Concerned About My Young Pinktoe Tarantula

[Feverfew]

I've never actually used this forum, so I'm sorry if I'm doing this wrong-

Lately my pinktoe tarantula has been very sluggish, her colors have dulled, and she refused to eat. At first I thought it could just be premolt behavior but I started to notice that something was clearly wrong. Her movements became very uncoordinated, she could no longer lift her own body weight, and a clear fluid was leaking from her anus. Instead of hiding in her web like she usually does, she sat right out in the open, which was unusual. Her grip was very loose and she was very weak. She seemed stressed, as she was covering her head with her knees. (She crouched down and hid herself underneath her legs.)

I put her in ICU and I checked on her last night and found her in what appeared to be a death curl. I tried getting a response out of her and I eventually got her pedipalps to twitch, then her six front legs. Her two back legs remained still. I don't know what could've happened to her since she always stays in her terrarium and it's kept quite clean. I checked for mites, injuries, etc, but I couldn't find anything. I believe she may have been given a parasite or a disease by one of her feeder crickets, since that's the only explanation I can think of for this situation... I checked on her this morning, but she remained unresponsive. When I pick her up, her abdomen is limp and her legs dangle. I'm unsure as to whether or not she is dead, since her limbs are still moveable. Though, I've never encountered a dead tarantula before.

Has anyone ever had anything like this happen? Does anyone have any ideas on what could've caused this, and is there anything that can be done if she's still alive??

Thank you.

 

[EtienneN]

I've never actually used this forum, so I'm sorry if I'm doing this wrong-

Lately my pinktoe tarantula has been very sluggish, her colors have dulled, and she refused to eat. At first I thought it could just be premolt behavior but I started to notice that something was clearly wrong. Her movements became very uncoordinated, she could no longer lift her own body weight, and a clear fluid was leaking from her anus. Instead of hiding in her web like she usually does, she sat right out in the open, which was unusual. Her grip was very loose and she was very weak. She seemed stressed, as she was covering her head with her knees. (She crouched down and hid herself underneath her legs.)

I put her in ICU and I checked on her last night and found her in what appeared to be a death curl. I tried getting a response out of her and I eventually got her pedipalps to twitch, then her six front legs. Her two back legs remained still. I don't know what could've happened to her since she always stays in her terrarium and it's kept quite clean. I checked for mites, injuries, etc, but I couldn't find anything. I believe she may have been given a parasite or a disease by one of her feeder crickets, since that's the only explanation I can think of for this situation... I checked on her this morning, but she remained unresponsive. When I pick her up, her abdomen is limp and her legs dangle. I'm unsure as to whether or not she is dead, since her limbs are still moveable. Though, I've never encountered a dead tarantula before.

Has anyone ever had anything like this happen? Does anyone have any ideas on what could've caused this, and is there anything that can be done if she's still alive??

Thank you.

I'm very sorry for the loss of your spider. Unfortunately, situations like this are often made worse by people getting the wrong (mis)information about care requirements. ICUs are death traps for Ts. They were "invented" decades ago, when people didn't know anything about tarantula physiology. It sounds like yours could have internally ruptured its abdomen after taking a fall. When they are in premoult the setae on their foot pads wear down and they can't grip as good. Also, how were you keeping it? Petshops still tell people who purchase these creatures to "mist and offer high humidity" but nothing kills them faster in captivity. It sounds like the T is definitely gone now. Avics are known for dying with "loose" legs. Perhaps, you can try again with a new one and make sure you are getting your information from places like here.

 

[Feverfew]

I'm very sorry for the loss of your spider. Unfortunately, situations like this are often made worse by people getting the wrong (mis)information about care requirements. ICUs are death traps for Ts. They were "invented" decades ago, when people didn't know anything about tarantula physiology. It sounds like yours could have internally ruptured its abdomen after taking a fall. When they are in premoult the setae on their foot pads wear down and they can't grip as good. Also, how were you keeping it? Petshops still tell people who purchase these creatures to "mist and offer high humidity" but nothing kills them faster in captivity. It sounds like the T is definitely gone now. Avics are known for dying with "loose" legs. Perhaps, you can try again with a new one and make sure you are getting your information from places like here.

The ICU didn't have too much water, the towels were only lightly dampened because I didn't want water to interfere with her book lungs. I rarely misted her terrarium and her water was given to her in a water dish with paper towels (the water and towls were replaced often). She has a tall terrarium specifically for arboreal species, the water dish was at the base and she would climb down to drink. I made sure to keep the terrarium clean and not leave uneaten crickets in the terrarium for longer than a day. I was worried that she may have fallen, but I hadn't seen any injuries that could've proved it...Though, I guess the injuries were internal, like you said. It's unfortunate that information about ICUs is still out there, as I wouldn't have put her in it if I had known it could be dangerous. Thank you so much for the information. I'm planning to get another tarantula eventually. Hopefully something like this won't happen again.

