Severely Dehydrated Poecilotheria Metallica any advice?

[Ccall3]

Hi everyone, unfortunately my approximately 6 month old Poecilotheria Metallica sling is severely dehydrated. The set up contains a small water dish (which I never saw it use) and I would moist the cage almost every day. I was gone for 2 days and the substrate was dry except for some parts that were still wet. I have no clue as to why it got so dehydrated so fast, but I am fairly certain that this is whats wrong with it currently. I currently have him in a ICU in my bathroom (most constant dark place in my apartment) keeping it at 77 degrees F. When I found him today, he wasn't quite in a death curl position but very close to it and when I transferred him to the ICU he was able to stretch out his legs and move but his movement was disorientated (not movements though seen in DKS). I have yet to see him molt a since I've had him, which I do not think is normal either. What are the chances he pulls through and survives? Any advice on caring for this delicate species of tarantula? Any advice with the ICU? Thank you, any advice/feedback will be much appreciated! Can provide pictures if need be but trying not to disturb the poor guy too much as he is attempting to recover. (Btw I am referring to it as a "he" but I have not sexed the sling yet)

 

[jaycied]

Post pictures of the setup. How do you know he is dehydrated? ICU's are almost always unnecessary.

 

[cold blood]

What are the chances he pulls through and survives?

No one can answer that....its like asking what day will my fuel pump eventually go on my car.

Any advice on caring for this delicate species of tarantula?

Where did you hear this? Poecilotheria are absolutely NOT a delicate species. They tolerate dry very well, even as youngsters.

Any advice with the ICU?

Don't use it...focus on the current set up its in.

Can provide pictures if need be but trying not to disturb the poor guy too much

Pictures are critical....without them, any advice would be a wild guess. And a pic of the enclosure couldn't possibly disturb the t. Pics of the enclosure are more important than pics of the t IMO.

How big is the t? Age tells us nothing and is, in fact, a completely irrelevant fact. Size dictates everything.


They're easily kept in a 32oz deli cup with good ventilation all around, a leaned piece of wood, with the base of that wood surrounded with plants or some sort of cover. I keep them on partially damp sub, always letting it dry for days before re-moistening...always a water dish, just like you have.

 

[jaycied]

I've been keeping Pokies for awhile, and only lost one due to dehydration. Like @cold blood said, they're not delicate. I lost mine because I was on vacation, hadn't flooded the water bowl before I left, and while I was gone it molted. I'm assuming it lost a lot of fluid during the molt because I came back to a molt and a dried out spider.

We do still need to see pictures of your setup and tarantula.

 

[cold blood]

The set up contains a small water dish (which I never saw it use) and I would moist the cage almost every day. I was gone for 2 days and the substrate was dry except for some parts that were still wet

Too much moisture, especially if ventilation isn't very good, could easily be the issue. Misting the cage daily is a very poor idea....Im betting you need to let things dry out...if that's the case, an ICU would only be exacerbating a bad situation....just speculation based on the above quote.

 

[Ccall3]

Post pictures of the setup. How do you know he is dehydrated? ICU's are almost always unnecessary.

Its abdomen is extremely shriveled up. I will post pictures now

 

[Ccall3]

No one can answer that....its like asking what day will my fuel pump eventually go on my car.


Where did you hear this? Poecilotheria are absolutely NOT a delicate species. They tolerate dry very well, even as youngsters.


Don't use it...focus on the current set up its in.
Pictures are critical....without them, any advice would be a wild guess. And a pic of the enclosure couldn't possibly disturb the t. Pics of the enclosure are more important than pics of the t IMO.

How big is the t? Age tells us nothing and is, in fact, a completely irrelevant fact. Size dictates everything.


They're easily kept in a 32oz deli cup with good ventilation all around, a leaned piece of wood, with the base of that wood surrounded with plants or some sort of cover. I keep them on partially damp sub, always letting it dry for days before re-moistening...always a water dish, just like you have.

Posting pictures now

 

[Ccall3]

Too much moisture, especially if ventilation isn't very good, could easily be the issue. Misting the cage daily is a very poor idea....Im betting you need to let things dry out...if that's the case, an ICU would only be exacerbating a bad situation....just speculation based on the above quote.

I don't believe too much moisture is the issue, as the habitat was fairly dry when I got back. I am 99% dehydration is the issue but then again, I could be wrong. Posting pictures now

 

[Ccall3]

Here are the pictures of the original set up, ICU, and a zoomed in of the current state of my T

 

[cold blood]

Hard to say...its not completely dry in there...about how mine look after I dampen. The venting leaves a lot to be desired.....is it still alive?

