Not very happy with our petsmart!

[kokom05lb]

So, I went to petsmart this afternoon in hopes of getting some superworms. The lady told me that my chameleons cant have worms til 2 1/2 years of age! I was like what? She refused to let me buy them so I walked out pretty unhappy. Three more days and my hubby will be paid so I can order worms online. Which is the best place to get worms? And my babies should be ok with crickets for 3 more days right?

Ages are 2-3 month old male, 3-4 month old female veiled chameleons

 

[Solid Snake]

That is inaccurate information.
I can aploud her for careing though I guess

Super worms are not as nutritionally well balanced as crickets, and are considered a treat.

So yes, you will be ok.

Any chameleon can eat a worm that is appropriate size.

 

[Panthergirl11]

I would think that superworms are too big for babies. I know I wouldn't give them to my 4 month old just yet.

 

[brandon1]

So, I went to petsmart this afternoon in hopes of getting some superworms. The lady told me that my chameleons cant have worms til 2 1/2 years of age! I was like what? She refused to let me buy them so I walked out pretty unhappy. Three more days and my hubby will be paid so I can order worms online. Which is the best place to get worms? And my babies should be ok with crickets for 3 more days right?

Ages are 2-3 month old male, 3-4 month old female veiled chameleons

Try smallpetfeeders.com. Dave has good prices on Silkworm eggs and food.

 

[Meow Kitty]

i feel if they can get half the worm in their mouth without gaping its not 2 big

 

[Solid Snake]

i feel if they can get half the worm in their mouth without gaping its not 2 big

The important thing, is that the worm is not to wide.
No worm wider than the space beteen their eyes, or longer than their head should be fed.

 

[kokom05lb]

What can be feed to them besides crickets. Sad to say but my female is lazy and only gets the crickets that climb close to here. My male hunts though

 

[jsharai]

I'd go to the manager of that PetSmart and "discuss" the employees actions. What right does she have to dictate to you what you feed your animal? When did they become the pet police? If you brought a bag of cat food to the counter and they asked what kind of cat you had and you said, "Siamese", do you think they'd allow a cashier to say, "Sorry, you can't buy that for Ying and Yang. No food for you!" They certainly send enough Goldfish to their deaths at the hand off little 5 Y/O Creepy Carl. How many PetSmart Hamsters have been squeezed to death or stomped on by cutie pie, Angela Aggravation? It really is a matter of principle and I'm certain that PetSmart corporate would love to hear about employees running away a customer... PLUS the potential customers that you tell who stay away. This whole thing is baloney! You should complain. (Step off soapbox...)

 

[agavrysh]

I had a lady at petsmart told me that incandescent light has enough uva/uvb for cham, and I don't need anything else... so... yeah.. very experienced...

 

[brandon1]

What can be feed to them besides crickets. Sad to say but my female is lazy and only gets the crickets that climb close to here. My male hunts though

Silkworm are great (normals I've tried and were good and now I'm going to try out Zebras to see how they go). Like I said check out smallpetfeeders.com for silkworm eggs. If money's not too big an issue you could try Hornworms by getting them in pods or as Hornworm eggs from smallpetfeeders as well. I say if money's not an issue not because of his prices, which are great, but because Hornworms are a large feeder and cost more but you wouldn't be able to feed your young Veileds a full grown Hornworm no matter how bad they would want it . So you would have to feed them the Hornworms before they got too big but they are a great source of hydration and add variety to your cham's diets. Roaches are also good. I'd recommend Discoid roaches (never tried Dubias because they are illegal in Florida but practically everyone speaks highly of them); you would have to buy some adults and allow them to breed because your chams wouldn't be able to eat adult roaches but the babies would be perfect at around half the size of an adult cricket.

