Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 11:12 am
Testing for salmonella isn't reliable--an animal might test negative, but since the bacteria is carried in the intestine and is shed from the intestines in times of stress or illness, it still could be present, just not "active." When prior to bringing Tilly back from Tokyo with me, I went to a herp vet, who examined him and gave me a health certificate saying he was in good health (didn't know if it was required to bring him into the U.S., but wanted to have it just in case). The certificate also said he was free of salmonella, which was a joke.
I always preferred Petsmart to Petco until they started with those loyalty cards. Now they're pretty much equal in my eyes, but Petsmart does carry some things Petco doesn't and they're prices are generally cheaper. (But I do like the clearance table that Petco sometimes has--they've got one now where everything is $1; it's mostly for cats and dogs, but I was able to get a few turtle products there as well.) I also like Petcos crickets better than Petsmart (they seem to live longer).
"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." -Antoine de Saint Exupery-