# PetCo - Nutro Rep



## TippysMom (Oct 3, 2008)

We went to PetCo to get some kibble today. We are switching from Castor & Pollux to Blue Buffalo. They haven't gotten any new C&P in for about 8 weeks, so the only bags left are the small ones (and they're now on clearance), so I think they might be discontinuing it - or maybe the company sold out?

Anyway, while we were deciding which BB to try - the Nutro rep started talking to us. She even said BB was a good brand (I already knew that), but what shocked me was that she said NOT to buy Nutro! She said that even though she works for them, they are adding way too much copper and phosphorous to the food & it is causing kidney failure in dogs.

She was transferred from her last position to this one and told not to tell people that anymore. Didn't seem to stop her from telling us! 

Thought I would share - even though we knew that Nutro wasn't good, even the responsible employees won't recommend it!


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## zomo (Nov 24, 2008)

It must be a bummer to be a sales rep for a product you don't believe in. To bad she couldn't work for Blue Buffalo.


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## TippysMom (Oct 3, 2008)

I agree - she's probably just glad to have a job right now!


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## PeanutsMommy (Dec 7, 2008)

at least she was being honest about the company.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Hehehe that makes me so happy to hear. My friend is a Nutro rep and still doesnt understand why people don't trust the food and sometimes, educated people will mysteriously tell her "No thank you, I will never use Nutro" and quietly walk away. 

Even her own dog gets sick off of it (random puking a few times a month). She just throws yogurt on his food and chalks it up to something else.


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## PeanutsMommy (Dec 7, 2008)

^^^^ when my dog was eating nutro as a young dog he would constantly be throwing up not long after eating i would take him to the vet and they would give him pepcid pills and carafate never suggested it was the food...i did research on my own. the other thing i found odd about my dogs reaction to nutro was i would put down the food bowl and he would let his breakfast sit all day just nibble here and there...i switched him first to blue wilderness then to a mix of blue/evo....no throwing up no letting the food sit there.
also he seemed to poo ALOT like 6 times a day on nutro now were down to 2 times at most a day


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

You should go back to the store and tell that girl to quit Nutro and go work for Blue. It is possible and legal for her to do so. Plus, she'll get paid better and won't have to worry about representing a product that she knows makes animals sick.


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## TippysMom (Oct 3, 2008)

rannmiller said:


> Hehehe that makes me so happy to hear. My friend is a Nutro rep and still doesnt understand why people don't trust the food and sometimes, educated people will mysteriously tell her "No thank you, I will never use Nutro" and quietly walk away.
> 
> Even her own dog gets sick off of it (random puking a few times a month). She just throws yogurt on his food and chalks it up to something else.


My dogs pooped a lot when they ate Nutro, and they also let their food sit. As if to say - do I have to eat this?? They knew - and I should have paid better attention. Thank goodness I did some research and got them away from it before it was too late!

I will be back in there - and I will look for her. They aren't usually there when I shop, and they seem to have a different one each time. I don't think I could stay at a company that I didn't believe in. 

I actually had a different rep in there another time that asked if I needed help - that was when I was switching away from Nutro (which was initially recommended to me by a breeder / trainer). I told her I would use anything but Nutro. She was insistent that Nutro was GREAT food, and that Greenies (also made by Nutro) are wonderful for dogs. I disagreed nicely and tried to get away from her quietly....she finally relented after I made my kibble selection and walked away. I'm glad she wasn't there again!


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

oh yeah that's the trick. They aren't supposed to talk to you if you have another bag of food in your cart. To avoid that next time, just throw the first bag in you can find so they'll leave you alone. Or better yet, engage them in a conversation and educate them. One of them might care.


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## TippysMom (Oct 3, 2008)

Oh! I didn't know that - I will just grab something (not Nutro) next time that happens. I think I found the only one that was educated beyond her work training....

Thanks!


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## ILuvLabs (Oct 27, 2008)

I try really hard to avoid the Nutro reps because after all I've read & especially their reaction (or should I say non-reaction) to customers with very sick dogs, I think I'd find it hard to be polite. The "you're the first person who has complained" & "we'll send you a bag so you can send the food to us for testing" makes me angry as hell. Nobody has ever gotten that so-called bag for testing no matter how many times they've called. Their script should be changed because it's getting old.

Nice to know if you have another bag of food, they can't approach you. Sadly, there isn't much in the big box stores that I'll use.

I don't want to gross anyone out but if you want to read the latest & the worst story about Nutro, here you go:

Consumer complaints about Nutro Pet Foods


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Wow that's a horrible story! Poor dead rat, poor woman, and poor Bobo!

If you do go in but don't buy your food there, just throw in a random bag then toss it out again before you leave.


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## ILuvLabs (Oct 27, 2008)

Good thinking......:biggrin:


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Thanks. Trust me, I know how they operate. Oh wait, technically if you're in PetCo and you have a "grocery store" brand in your cart they can still approach you. Not all of them know this though so it's not usually a problem, but I've seen it happen. Petsmart on the other hand, no approach is allowed if you have food in your cart no matter what the quality. If they do approach you with food in your cart, you can always report them to management and they can go back to courtesy training. Usually though, there's so much fear put in them not to approach the customer if they have ANY food in their cart that they usually won't even try it.


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