P. metallica emergency

[the sith witch]

I have a 4 year old adult female P.met that molted about a month and a half ago. After she recovered I fed her 2 hornworms and one cricket. However, even with 2 fat worms, she didn't seem to put her pre-molt weight back on at all, which I thought odd.

2 days ago she came out of her cork tube which she usually never leaves and started ambling about which I've seen her do once year. She's been walking on the glass in an odd posture, on tip toe as if she'd been carrying prey. I've spritzed the sides of her enclosures with water but she didn't go for a drink (which seemed to have prompted the other few walkabouts).

A few minuted ago she dropped down on her side and nearly stopped moving. I was able to lift her up with tongs and she barely even twitched. I put her in a bare cricket keeper with a moist towel under her head so she could drink but still have ventilation. I know ICUs are usually seen as useless but I sincerely can't see this being anything other than dehydration and her abdomen seems a bit shriveled underneath and her legs are doing the curl

There hasn't been any changes in her enclosure and I keep a water dish in it. She's always been kept dry with the water dish with occasional misting in winter.

I'd just like to know if anyone has any other ideas about what I could do Will post pics if she makes it through the night.

 

[Charlie69]

Don't use towel, give her a water dish, in her own enclosure. Are you sure there is no leaking anywhere? Pictures plz.

 

[the sith witch]

I put her back in her enclosure with a water cap since her usual water dish is a bit too high in her state, I think she's barely holding on this morning, the legs twitch a bit but go back in the curl

Here's pictures I took, one of her in the cricket keeper, but using a light while she was in it I couldn't see any hemolymph and her abdomen was a bit wrinkly underneath but not deflated. I apologize for picture quality as I don't take them often. Also took a pic of her back in the enclosure with the water cap and of the enclosure generally if I could get tips for better poecilotheria husbandry so I don't go through that again. She's been in that enclosure for 2 years and molted with no issues several times in it.

 

[Nightstalker47]

I put her back in her enclosure with a water cap since her usual water dish is a bit too high in her state, I think she's barely holding on this morning, the legs twitch a bit but go back in the curl

Here's pictures I took, one of her in the cricket keeper, but using a light while she was in it I couldn't see any hemolymph and her abdomen was a bit wrinkly underneath but not deflated. I apologize for picture quality as I don't take them often. Also took a pic of her back in the enclosure with the water cap and of the enclosure generally if I could get tips for better poecilotheria husbandry so I don't go through that again. She's been in that enclosure for 2 years and molted with no issues several times in it.
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Your P.metallica is severely dehydrated, don't put it in an ICU, instead try to place it's mouthparts at the brim of the water dish.

If she's still lethargic and isn't showing any signs of improvement flip her over, then gently drip a few drops of water directly onto her mouthparts, hopefully she drinks, other then that there's not much else you can do.

 

[cold blood]

She's always been kept dry with the water dish with occasional misting in winter.

Pokies, while pretty drought tolerant, should actually be kept on slightly damp substrate. I'd start pouring water on the sub.

 

[the sith witch]

Alas, even when I put her on her back and put water on her mouth, she wouldn't drink and passed away ;_; She was one of my first Ts and will be remembered And I'll definitely keep any future pokie on more humid substrate.

 

[cold blood]

sorry to hear ya lost her.

 

[Formerphobe]

Sorry for your loss.
Did you see her actually eat the offered prey, or did they just disappear?
Sometimes a molt can seem to go off without a hitch, but the sucking stomach may not molt out properly. Even if they try to eat or drink, they can't. If they don't have the fortitude to push another molt, they're doomed.
I've lost two adult spiders to similar circumstances. On one, the sucking stomach appeared intact on the exuvium. But, the spider would grab prey, go through motions of eating, then leave the mutilated prey in a pile. I would see him in the water bowl frequently, appearing to drink. Apparently nothing was happening. When he appeared to be starving and dehydrated, I euthanized him.
As a mature male, he didn’t have another molt left in him.
Similar situation with my adult female P formosa.

 

[the sith witch]

That's what is mystifying me somewhat, she did eat 3 sizable meals, I think. The 2 hornworms were big (and after seeing her fangs go in, I can confirm they were also juicy) and were taken and so was one cricket. Problems with the stomach would make sense, just didn't notice mashed worm remains. I've looked into her cork tube and can't see any uneaten dead prey. But it would explain why she didn't put on any weight that I could see.

She was a very shy and lazy spider, nothing but delivery at her cork tube for her, she only went for her water dish twice that I ever saw. But didn't go to her dish or droplets on the wall when I thought she might be dehydrated the morning before she fell.

I'll miss my finicky Blue, she's the first adult I've lost. Will be hypervigillant from now on post molts on top of being more careful of humidity.