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Scales N Tails BAD NEWS!

Recovery

I thought you all would like to know that my female Hogg is almost completely well, and despite her roundworms (fecal analyzed tuesday) she is on her way to a great recovery. So far she has eaten like a champ and is putting on weight at a great speed. I recieved my male and he was in perfect condition, so after i get a clean bill of health from my vet i am going to start getting them ready to breed. wish me luck as this is my first breeding venture (i'm still young), and i hope it goes well.
 
Glad to hear it turned out well for you. Just curious - after 9 pages of discussion, do you still view Scales N Tails as Bad Guys?

We're heading up there this weekend to do a little shopping... I go into each store with an open mind, since there is such a high turnover rate of employees, and things change so quickly. You never know, but there just might be the deal you were looking for.
 
Reply to Mark and Aimee

I view them as how you would view an importer, i do think that they could apply a quarantine much like Reptilian Haven has done, but I don't think they will. I personally will only make a purchase from them again if I actualy have to, but you all can make your decision just fine I am sure. I do not think that they are "Bad Guys" anymore, just uninformed and out to make a profit. Also, thank you Mark and Aimee for the support with my Hogg getting well, it means a lot to me to know that my fight with her wasn't in vain and that I am not being looked down upon completely because I had bought her with an RI. Oh and Happy shopping!
 
BEEN THERE TOO!

Having been to scales n tails myself on a number of occasions, I do find it to be a hit miss type thing when buying.

It is not unusual to see emaciated or half dead animals and DEAD animals in cages on PUBLIC display. This mainly applys to the south store in my opinion.

The other two stores generally are well kept.

I have also noticed with the south store, dirty cages and employees just chit chatting behind the counter....... sitting on their A** They are unhelpfull and basically lazy, and again that's just my opinion from what I have observed

The employees of the other two stores do a pretty good job with what time they have and the number of animals in their care. These two stores are pretty busy all the time, which makes it a little hard for them to get stuff done.

I have sold/traded animals with scales n tails. And I can 100% say that there is NO quarantine procedure whatsoever, so just REMEMBER THAT if you plan on buying from them or trading.

I watched them put my animals that I took up there straight into cages. At NO point were they checked for mites or signs of bad health. These animals were of course healthy and mite free, but I know for a fact a lot of their animals are not!

I know of people who have bought from them and at a good price, the price would want to be good too in order to compensate for the mites that, I guess, came FREE with the animals purchased.

I have seen boa's with RI infections in their store (Not the south store this time) on display and for sale!

It's basically up to you, the individual to take a look at their stores, hygene practices and quality of animals on display and judge for yourself. I am just telling of my own experiences with them from what I have seen.

This store chain could be a HELL of a lot better if the effort were applied from the top ownership down, but it's not and that's sad.

It's why I don't buy from them and I won't, but instead prefer to buy online and get what I am paying for without the health risks associated with this store. In some case you just don't know what you are bringing home with the animal purchased from them!

But, like I said, it's up to you to see for yourself and make up your own mind.
 
Re: Doesn't suprise me

colubridman88 said:
I had a buddy that worked there for a little while.(Northglen).
I think the guys at Scales will do anything for a sale. Rich , the manager, is extremely knowledgeable, and a friend of mine. But thier animals are sometimes sub-par. The northglen store is the only one i will go to, the rest are run by idiots, who know nothing about reptiles. I have had a few problems, mainly with thier mite-infested rats. However it is the only store in town that can handle my feeding needs. They just need to stop looking at people as dollar signs and more as partners in this hobby.
Respectfully,
Jesse Smith
Click to expand...

This is not about Scales N Tails, I have no experience with them... But I had to compliment J. Smith for what he contributed.

He is absolutely correct.. in this hobby some people let the profit incentive get in front of more important things. There are many breeders and dealers out there taking the extra effort to do things right, keep their stock healthy, educate their buyers and handle problems when they happen. The profiteers who mistreat the animals and sell or trade unhealthy herps cause problems for everybody. It is frustrating that these dishonest people can stay in business (again, I have no knowledge of SNTs)..
 
Re: Dosage

pituophissayi said:
Sorry I forgot dosage, she perscribe 1CC of Baytril for 7 days. 3 days injected 4 days oral.
Click to expand...

Fire your vet, or make her read ARAV proceedings and other up to date veterinary research literature on reptiles. Enrofloxacin causes sterile abscess on injection and is not recommended for more than a single IM use (if any) by the manufacturer.
 
Also I forgot to mention that 1cc of Baytril would be 22.7 milligrams of the drug if the standard concentration is being used....this would be a rational oral dosage range for a snake weighing from 2 to 4 kilos.

As for an injectable dosage, if she did not tell you to split the dose between multiple sites or dilute the dose with sterile saline, I would expect fairly serious (though possibly invisible on the surface) abscessing in a snake upon injecting that quantity at the standard available concentration (22.7 mg/ml).

For the snake's sake I sincerely hope she diluted the drug before giving it to you. If not....major ouchie for the snake.
 
