C. versicolor stuck in molt

Magenta

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Mar 29, 2013
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I think my C. versicolor is stuck in a molt. She's been like this for about 24 hours with no progress. Is anything I can do? Generally, I just leave them alone, I figure any "help" I could give would only hinder them. Is there even a point where a human should intervene with a molt?

Here's a picture, sorry for the bad lighting/tater-cam.

Thank you.
 

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Nightstalker47

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I think my C. versicolor is stuck in a molt. She's been like this for about 24 hours with no progress. Is anything I can do? Generally, I just leave them alone, I figure any "help" I could give would only hinder them. Is there even a point where a human should intervene with a molt?

Here's a picture, sorry for the bad lighting/tater-cam.

Thank you.
Unfortunately there's nothing you can do to help, especially since she hasn't made any progress.

Leave her be and hope for the best.
 

Ellenantula

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I think my C. versicolor is stuck in a molt. She's been like this for about 24 hours with no progress. Is anything I can do? Generally, I just leave them alone, I figure any "help" I could give would only hinder them. Is there even a point where a human should intervene with a molt?
I'm so sorry and will cross my fingers for a positive outcome. I hope yours will surprise us all. I will say larger Ts can take longer.
Anyway -- it's not over until it's over.
 

Magenta

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This really sucks. I've had her since she was a tiny little sling. She even survived a house fire a few years ago.
Is there anything that can be done to prevent this from happening in the future?
I'm not giving up hope yet. :)
Thanks.

ETA: I've been checking on her to see if shes made any progress and I haven't seen her move for about 6 hours.
 
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Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
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Is anything I can do? Generally, I just leave them alone, I figure any "help" I could give would only hinder them. Is there even a point where a human should intervene with a molt?
Some people have performed emergency extraction surgery, but the success stories generally involve tarantulas that are already mostly out. The prognosis would not be good for a tarantula that got stuck at the beginning of the molting process. (I attempted such an operation on my elderly Avic that was hopelessly stuck, with her jaws and most of her legs completely or partially stuck, and she passed away.)


Is there anything that can be done to prevent this from happening in the future?
The most important thing is to make sure she is adequately hydrated. You do this by providing a water dish and keeping it full. (And if she isn't going to her water dish, you can drip water into her web.)

In most cases, it's nothing the keeper did wrong. Sometimes molts just end badly.
 

Magenta

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I just checked on her and she's still moving her legs like she's trying to molt. I can't tell if the carapace has popped off yet. At this point, is she basically entombed in her old molt? Is she suffering? If she's suffering I want to humanely euthanize her. Is there any hope of her making it after this much time?
This is awful to watch. What should I do? I'm at a loss.:(
 

BC1579

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Sending good thoughts. Tell we all said "keep kicking!"

I'd hate to see one suffer, but I'd hate even more wondering if I ended it prematurely. If it were me in a similar situation, I'd want my people to let me keep fighting.

Stay positive and keep an eye on her.
 

miss moxie

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Unfortunately, Caribena/Ybyrapora/Avicularia don't typically molt on the ground. They build web tubes and molt inside of them. However, that is definitely the right positioning for molting since the legs aren't curled inward. So perhaps it is molting after all, tarantulas can do some crazy things.

What is your husbandry like? Pictures of the enclosure and a description of how you've been keeping them will help us rule out anything worse.
 

Magenta

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Unfortunately, Caribena/Ybyrapora/Avicularia don't typically molt on the ground. They build web tubes and molt inside of them. However, that is definitely the right positioning for molting since the legs aren't curled inward. So perhaps it is molting after all, tarantulas can do some crazy things.

What is your husbandry like? Pictures of the enclosure and a description of how you've been keeping them will help us rule out anything worse.

Yeah, I've never seen her molt of the ground. Her last molt was 5/27/17. She was offered an superworm(head crushed) on 9/21, and refused it.
Here's the setup for my A. metallica, which is virtually the same. Enclosure.jpg
 

miss moxie

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Hmm, the ventilation looks adequate. Do you keep the substrate dry or moist, and what are your ambient temperatures in the room you keep her in?
 

Anoplogaster

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Stay hopeful and wait it out. It would suck to unnecessarily euthanize her. Some molts can take a while. So as long as you still see movement, leave her be and hope she pulls through.
 
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Magenta

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Hmm, the ventilation looks adequate. Do you keep the substrate dry or moist, and what are your ambient temperatures in the room you keep her in?

We generally keep the temps in the low 70s. Sometimes I overflow the water dish a bit, but I mostly keep the substrate dry. I 'll also use an eye dropper to put in some water on her web.
 

miss moxie

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Welp, that all sounds right as well. Doesn't sound like anything you did wrong if that makes you feel better. Has she made any more progress?
 

miss moxie

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She is still moving, but only tiny little bits.
Well, she might be stuck in a molt or it might just be something internal. Unfortunately there isn't much known about tarantula medical problems so when we can't rule out molting or husbandry issues, we're really stabbing in the dark.

The only other thing I know that can kill a spider is impaction but I don't know much about it personally. @KezyGLA lost a tarantula recently to impaction, maybe he could offer something.
 

Magenta

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Update:
She hasn't made any progress, but she is still moving. How long can this go on? Has anyone had a tarantula take this to molt and survive?
 

Rittdk01

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^^^ I’ve never seen it turn out good after this long. I think it could be contamination or some kind of poisoning that causes these problems, rather than being stuck in a molt.

Best of luck
 

RemyZee

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Yep. I cut it out with a Dremel and hot glued it into place. :)
I’m so sorry this is happening! :( We all love our spiders, and things like this are Just gutting to watch. Hoping for the best for your baby!

Side note: super cool idea with the Gatorade feeding spout! I think I will try that, as well :)
 
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