burying her. After that, I just got angry with them. Frustrated...to say the least. Hardest part is, I'd do it again...

[Heatheranne]

I started another post, but I did end up taking the other 3 home. They are doing well. The plan is to heal them up and then I've coordinated with my local zoo and they will adopt them. They take good care of their animals, so this makes me very happy .