AB's

She did tell me to alternate sides and not to do it in the same spot, i don't know if she diluted it or not. and believe me after 8 people telling me this, she is now officially fired.


and on another note, Sweetheart as the boa has come to be known, no longer has any signs of an RI, she goes in one week from today for another injection to get rid of the Round worms and then 2 weeks from then she will have another fecal exam done. Wish me luck.
 
Just for info....

Scales N Tails was named one of the top growing pet businesses in the US by "Pet Busines Monthly". There was a great writeup on them - the article said they will be adding two new locations in the near future.

IF you're in the pet store business and get this magazine, check the article out.

They must be doing SOMETHING right...

Oh - and we purchased a pair of baby Veiled Chameleons from them last weekend. Both are extremely healthy, doing great, and look fantastic. Then again, we DID hand pick them ourselves...
 
Scales is Mile high

Jim Whitt owns scales n tails and mile high reptile. The mile high name is still in use. The only thing that that article proves is Jim is making lots of money, not that he is providing quality animals. Jim personally managed to kill 2 albino ball pythons and a PIEBALD. A PIEBALD. Understandable things happen,but if you are losing snakes worth several thousand dollars, you got to be doing something wrong . My little sister can take care of snakes better than jim. Glad to hear your veilds are doing good aimee and mark.
Jesse Smith
 
Re: Scales is Mile high

colubridman88 said:
Jim Whitt owns scales n tails and mile high reptile. The mile high name is still in use. The only thing that that article proves is Jim is making lots of money, not that he is providing quality animals. Jim personally managed to kill 2 albino ball pythons and a PIEBALD. A PIEBALD. Understandable things happen,but if you are losing snakes worth several thousand dollars, you got to be doing something wrong . My little sister can take care of snakes better than jim. Glad to hear your veilds are doing good aimee and mark.
Jesse Smith
Click to expand...

Piebalds are often picky eaters. So what if he lost a few animals, that happens to the best breeders sometimes. If he is making "lots of money" he must be doing something right... I don't see what the difference is between a morph and a normal being lost. They are both snakes, and both can have health problems.
 
Ok, if Jim Whitt runs his personal collection anything like the stores, that would be a problem. Don't you think? and yes it is a snake but a piebald depending on type will run him up to like what 15k? i think i would do EVERYTHING in my power to save it. but that's me.
 
Jesse, can you quote a source for your information?

FWIW, I too have had a nice animal die on me once or twice. Does this make me a terrible person or a bad reptile keeper? I don't think so.

You didn't mention if the Ball Pythons that supposedly died were adults, babies or somewhere in between. If they were babies, heck yeah I believe it! Have you EVER dealt with baby ball pythons? If you have, you've had a few die on you. Sometimes you can do everything in your power, and it won't make a damn bit of difference.

Jesse, if your story about 2 albinos and a piebald is just some rumor you heard in a store or at a herp show or from a buddy, it might be best if you just leave it there. If you have some kind of proof, well, it still doesn't make a damn bit of difference unless you know what happened.

I'm sure you breed snakes, based on your username here. So tell me - hold long have you been keeping reptiles, and have you ever had one or two die on you?

I'm sorry - good story, but I don't buy it and even if it is true - it has no bearing here.
 
I am not saying that animals don't die, i am merely saying that if he keeps his personal collection as well as the stores keep theirs (judging by peoples comments on the south store and my experience with the west store) then i am pretty sure it was husbandry related and in that case i have no sympathy because there are steps that can be taken to prevent it, and also your comment to Jesse is more than valid if they were babies... then yes i understand that too, but if they were healthy adults and he kept them like the stores, it doesn't surprise me. If it was all beyond his control, i'm sorry, and DAMN that's gotta suck. but if it was husbandry related, it's his fault and it was a... stupid mistake.
 
Thanks for your comments Zack.

To all - please excuse my various misspellings and torture of the English language. I don't know what my problem is lately... But I would like to think it is not the norm. I generally proofread my posts before hitting the damn "submit reply" button :)
 
I live in Colorado Springs, where there is only one Scales 'N Tails. I have noticed
1. Dirty floors and cages- they let a tortoise walk around on the dirty floor all day long
2. Patronizing employees who just sit around and talk about their personal lives
3. Emaciated/ sick-looking animals
4. Animals with bad sheds

One of the employees was trying to do anything in his power to sell me live rats, even though I kept telling him that my snake will not take live and I only feel comfortable feeding F/T. I just found the experience at that store all around bad. The only reason why I went a second and third time was because I had a cricket card that I needed to empty.
 
Sad thing is your employ base of any buisness can make you or break you.Haveing owned and worked in an exotic pet shop who you have out front is who you are.Arrogant workers non help full employs will kill the sales.The representation of the store is every thing.If you are overpowered by the smell when you enter you have already lost.I have a friend who owns the shop I worked at ,(my shop went broke my fault)he will not tolerate a lazy employ or a rude one period.When a costomer comes in you must meet there needs other wise they will not come back.The one key to success is clean clean clean always stay on top of the smell and be nice
 
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