Penguin
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2017
- Messages
- 25
Hi everyone. I recently had necropsies performed on 4 of my jumpers. Let me explain a little before i get to that.
I raise captive bred regal jumping spiders, my facebook page dedicated to them can be veiwed here: https://www.facebook.com/Opheliathemonster/
About a year ago i started having an issue with many of them coming down with some sort of sickness. This was after i moved back to NJ from Florida where i began keeping them. Never had i had this issue with them while i was living there. But once i left, this ailment nearly wiped all my jumpers out twice!
They developed symptoms that could be lumped into the dks category, though they were a bit different then the videos i have seen of infected Ts. It started out with a twitch here and there but progressed over a few weeks. They stopped eating, drinking, defacating....thhey would start walking in jerky movements and eventually went into spasms. They would lay on their backs a lot, not sure if it was because they were too weak to turn over or if it was because that was the only way they could get relief from the spasms. The stopped moving their pedipalps and would keep clenching thier chelicarae. Very upsetting to watch. Occasionally i would be able to hand feed, or get them to drink water, but even the ones who showed improvement died. My first experience with this was last summer. I lost many adult regius, a few adult otiosis, and an entir clutch of regius slings. Then it stopped. After doing research o came to believe it was due to essential oils, as my family had them being diffused into the air compulsively, in like every room of the house. So we got rid of them. In the mean time i contacted exotic vets and etymologists but nobody had any info for me except dks.
But i thought the issue was gone as i went on to raise several clutches to adulthood. But then aboiut 2 months ago this same issue came around again. It was like the mysterious spider plague. Killed pff many of my adult regius, otiosis, my whole otiosis clutch, and.......dammit my hyllus diardi.
Interestingly enough, while it affected so many, there were many that remained fine. Which puzzled me.
So finally i ended up getting in touch with a vet who located a zoo pathologist who specializes in arachnids. They sent me a preservative to put my infected spiders in as soon as they passed.
I sent them 4 of them and they performed necropsies on them. Here is what i got back (this had to be cut and pasted btw)
Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service
6020 Rutland Drive #14
Carmichael CA 95608-0515
www.zooexotic.com
Doctor: Johnson
Clinic: Avian & Exotic Animal Care
8711 Fidelity Boulevard
Raleigh, NC 27617
Client: -
Date: June 28, 2018
Access: V181439
Species: Jumping spiders
Breed: Spiders
Sex: Female
Name: -
Age: -
Type: Post mortem jar
CLINICAL INFORMATION
There have been increased deaths among spiders that exhibit some neurologic clinical signs.
Four spiders are submitted: Subadult female Phidippus regius (Block A, blue thread); juvenile
female Hyllus diardi (Block B, yellow thread); adult female Phidippus regius (Block C, red
thread); and adult female regius (Block D, no thread, separate container).
MICROSCOPIC
Examined are sections of the spiders. The identified tissues may not be present in all sections
either due to autolysis or level of sectioning. These include skeletal muscle, particularly of the
limbs, heme lymph, exoskeleton, digestive organ, ovary (in varying stages of development),
digestive tube at different levels, book lungs, nerve bundles, hearts, eye, and Malpighian tubules.
Book lungs, Malpighian tubules, and neuro tissue are best identified on Block C.
Numerous bacteria, which are rod-shaped structures, can be identified on Block C and associated
with the degenerative gland and identified in the heme lymph. These are associated with areas of
significant cellular autolysis although the remainder of the tissues is well preserved. In Block D,
the digestive gland is supporting some variably-sized 3-4-µ round pale basophilic and rarely
eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions within the larger cells with basophilic cytoplasm. Similar
cytoplasmic inclusions could be identified in the well-preserved section of digestive gland in
Block B. I am interpreting this as normal. Coocobacillus bacteria are also identified within the
tissues of Block A, especially the digestive gland.
DIAGNOSIS
SPIDER BLOCKS A AND C: BACTERIAL PROLIFERATIONS
COMMENT
Multiple sections are examined of all four spiders. They are variably preserved with the
exception of some areas of the skeletal muscle (all spiders) and in ‘blue thread’ Block A spider
where there are large numbers of bacteria (cocci to coccobacillus) proliferating throughout the
digestive gland within the body. Bacteria, which are longer rod-shaped organisms, are identified
in the heme lymph and digestive organ of ‘no thread separate container’ Block C spider. I am
not seeing fungal organisms or metazoan parasites in the tissue sections of these spiders. The
exoskeleton appears intact in all of the spiders. Bacterial infections have been described in a
CONTINUED
V181439 Page 2
Number of arachnid as well as other insect species such as stick insects. The exact identity of
these bacteria is not determined. Culture may be helpful in identifying a bacterium in other
affected spiders. I suggest collection of the heme lymph from distal leg joints to prevent
contamination from the intestinal flora. In references some bacteria that have been identified in
spiders include Bacillus species; however, it is suspected that these may be related to husbandry
issues such as changes in humidity.
DRURY R. REAVILL, DVM
DABVP (Avian and Reptile & Amphibian Practice)
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathologists
DRR:br* Q2 KW infection (bacteria)
So it appears they werw suffering from some sort of bacterial contamination. For them to find out thr exact strain will require more research. They also said there may be a way to treat it but to do this i would have to get the spider to drink the medicine, (if i can even afford such a thing) but by the time they show any definite signs of illness they refuse food and water....
If anyone can get anything out of this report and offer any suggestions as to either treatment or prevention, or any ideas on the cause.... i would greatly appreciate it. I have made a few adjustments as far as how i feed and store my feeders, and removed certain objects from their enclosures, and got springtails to put in with them, but is there anything else i should or should not be doing?
