A. chalcodes Death Curl

[Trincess]

Help my a.chalcodes that I just brought home from the shop is acting all weird. He had his legs curled under him and now he’s walking about a little but barely. He keeps sticking out his back legs and I’m worried that he is going to die

 

[Sarkhan42]

Pictures/video would help tremendously in this situation to help us understand what is wrong. It sounds like it may be as simple as dehydration.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Yes, as said above, post a couple of pics. Could be a bit of stress, or else, not necessaily a 'bad scenario'.

 

[Trincess]

This was him earlier. I say him but I don’t know the sex.

 

[Trincess]

Here is now. Looks to be doing a lot better to me. His legs are working better. He’s moving them a lot. Do you think he’ll be ok?

 

[Sarkhan42]

Here is now. Looks to be doing a lot better to me. His legs are working better. He’s moving them a lot. Do you think he’ll be ok?

I would put their mouth area over an open dish of water to facilitate getting some fluids in him/her. Past that some good feedings are in order if he perks up. If his condition is improving I'd say he's definitely got good chances.

 

[scott99]

Here is now. Looks to be doing a lot better to me. His legs are working better. He’s moving them a lot. Do you think he’ll be ok?

Did he move from his original position, or did you move him? Its seem like he's dehydrated. This might help http://arachnoboards.com/threads/what-are-the-signs-of-dehydration.163974/

 

[Trincess]

Did he move from his original position, or did you move him? Its seem like he's dehydrated. This might help http://arachnoboards.com/threads/what-are-the-signs-of-dehydration.163974/

I moved him onto wet paper towel. He’s moved around a bit since then

 

[scott99]

I moved him onto wet paper towel. He’s moved around a bit since then

That good, Aphonopelmas' are pretty tough http://arachnoboards.com/threads/caring-for-an-octoplegic.269103/

 

[Trincess]

Here he/she is now in his proper enclosure. He seems a LOT better and I’ve just seen him drinking from his water dish

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Here he/she is now in his proper enclosure. He seems a LOT better and I’ve just seen him drinking from his water dish

Keep the water dish full, no noise nor light around, and let's see

 

[EulersK]

(posting on behalf of @Trincess, as she needs help quicker than she has time to learn how to use this site)

@Trincess, use this thread to communicate with members from here on out. You'll get a lot more help here.

Pictures:






Information from her:

He was placed in a small plastic tub by pet shop and wrapped the tub in newspaper but when I got him home he didn’t look good. He hasn’t walked but keeps looking like he he trying to get up. What has happened?

It was very active in the pet shop. Looked great actually. But was in my car boot for like 2 hours. I’m thinking he didn’t package it well enough. Anyway I put it in a tub with wet paper towels on a heat pad as well and it seems to be recovering. Well it’s legs are working again and it’s moving around a bit. Oh and the abdomen was small at the store I just thought maybe it’s a male. Is that a wrong assessment?

@Greasylake @KezyGLA I can’t see anything leaking from him anywhere if that’s what you mean by rupture. No obvious signs of damage. I’m praying he’s ok and that I’ve stepped in on time to save him.

Tried to help her out of the water and she fell on her back. So I don’t think she is doing so great after all

@Dovey she was in the boot but she was in a tub the tub was wrapped in a newspaper and put inside a Kritter keeper. I thought she would be well protected. But thinking about it. The shop didn’t put any paper towel in with her so maybe the journey was too rough

===

Some notes from me. The spider is currently in an ICU, which is in a room she apparently cannot access until tomorrow morning. I have advised her to find a way into that room if at all possible. No one seems to have asked what happened in that car ride - was the tarantula kept in direct sunlight for the 2 hour drive, @Trincess?

 

[Vanessa]

Thank you for putting this together and helping her out. Hopefully, this thread will be more productive in achieving obtaining advice for her tarantula.

 

[Anoplogaster]

An ICU is only going to kill it faster. Especially with a heat pad

 

[Dovey]

Trincess said the spider was in the boot of the car for 2 hours. That's Brit for "trunk" for those of us on this side of the pond. It may be a hundred degrees here in New River, but I'm willing to bet it's not that in Great Britain. I'm assuming the little thing got cold. The fact that it was so desperate for water indicates poor husbandry on the part of the pet store and possibly an import Journey.

That she was willing to drink indicates to me that this is a spider who has no intention of going gently into that good night. I'm hoping tomorrow we'll see a world of difference.

Someone really needs to appeal to Stanley Shultz to update his website if necessary and seriously consider a new addition with all these new species and some taxonomic and husbandry corrections... or to pay someone to take on the task of producing a new edition. I'll do it! This is exactly where my profession and my hobby meet like the rubber and the road. Last I heard he and Marguerite were touring in an old RV, and she had sadly passed away. That book is so good in so many respects, but there's a couple of real issues with things like the ICU tank that can actually kill someone's valuable and beloved pet.

Eulersk I don't know if anyone has told you this today, but you are a gentleman and a scholar. Thank you for putting this all together. Your attitude and others like it are what make this place such a special place.

 

[Vanessa]

Trincess said the spider was in the boot of the car for 2 hours. That's Brit for "trunk" for those of us on this side of the pond. It may be a hundred degrees here in New River, but I'm willing to bet it's not that in Great Britain. I'm assuming the little thing got cold. The fact that it was so desperate for water indicates poor husbandry on the part of the pet store and possibly an import Journey.

Yes, putting them in the trunk is not the best move. S/he probably got bounced around, the temperatures might not have been appropriate, and trunks are not airtight. It is not impossible that exhaust fumes got in if there was any idling in traffic involved.
I don't understand why they were put in the trunk to begin with? Even wild animals I have rescued didn't go in the trunk.

 

[Thekla]

I don't have any experience with this species, but I'm following this with great interest. I hope the T's gonna make it.

But this is all very confusing, as there already was a thread on the forum for this spider (http://arachnoboards.com/threads/is-my-tarantula-gonna-die.306160/) alongside the picture threads.

 

[EulersK]

I don't have any experience with species, but I'm following this with great interest. I hope the T's gonna make it.

But this is all very confusing, as there already was a thread on the forum for this spider (http://arachnoboards.com/threads/is-my-tarantula-gonna-die.306160/) alongside the picture threads.

She said in the most recent photo that she couldn't figure out how to make a thread... it didn't occur to me to fact check her Oh well, not like this thread will cause any harm. Good catch.

 

[Trincess]

She said in the most recent photo that she couldn't figure out how to make a thread... it didn't occur to me to fact check her Oh well, not like this thread will cause any harm. Good catch.

I didn’t initially know how to create a thread but then also I couldn’t upload a picture to the thread once created without adding new media which had to go in a gallery. Hence the mess and confusion. Ps: the tarantula is now on dry towels but still doesn’t look good.

 

[Ungoliant]

But this is all very confusing, as there already was a thread on the forum for this spider (http://arachnoboards.com/threads/is-my-tarantula-gonna-die.306160/) alongside the picture threads.

I merged these two threads.