Pet stores are probably the number one thing that irks iguana owners. Ah, the charming people who don’t know anything about the animals that they sell and couldn’t care less because they only have to keep it alive long enough to sell equipment that you don’t need, i.e. heat rocks, commercial food and calcium spray. Pet stores were not created equal and they range from the informed to the ignorant to a blatant disregard for animal welfare. The ignorant can be educated. Give them a care sheet and a salmonella sheet. Those who practice blatant disregard are discussed on the rest of this page.
Felix and I (Sammy Iguana) are frequent visitors to pet stores in Virginia Beach. Mom and her friends ask pet store personnel about iguanas. Mom has been told that we are simple to take care of and that there is no possible threat of salmonella. These same people also say that they don’t need to use UVB light because we are only in the pet shop for a short time. Pet store owners say that they must make a profit so they cannot afford veterinary care for the pets that they sell. We have a new rescue in our house and he came to us by way of the SPCA after a store owner told his mom to put him in the freezer or break his neck. Now, do you really want to trust these people to give you the correct care guidance?