The Dreaded Death Curl

JoP

Arachnosquire
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Aug 26, 2017
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102
Hi all,

As the title suggests, when I got home from work this evening, I noticed my beloved little C. elegans sling was up on top of her substrate, instead of in her burrow (where she usually is). She wasn't fully curled up, but also had her legs slightly "scrunched" in around her, and wasn't moving much at all. I honestly thought she was dead until I gently touched her with a paintbrush and she moved, but she barely moved, and even let me gently lift her with the paintbrush (she usually flees if touched). I immediately gave her some water and left her be, and noticed a few minutes later that she had moved into her burrow, which could be a good sign, or could just mean that she wanted to get away from the water.

I know there's not much that can be done for a T in trouble, but if anybody has any tips to offer, I'll take them. I love her and will do anything I can to keep her alive. I know ICUs are a no-go, but I'm not sure if there's anything else I can do besides giving her a little water and hoping for the best. :(
 

PidderPeets

Arachnoprince
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Continue to offer water. Did it have a constant supply of water beforehand, or were you just adding droplets/wetting the substrate occasionally? If it didn't have a water bowl before, I would add one. You could also offer a prekilled feeder that's mostly liquid, such as a cut up mealworm, superworm, waxworm, etc.

Since it was able to move back to its burrow, that should be a good sign. Hopefully you caught it in time
 

JoP

Arachnosquire
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Aug 26, 2017
Messages
102
Continue to offer water. Did it have a constant supply of water beforehand, or were you just adding droplets/wetting the substrate occasionally? If it didn't have a water bowl before, I would add one. You could also offer a prekilled feeder that's mostly liquid, such as a cut up mealworm, superworm, waxworm, etc.

Since it was able to move back to its burrow, that should be a good sign. Hopefully you caught it in time
I hope so! She was super weak when I first checked on her, so seeing any sign of her being able to move herself seems positive. She has a water bowl, but has buried it completely under substrate and then built and webbed tunnels around it, so I've been wetting the substrate to provide hydration. Basically the water bowl is the center of the sling's entire tunnel/burrow system, so uncovering it would essentially mean bulldozing the entire enclosure, which I was reluctant to do tonight with her being in the state she's in. I've also been providing her with hydration in this manner for a while with no problems (several molts have gone by successfully). However, I'm going to offer a cut up feeder now and see if that helps her pull through tonight. If she's doing any better tomorrow, would rehousing into a new enclosure with a water bowl be a good choice? On the one hand, I'd like to provide her with additional access to water, but on the other hand, I don't want to stress her by throwing her into a completely unfamiliar environment when she's already unwell.
 

PidderPeets

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I hope so! She was super weak when I first checked on her, so seeing any sign of her being able to move herself seems positive. She has a water bowl, but has buried it completely under substrate and then built and webbed tunnels around it, so I've been wetting the substrate to provide hydration. Basically the water bowl is the center of the sling's entire tunnel/burrow system, so uncovering it would essentially mean bulldozing the entire enclosure, which I was reluctant to do tonight with her being in the state she's in. I've also been providing her with hydration in this manner for a while with no problems (several molts have gone by successfully). However, I'm going to offer a cut up feeder now and see if that helps her pull through tonight. If she's doing any better tomorrow, would rehousing into a new enclosure with a water bowl be a good choice? On the one hand, I'd like to provide her with additional access to water, but on the other hand, I don't want to stress her by throwing her into a completely unfamiliar environment when she's already unwell.
Are you by chance able to fit a second water bowl in the enclosure? Of you could add a second one, you could leave her in the enclosure without tearing it up to dig up the other bowwl. My G. pulchripes seems to think it's her life's purpose to bulldoze and flip her water bowls. No matter how many times I righted it, refilled it, and no matter how much she didn't like the soaked substrate it caused. After constantly battling with her, I finally resigned and just left her bowl flipped and added a second one. That one would last significantly longer before she would flip it, and so she actually had access to water. So if it's possible, I would add a second bowl
 

JoP

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Are you by chance able to fit a second water bowl in the enclosure? Of you could add a second one, you could leave her in the enclosure without tearing it up to dig up the other bowwl. My G. pulchripes seems to think it's her life's purpose to bulldoze and flip her water bowls. No matter how many times I righted it, refilled it, and no matter how much she didn't like the soaked substrate it caused. After constantly battling with her, I finally resigned and just left her bowl flipped and added a second one. That one would last significantly longer before she would flip it, and so she actually had access to water. So if it's possible, I would add a second bowl
I can try. Not sure how well it'll fit just because the way she tunneled and webbed the substrate together almost formed a little solid mound that takes up the entire enclosure, with her tunnels carved into it. Hard to explain, but the best I'll be able to do without bulldozing the whole thing is just try to plunk a water dish on top of her substrate "mound" (or rehouse her). Obviously I'd rather rehouse her and risk stressing her out but keep her alive than watch her die.
 

Theneil

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For most of my smaller enclosuredni use bottle caps for water dishes and i have given up on digging them out. i just put a new one on the top. of the burried one.

Maybe we could start a contest. se who can get the tallest tower of webbed over water dishes. :p
 

boina

Lady of the mites
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I have several Ts who emptied out their water dish and made it a structural component of their web. Especially Harpactirinae seem to be masters at this game, but my Hapalopus is definitely going for second place. They just get a new water dish...and another one...and another one :penguin:
 

JoP

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I have several Ts who emptied out their water dish and made it a structural component of their web. Especially Harpactirinae seem to be masters at this game, but my Hapalopus is definitely going for second place. They just get a new water dish...and another one...and another one :penguin:

I ended up transferring her into an entirely new enclosure, complete with a new water dish and significantly moistened substrate. Made sure to keep the sub under her moist, and I dripped some "bug soup" onto her fangs last night to give her nutrients. Surprisingly, 2 days later, she has regained quite a bit of her strength and is acting more like herself. Only time will tell, but she's definitely improving, so the TLC is working!

FWIW, she displayed no signs of dehydration/malnutrition - her abdomen was plump when I found her looking lifeless (and is still plump), so I have absolutely no idea what caused her symptoms.
 

JoP

Arachnosquire
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Update: after 3 days of being doted on by me, the sling is doing much better. She’s back to showing energy and being skittish, and I even caught her eating a mealworm chunk on her own this morning!

Still keeping her enclosure quarantined far away from my other slings just in case, but I’m more optimistic now that she might fully recover!
 
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