 

[Garth Vader]

I'm sorry about your T.

 

[Nightstalker47]

I've never actually used this forum, so I'm sorry if I'm doing this wrong-

Lately my pinktoe tarantula has been very sluggish, her colors have dulled, and she refused to eat. At first I thought it could just be premolt behavior but I started to notice that something was clearly wrong. Her movements became very uncoordinated, she could no longer lift her own body weight, and a clear fluid was leaking from her anus. Instead of hiding in her web like she usually does, she sat right out in the open, which was unusual. Her grip was very loose and she was very weak. She seemed stressed, as she was covering her head with her knees. (She crouched down and hid herself underneath her legs.)

I put her in ICU and I checked on her last night and found her in what appeared to be a death curl. I tried getting a response out of her and I eventually got her pedipalps to twitch, then her six front legs. Her two back legs remained still. I don't know what could've happened to her since she always stays in her terrarium and it's kept quite clean. I checked for mites, injuries, etc, but I couldn't find anything. I believe she may have been given a parasite or a disease by one of her feeder crickets, since that's the only explanation I can think of for this situation... I checked on her this morning, but she remained unresponsive. When I pick her up, her abdomen is limp and her legs dangle. I'm unsure as to whether or not she is dead, since her limbs are still moveable. Though, I've never encountered a dead tarantula before.

Has anyone ever had anything like this happen? Does anyone have any ideas on what could've caused this, and is there anything that can be done if she's still alive??

Thank you.

ICU's should only to be used as a last ditch effort in cases of extreme dehydration. They wont cure symptoms of DKS, or impacted specimens...its really just a means to re-hydrate quickly.

You can always share a picture of your former setup, and we can double check that everything was right. Sometimes losses will happen with little to no explanation.

 

[Crone Returns]

Yeah, we need pictures of the enclosure as well as the T. Avics need a lot of cross ventilation, or it'll get too stale&/or wet.
I really wish the ICU myth could be exploded.
I'm sorry about your T.

 

[Feverfew]

ICU's should only to be used as a last ditch effort in cases of extreme dehydration. They wont cure symptoms of DKS, or impacted specimens...its really just a means to re-hydrate quickly.

You can always share a picture of your former setup, and we can double check that everything was right. Sometimes losses will happen with little to no explanation.

Of course! She has a coconut fiber substrate with some peat moss here and there, a few branches for climbing and some bark for her to hide behind. Her favorite spot was right up at the top where she put her web (it's gotten quite dirty from how long she's been using it). The water dish has a fresh, damp paper towel. The substrate was replaced about a month ago and it's been about a week since I last cleaned the glass; I only clean the glass by scrubbing it with water and drying it afterwards. My water comes from a well, since my house has septic, so I don't think there's anything I have to worry about in the water.
I want my spiders to be happy and safe, so thank you for any advice you may have for me!

 

[darkness975]

It is better for them to have a plain water dish without any paper towels or anything else in there that will get in the way and obstruct them from sucking the liquid up. Tarantulas won't drown.

There is a lack of plant cover on the top, which Avic spp. use for webbing and such.

Do you have any images of the spider @Feverfew ?

 

[Feverfew]

It is better for them to have a plain water dish without any paper towels or anything else in there that will get in the way and obstruct them from sucking the liquid up. Tarantulas won't drown.

There is a lack of plant cover on the top, which Avic spp. use for webbing and such.

Do you have any images of the spider @Feverfew ?

I've been planning on getting some kind of plant, but I could never find one suitable enough, as plants don't tend to do very well in my home.. Would fake plants for reptile enclosures be alright? And thank you for the advice on the water dish. I'll be sure to leave it plain in the future.

Do you need an image of the spider after death? I can take a picture of her for you now if you'd like, but I don't have any recent pictures of her from before her death.

 

[darkness975]

I've been planning on getting some kind of plant, but I could never find one suitable enough, as plants don't tend to do very well in my home.. Would fake plants for reptile enclosures be alright? And thank you for the advice on the water dish. I'll be sure to leave it plain in the future.

Do you need an image of the spider after death? I can take a picture of her for you now if you'd like, but I don't have any recent pictures of her from before her death.

Any images you can post that would help in identifying anything that may be noticeable to us.

Regarding plants - artificial plants are a much better choice for Tarantula enclosures by a long shot. Live plants need light, food, water, etc. etc. All that fussing and light is not in the best interest of the spider.

Also, I meant to say this above, but I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Feverfew]

Any images you can post that would help in identifying anything that may be noticeable to us.

Regarding plants - artificial plants are a much better choice for Tarantula enclosures by a long shot. Live plants need light, food, water, etc. etc. All that fussing and light is not in the best interest of the spider.

Also, I meant to say this above, but I am sorry for your loss.

Thank you.