 

[Tia B]

Here are the pictures of the original set up, ICU, and a zoomed in of the current state of my T

That T certainly doesn't look like it's still alive... If it is, it's barely so.

 

[Ccall3]

Hard to say...its not completely dry in there...about how mine look after I dampen. The venting leaves a lot to be desires.....is it still alive?

Still alive yes. I touched him not too long ago and he was able to extend some of his legs. Don't know if he's getting worse or better but at this point I guess time will tell.

 

[Ccall3]

That T certainly doesn't look like it's still alive... If it is, it's barely so.

It's still alive. I touched him about 30 minutes ago and he was able to extend some of his legs. Hoping he is getting better and will make it through the night.

 

[cold blood]

Ok, if its dehydrated to that point, the best thing to do would be to flip it on its back, and put a drop of water at the base of the fangs. If the t resists and flips over, things may not as bad as they seem. It could take a long time for the droplet to disappear, they drink very slowly.

 

[Venom1080]

I'd move it from that ICU. I keep metallica the driest out of all my pokies.

Drop water on the fangs, and give it time.

But I agree, looks like it's goijg to die.

 

[jaycied]

I'm still not sure that dehydration is the problem. I see a cricket in the enclosure, do you leave feeders in constantly with your Ts? If so, that could be stressing it out at the very least and munching on it worst case scenario. I agree with everyone above it doesn't look like he's going to make it, but hopefully he'll pull through.

 

[Ccall3]

Good news, at least so far. The ICU seems to be working, as my T appears a little better this morning. I checked on him and when he moved, the movements were more normal/coordinated. He seems to have a little more energy and his abdomen is less shriveled. I put a tiny piece of meal worm in the ICU incase he feels up to eating. Plan on taking him out of the ICU sometime tonight, as long as he continues to improve. Hopefully he really is getting better and that its not just an allusion @jaycied @Venom1080 @cold blood

 

[Ccall3]

I'm still not sure that dehydration is the problem. I see a cricket in the enclosure, do you leave feeders in constantly with your Ts? If so, that could be stressing it out at the very least and munching on it worst case scenario. I agree with everyone above it doesn't look like he's going to make it, but hopefully he'll pull through.

I have been leaving the cricket in there. Maybe i should not do that? He hasn't eaten about about 2 months and Im not quite sure what the problem is thats why I left the cricket in there because I never knew when he might get hungry, but maybe that is the issue and that the cricket was only making the issue worse. I don't know how to get him to eat though. If he pulls through, any suggestions? Heard they prefer fruit flies but not messing with those in my apartment.

 

[spookyvibes]

He hasn't eaten about about 2 months and Im not quite sure what the problem is thats why I left the cricket in there because I never knew when he might get hungry, but maybe that is the issue and that the cricket was only making the issue worse

Never leave a prey item with your tarantula. The longest it should be in there is overnight. If it isn't eaten in that timeframe, take it out. Crickets can actually harm/kill your tarantula if it's trying to molt.

 

[boina]

The ICU seems to be working, as my T appears a little better this morning.

I'm not believing that conclusion. Why ever would you get the idea that the ICU is working? Because you put it in an ICU and it seems to you it may be doing better? Ever heard of confirmation bias? Ever considered that your dying sling may just be desperately trying to get out of that thing and therefore be moving more? But that's not even it, that's just a minor point. Main point is, you put a spider in a highly unhealthy environment. What do you think it will get out of it? Moisture? You could have done that better in it's enclosure just by moistening the substrate, but from what you are saying I see no reason at all to conclude that lack of moisture was the problem to begin with.

In another thread you posted that said sling hasn't been eating for 5 months except for 2 crickets (that were actually seriously oversized if your pic is anything to go by) and hasn't molted. Then you come home one day and it looks very thin and the enclosure happens to be dry and you conclude 'dehydration'.

Other, more likely scenarios:
- The sling got attacked by one of the comparably huge crickets you left in there and sustained a microscopic, but nevertheless serious, bite wound.
- The sling is seriously malnourished and weakened because it just couldn't tackle the oversized crickets. That would explain why it couldn't molt either. This seems actually very likely.

An ICU, especially one as ridiculously wet as yours, is generally a good way to kill a spider. If you really wanted to give it water you could always drop something on his fangs. It needs to drink, not soak.