 

[LeoM]

Silkworm are great (normals I've tried and were good and now I'm going to try out Zebras to see how they go). Like I said check out smallpetfeeders.com for silkworm eggs. If money's not too big an issue you could try Hornworms by getting them in pods or as Hornworm eggs from smallpetfeeders as well. I say if money's not an issue not because of his prices, which are great, but because Hornworms are a large feeder and cost more but you wouldn't be able to feed your young Veileds a full grown Hornworm no matter how bad they would want it . So you would have to feed them the Hornworms before they got too big but they are a great source of hydration and add variety to your cham's diets. Roaches are also good. I'd recommend Discoid roaches (never tried Dubias because they are illegal in Florida but practically everyone speaks highly of them); you would have to buy some adults and allow them to breed because your chams wouldn't be able to eat adult roaches but the babies would be perfect at around half the size of an adult cricket.

Why are they illegal?

 

[DekuScrub]

So, I went to petsmart this afternoon in hopes of getting some superworms. The lady told me that my chameleons cant have worms til 2 1/2 years of age! I was like what? She refused to let me buy them so I walked out pretty unhappy. Three more days and my hubby will be paid so I can order worms online. Which is the best place to get worms? And my babies should be ok with crickets for 3 more days right?

Ages are 2-3 month old male, 3-4 month old female veiled chameleons

I had a lady at petsmart told me that incandescent light has enough uva/uvb for cham, and I don't need anything else... so... yeah.. very experienced...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! nuff said

 

[DekuScrub]

Why are they illegal?

invasive species.

 

[fluxlizard]

Keep in mind the qualifications for pet shop employee consist primarily of must be of legal age to work and must be willing to clean up poop. Hardly the same as for rocket scientists.

Something to keep in mind when asking advice from your average pet shop employee. Sure there are some good ones- but plenty of ignorant ones too. Possibly ignorant but well intentioned, but ignorant still the same.

The fact that one of these has decided that she is queen authority and denying sale of a food item is hilarious.

She needs some attention from management if you know what I mean.

The responsibility for an animal rests on the shoulders of the *owner*. Not Queen of the Pet Shop. A word of caution or education would have been appropriate, but not refusal of sale. Way out of line.

 

[kokom05lb]

Well I went ahead and bought one of the can-o-mealworms. Havent opened it yet 'cause it was bed time for my 2 little one when I got home. Also had another employee that told me I need to but this medicated supplement thing even though my babies are healthly. So, idk. The pet store that we alsways goes to was too far away and petsmart was right there, so it was partually my fault as well

 

[Solid Snake]

Well I went ahead and bought one of the can-o-mealworms. Havent opened it yet 'cause it was bed time for my 2 little one when I got home. Also had another employee that told me I need to but this medicated supplement thing even though my babies are healthly. So, idk. The pet store that we alsways goes to was too far away and petsmart was right there, so it was partually my fault as well

The canned bugs are not healthy, and chameleons eat live food, so good luck with them acknowledging it is food.

Vitamin supplements have to be used everyday.
Do you dust the feeders?

 

[kokom05lb]

I didnt know anything about dusting til the other day. I have a 3 back of all the supplements that was said I needed. Bought Reptocal for now until my order gets here on the 29th. Iknow I should of done my research first but hubby was wanting to rush things.

 

[Olimpia]

That's funny, superworms are never a problem to eat. As long as food isn't wider than the space between their eyes, you can feed whatever you want. I give my full grown male panther the giant hornworms and he chows down on them, even though they are 2 times the length of his head. And superworms come in lots of sizes so you can definitely find them in a good size for a young chameleon.

Quick note, you have to supplement with minerals almost every day, since calcium is a mineral. And with vitamins about twice a month, as well as calcium with D3 twice a month. Also make sure that your calciums are phosphorous-free.

 

[Elizadolots]

And superworms come in lots of sizes so you can definitely find them in a good size for a young chameleon.

Probably not at Petco though. Petco usually has full size supers and they probably aren't appropriate for 2-4 month old chameleons.

It seems to me the Petco clerk was, in fact, protecting the babies but exaggerated the time frame. I have no idea why. It would have been better for her to explain that their worms were too big.

Smaller worms would almost certainly require a trip to a reptile specialty store.

 

[lindstedt56]

My petco carries small superworms but I do know that many dont.