I just took some images for you. The leaking I mentioned at the beginning of this thread has stopped, and her limbs are still moveable- I'm not sure if that's normal for tarantula deaths or not, since this is my first time dealing with a dead tarantula. Though, I read that it's pretty common for their bodies to be pretty limp after death... Right now she's entirely limp. While picking her up to take the photos, a small amount of webbing came from her spinnerets and stuck onto my hand. She's still completely unresponsive, but I wasn't sure if tarantulas could web at all after death, so I thought I'd mention it just in case. Which reminds me, before her death, she was webbing quite a bit. Every time she walked around or when I held her, she laid down some webbing.

About the plants- I'll make sure to get some fake plants for the terrarium next time I'm able to. Thanks for the advice!

 

[darkness975]

Thank you.

I just took some images for you. The leaking I mentioned at the beginning of this thread has stopped, and her limbs are still moveable- I'm not sure if that's normal for tarantula deaths or not, since this is my first time dealing with a dead tarantula. Though, I read that it's pretty common for their bodies to be pretty limp after death... Right now she's entirely limp. While picking her up to take the photos, a small amount of webbing came from her spinnerets and stuck onto my hand. She's still completely unresponsive, but I wasn't sure if tarantulas could web at all after death, so I thought I'd mention it just in case. Which reminds me, before her death, she was webbing quite a bit. Every time she walked around or when I held her, she laid down some webbing.

About the plants- I'll make sure to get some fake plants for the terrarium next time I'm able to. Thanks for the advice!

For future reference handling them is not a good idea. There are a lot of risks in doing so and they're not worth it.

I personally don't see anything immediately noticeable on the Spider, though others will definitely chime in since I am on my phone and likely can't see them clearly.

Falling related injuries are not as much of a factor for arboreals but it can still happen.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

For future reference handling them is not a good idea. There are a lot of risks in doing so and they're not worth it.

But the tarantula is dead, what damage is handling going to do to a dead spider? I mean it's always good to advise people against handling but there isn't much damage to be done now.

 

[darkness975]

But the tarantula is dead, what damage is handling going to do to a dead spider? I mean it's always good to advise people against handling but there isn't much damage to be done now.

I haven't slept. I thought I had read that you were handling it pre - death. My mistake.

Even though it is dead you should still be careful of the urticating setae on the exoskeleton. Be sure to thoroughly wash hands after handling.

 

[darkness975]

@Mark Q what is your disagreement?

 

[Vanessa]

@Mark Q what is your disagreement?

Seriously? You're digging up a dead Avic thread that is six months old over a disagree rating? Are people that desperate to start an argument? Let it go already.

 

[darkness975]

Seriously? You're digging up a dead Avic thread that is six months old over a disagree rating? Are people that desperate to start an argument? Let it go already.

I am not seeking an argument, though your tone suggests you may be. I am merely inquiring as to the reason for which he disagreed with my statement. It would be of benefit to others to see what was originally written and then what the reply is. That is one of the benefits of a discussion forum such as this. You are able to get different points of view on a topic.

 

[NolanRobertsIntrovert]

I've never actually used this forum, so I'm sorry if I'm doing this wrong-

Lately my pinktoe tarantula has been very sluggish, her colors have dulled, and she refused to eat. At first I thought it could just be premolt behavior but I started to notice that something was clearly wrong. Her movements became very uncoordinated, she could no longer lift her own body weight, and a clear fluid was leaking from her anus. Instead of hiding in her web like she usually does, she sat right out in the open, which was unusual. Her grip was very loose and she was very weak. She seemed stressed, as she was covering her head with her knees. (She crouched down and hid herself underneath her legs.)

I put her in ICU and I checked on her last night and found her in what appeared to be a death curl. I tried getting a response out of her and I eventually got her pedipalps to twitch, then her six front legs. Her two back legs remained still. I don't know what could've happened to her since she always stays in her terrarium and it's kept quite clean. I checked for mites, injuries, etc, but I couldn't find anything. I believe she may have been given a parasite or a disease by one of her feeder crickets, since that's the only explanation I can think of for this situation... I checked on her this morning, but she remained unresponsive. When I pick her up, her abdomen is limp and her legs dangle. I'm unsure as to whether or not she is dead, since her limbs are still moveable. Though, I've never encountered a dead tarantula before.

Has anyone ever had anything like this happen? Does anyone have any ideas on what could've caused this, and is there anything that can be done if she's still alive??

Thank you.

She could be in premolt
Usually when a tarantula in premolt
It will refuse food and the skin gets blacker and duller
Remove all uneaten prey or else those crickets will be like GET IN MY BELLY to that molting tarantula, make sure she has a water dish with clean water at all times!

 

[TriMac33]

She could be in premolt
Usually when a tarantula in premolt
It will refuse food and the skin gets blacker and duller
Remove all uneaten prey or else those crickets will be like GET IN MY BELLY to that molting tarantula, make sure she has a water dish with clean water at all times!

It helps to look at the date the thread was originally posted. This was from April and this spider passed away back then...