I raise captive bred regal jumping spiders, my facebook page dedicated to them can be veiwed here: https://www.facebook.com/Opheliathemonster/
About a year ago i started having an issue with many of them coming down with some sort of sickness. This was after i moved back to NJ from Florida where i began keeping them. Never had i had this issue with them while i was living there. But once i left, this ailment nearly wiped all my jumpers out twice!
They developed symptoms that could be lumped into the dks category, though they were a bit different then the videos i have seen of infected Ts. It started out with a twitch here and there but progressed over a few weeks. They stopped eating, drinking, defacating....thhey would start walking in jerky movements and eventually went into spasms. They would lay on their backs a lot, not sure if it was because they were too weak to turn over or if it was because that was the only way they could get relief from the spasms. The stopped moving their pedipalps and would keep clenching thier chelicarae. Very upsetting to watch. Occasionally i would be able to hand feed, or get them to drink water, but even the ones who showed improvement died. My first experience with this was last summer. I lost many adult regius, a few adult otiosis, and an entir clutch of regius slings. Then it stopped. After doing research o came to believe it was due to essential oils, as my family had them being diffused into the air compulsively, in like every room of the house. So we got rid of them. In the mean time i contacted exotic vets and etymologists but nobody had any info for me except dks.
But i thought the issue was gone as i went on to raise several clutches to adulthood. But then aboiut 2 months ago this same issue came around again. It was like the mysterious spider plague. Killed pff many of my adult regius, otiosis, my whole otiosis clutch, and.......dammit my hyllus diardi.
Interestingly enough, while it affected so many, there were many that remained fine. Which puzzled me.
So finally i ended up getting in touch with a vet who located a zoo pathologist who specializes in arachnids. They sent me a preservative to put my infected spiders in as soon as they passed.
I sent them 4 of them and they performed necropsies on them. Here is what i got back (this had to be cut and pasted btw)
Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service
6020 Rutland Drive #14
Carmichael CA 95608-0515
www.zooexotic.com
Doctor: Johnson
Clinic: Avian & Exotic Animal Care
8711 Fidelity Boulevard
Raleigh, NC 27617
Client: -
Date: June 28, 2018
Access: V181439
Species: Jumping spiders
Breed: Spiders
Sex: Female
Name: -
Age: -
Type: Post mortem jar
CLINICAL INFORMATION
There have been increased deaths among spiders that exhibit some neurologic clinical signs.
Four spiders are submitted: Subadult female Phidippus regius (Block A, blue thread); juvenile
female Hyllus diardi (Block B, yellow thread); adult female Phidippus regius (Block C, red
thread); and adult female regius (Block D, no thread, separate container).
MICROSCOPIC
Examined are sections of the spiders. The identified tissues may not be present in all sections
either due to autolysis or level of sectioning. These include skeletal muscle, particularly of the
limbs, heme lymph, exoskeleton, digestive organ, ovary (in varying stages of development),
digestive tube at different levels, book lungs, nerve bundles, hearts, eye, and Malpighian tubules.
Book lungs, Malpighian tubules, and neuro tissue are best identified on Block C.
Numerous bacteria, which are rod-shaped structures, can be identified on Block C and associated
with the degenerative gland and identified in the heme lymph. These are associated with areas of
significant cellular autolysis although the remainder of the tissues is well preserved. In Block D,
the digestive gland is supporting some variably-sized 3-4-µ round pale basophilic and rarely
eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions within the larger cells with basophilic cytoplasm. Similar
cytoplasmic inclusions could be identified in the well-preserved section of digestive gland in
Block B. I am interpreting this as normal. Coocobacillus bacteria are also identified within the
tissues of Block A, especially the digestive gland.
DIAGNOSIS
SPIDER BLOCKS A AND C: BACTERIAL PROLIFERATIONS
COMMENT
Multiple sections are examined of all four spiders. They are variably preserved with the
exception of some areas of the skeletal muscle (all spiders) and in ‘blue thread’ Block A spider
where there are large numbers of bacteria (cocci to coccobacillus) proliferating throughout the
digestive gland within the body. Bacteria, which are longer rod-shaped organisms, are identified
in the heme lymph and digestive organ of ‘no thread separate container’ Block C spider. I am
not seeing fungal organisms or metazoan parasites in the tissue sections of these spiders. The
exoskeleton appears intact in all of the spiders. Bacterial infections have been described in a
CONTINUED
V181439 Page 2
Number of arachnid as well as other insect species such as stick insects. The exact identity of
these bacteria is not determined. Culture may be helpful in identifying a bacterium in other
affected spiders. I suggest collection of the heme lymph from distal leg joints to prevent
contamination from the intestinal flora. In references some bacteria that have been identified in
spiders include Bacillus species; however, it is suspected that these may be related to husbandry
issues such as changes in humidity.
DRURY R. REAVILL, DVM
DABVP (Avian and Reptile & Amphibian Practice)
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathologists
DRR:br* Q2 KW infection (bacteria)
So it appears they werw suffering from some sort of bacterial contamination. For them to find out thr exact strain will require more research. They also said there may be a way to treat it but to do this i would have to get the spider to drink the medicine, (if i can even afford such a thing) but by the time they show any definite signs of illness they refuse food and water....
If anyone can get anything out of this report and offer any suggestions as to either treatment or prevention, or any ideas on the cause.... i would greatly appreciate it. I have made a few adjustments as far as how i feed and store my feeders, and removed certain objects from their enclosures, and got springtails to put in with them, but is there anything else i should or should not be doing?
