If anyone can help.....Please

[Noelle Penner]

I work at a PET store and I've done great with the Herps and Arachnids. I love my bird eater. Here's the problem I was halfway through vet school but I am by no means an Arachnid expert. I'm a snake/Lizard expert. Anyways I have an employee who loves to show stuff off to his buddies. And I came and she literally Urticulated 90 % of the bristles off her back. I know it usually grows back but it looks like it might be getting infected. I have triple antibiotic ointment but I don't know if it's okay to use on her. Please anyone who .can help me help her, please get baçk to me.

 

[Venom1080]

They get their urticating hairs back by molting. Leave the poor thing alone.

Pics of spider are needed.

 

[darkness975]

I work at a PET store and I've done great with the Herps and Arachnids. I love my bird eater. Here's the problem I was halfway through vet school but I am by no means an Arachnid expert. I'm a snake/Lizard expert. Anyways I have an employee who loves to show stuff off to his buddies. And I came and she literally Urticulated 90 % of the bristles off her back. I know it usually grows back but it looks like it might be getting infected. I have triple antibiotic ointment but I don't know if it's okay to use on her. Please anyone who .can help me help her, please get baçk to me.

Images of the specimen in question, including the Enclosure within which it lives, are needed to fully assess this situation.

Urticating setae is designed to be discharged, so flicking it in and of itself would not cause harm. They regain their urticating Setae when they next molt.

One possible theory here? It is approaching a molt and the Abdomen is darkening up as a result thus making it appear to be 'infected" given that in mammalian organisms darkening tissue is a sign of rot/infection/necrosis.

Please post images of the Spider and its Enclosure. As clear as possible.

Stop applying creme to the Spider.

 

[sasker]

And I came and she literally Urticulated 90 % of the bristles off her back.

It may be wrong, but I secretly hope that some of the hairs landed on your co-worker and that the discomfort this caused teaches him a lesson. It can be difficult to tell co-workers they are doing something wrong, especially if they are more senior than you, but he should be told not to mess with tarantulas. Perhaps you can say he is 'damaging the merchandise'. Tarantulas are no play things and your colleague is contributing to the terrible reputations that pet shop employees already have.

Welcome to Arachnoboards, by the way Stick around. There is much to be learned on this forum. Hopefully this knowledge will turn you into the exception of pet shop employees who actually know what they are selling

Edit: you are already an exception for caring enough for the tarantula to take the effort to ask a question here instead of letting it die to just throw it into the waste bin and buy other spiders to replenish your shop's stock.

 

[Walker253]

Yeah, you really need to post a pic. Usually hen the tarantula kicks all of its hairs it's gonna be bald until the next molt. As you get farther not vet school you'll learn that many human items are not really safe for animals. Good on you for asking here first.

Post some pics

 

[Noelle Penner]

Actually all animal meds are just a modification on the meds we get. Thats why they wont let recovering drug addicts dispense or even have access to meds. I know they are but they still do not teach anything about arachnids so thats why i didnt do anything until i did research and asked seasoned tarantula owners. I will take pics of her when i go to work tomorrow. I gave her a place to hide, that wasn't see through, and i changed her bright day bulb over to a red night light. She seems loads better as far as her behavior and appetite and all that, she loves her new hiding place. Im not nor have i ever claimed to be an expert with Arachnids. I have however used triple antibiotic ointment on hundreds of animals wounds, but as i said not a spider expert so im humbly asking for advise. One expert i do know said she should be fine after she molts. I just worry cause it just looks bad. The entire back of her abdomen is bald. So any advice for a worried "friend" i guess is what i am to her. She looks like shes about to molt so we'll see.

 

[Venom1080]

Baldness means basically nothing to a NW spider. It can imply stress, but it can also mean she's getting ready for a molt.

Stop applying cream. That sounds very stressful to the spider. and I can't imagine it doing anything good. These are not mammels.

Bulbs are unneeded and stressful to the animals, removing it entirely is the best course of action.

Nice to see non spider lovers trying to keep tarantulas in good shape.

 

[Noelle Penner]

Baldness means basically nothing to a NW spider. It can imply stress, but it can also mean she's getting ready for a molt.

Stop applying cream. That sounds very stressful to the spider. and I can't imagine it doing anything good. These are not mammels.

Bulbs are unneeded and stressful to the animals, removing it entirely is the best course of action.

Nice to see non spider lovers trying to keep tarantulas in good shape.

Oh i never applied anything to her wounds or even toiched them. I was just asking if it was something that was what to do. I actually took all the lights out in her display area yesterday. Boss didnt like it because he wants her on show so she can be bought. He wouldnt even let me put a do not tap on glass sticker on her case. Im doing everything i can and thank u everyone for the replies!

 

[Mojo288]

mammels

mammals .

Carry on.

 

[Venom1080]

Oh i never applied anything to her wounds or even toiched them. I was just asking if it was something that was what to do. I actually took all the lights out in her display area yesterday. Boss didnt like it because he wants her on show so she can be bought. He wouldnt even let me put a do not tap on glass sticker on her case. Im doing everything i can and thank u everyone for the replies!

Ah, that's good.
Unless the people are blind, there's no real need to put lights in for viewing.

 

[Noelle Penner]

It may be wrong, but I secretly hope that some of the hairs landed on your co-worker and that the discomfort this caused teaches him a lesson. It can be difficult to tell co-workers they are doing something wrong, especially if they are more senior than you, but he should be told not to mess with tarantulas. Perhaps you can say he is 'damaging the merchandise'. Tarantulas are no play things and your colleague is contributing to the terrible reputations that pet shop employees already have.

Welcome to Arachnoboards, by the way Stick around. There is much to be learned on this forum. Hopefully this knowledge will turn you into the exception of pet shop employees who actually know what they are selling

Edit: you are already an exception for caring enough for the tarantula to take the effort to ask a question here instead of letting it die to just throw it into the waste bin and buy other spiders to replenish your shop's stock.

Thank u and i appriciate the kind words. And the kid has been banned from my work area enless he needs to help a costomer get an animal for purchase. Ive thought about leaving this job since its just a side job but i care for each and every animal i take care of so i just cant leave them. Customers come in all the time and tell me the retiles and spiders and their enclosures look better than they have in years. I have saved many that others would have written off so thank u

 

[sasker]

I am glad that things work out with your colleague.

I have saved many that others would have written off so thank u

And thank you for showing that there is no excuse for being a bad pet shop employee. The world could do with more people like you.

 

[Anoplogaster]

It’s great to see that you are learning here from people who own and breed spiders. Most vets don’t have a clue about arachnids, nor do they really care to learn. So it’s very refreshing to see someone in the field taking the first step and caring for these awesome creatures. With that said, there is certainly a ton to learn! First advice I give people is to throw all of their animal husbandry instincts out the window and start fresh. Because the thing that tends to cause the most trouble is not understanding how different they are from just about any other animal you can keep. So who knows? Your curiosity and care for these animals might just become a passion for you Hope to see you around on this forum more!