Wobbly B. hamorii

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
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Nov 7, 2018
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498
So I've entered panic levels of worry about my B. hamorii. This Tuesday will be 2 weeks that I've had her and I thought she's settled in fairly well. In that time I have never seen her move aside from when I rehoused her and other than that I've been calling her the teleporter since I don't see her move, she just ends up in a new place.

Cut to today and I'm listening to some music and I moved her house to refill her water and she didn't even flinch, compared to my other two Ts who would much rather I never moved their houses. After a little while she was in a new spot and I was determined to see her move again so I sat and watched paint dry for a good 15-20 minutes and when she did move my heart sank. She got onto her tiptoes and wobbled, like she was on stilts and didn't quite know how to work them. She moved over a little and settled down closer to the ground. When she moved again, she still looked a little wobbly.

It kind of looked like what a T does when they happy dance, all on her tiptoes and swaying, but she was walking and she definitely hasn't eaten. Now I'm panicking that the jewel of my trio is showing early dyskinesia. She also doesn't seem to respond to any outside stimuli, when I pick her house up and move it she doesn't react, she didn't react when we tried to feed her Thursday. I thought this was just her little quirk but now I'm worried sick that it's got something to do with her wobbly movement.

I've been trying to get a video but of course now that I'm worried, she isn't moving at all.
 

Nightstalker47

Arachnoking
Joined
Jul 2, 2016
Messages
2,612
Your describing the symptoms of DKS, it may get better or worse with time. Unfortunately, theres pretty much nothing you can do other then wait it out.

Best of luck, sometimes the symptoms will subside completely in a molt or two.
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
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Nov 7, 2018
Messages
498
Your describing the symptoms of DKS, it may get better or worse with time. Unfortunately, theres pretty much nothing you can do other then wait it out.

Best of luck, sometimes the symptoms will subside completely in a molt or two.
That's what I was afraid of. Thanks, Nightstalker.

Should I isolate her from my other spiders? She isn't right next to them but should I keep her away from them?
 

EtienneN

Arachno-enigma
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Jul 15, 2017
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1,038
Sounds like there was something possibly wrong with the feeders and/or living conditions of the T before you got her. The fact that she can move at all is probably a good thing. Ts with severe dyskinesia can’t move/control their legs enough to move properly. There is nothing to be done but watch and wait, moulting can make the condition go away. Make sure your T has lots of water available.
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
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Nov 7, 2018
Messages
498
Sounds like there was something possibly wrong with the feeders and/or living conditions of the T before you got her. The fact that she can move at all is probably a good thing. Ts with severe dyskinesia can’t move/control their legs enough to move properly. There is nothing to be done but watch and wait, moulting can make the condition go away. Make sure your T has lots of water available.
The water dish she has now is a bit shallow (she's my smallest T so she got the smaller dish), should I add a second one?
 

EtienneN

Arachno-enigma
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The water dish she has now is a bit shallow (she's my smallest T so she got the smaller dish), should I add a second one?
I think I would if I were you. It’ll cut the distance she needs to travel to get to the water and since dehydration can happen in sick/deconditioned tarantulas it should help your T get enough to drink.
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
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Nov 7, 2018
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498
I think I would if I were you. It’ll cut the distance she needs to travel to get to the water and since dehydration can happen in sick/deconditioned tarantulas it should help your T get enough to drink.
Thank you, I'll be off to get her a new dish asap.

I was looking for this thread but couldn't find it, thank you MintyWood. This is probably worth trying, yeah? I'm so lost and clueless right now I can't believe this is happening.
 

Yorkshire

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 5, 2017
Messages
15
Maybe jumping the gun on the DKS diagnosis there.

New spider, new enclosure? Is it not possible that it's just laying down some webbing? Since that's essentially what the happy dance is.
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
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Jul 19, 2016
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4,835
Now I'm panicking that the jewel of my trio is showing early dyskinesia.
Sorry but I'm happy someone finally used the correct term for it.

What you're describing doesn't seem like dyskinesia to me though. Tarantulas with dyskinesia tend to spaz out when you disturb them or the enclosure and the movements are generally rapid and jerky rather than a "clumsy happy dance". I'll add that before my hamorii moulted out into a psycho she was practically catatonic so the thing about not responding doesn't seem entirely unusual to me either.

Keep an eye on it and make sure it has water available but I don't think there is any cause for panic.
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
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Maybe jumping the gun on the DKS diagnosis there.

New spider, new enclosure? Is it not possible that it's just laying down some webbing? Since that's essentially what the happy dance is.
Well I hope I'm jumping the gun..I didn't see any spinneret activity when I noticed the wobbly movement, but she has webbed a bit in her house. Accidentally pulled some of it up today when I added a water dish.

Sorry but I'm happy someone finally used the correct term for it.

What you're describing doesn't seem like dyskinesia to me though. Tarantulas with dyskinesia tend to spaz out when you disturb them or the enclosure and the movements are generally rapid and jerky rather than a "clumsy happy dance". I'll add that before my hamorii moulted out into a psycho she was practically catatonic so the thing about not responding doesn't seem entirely unusual to me either.

Keep an eye on it and make sure it has water available but I don't think there is any cause for panic.
I specifically said the right term with you in mind! That is good to know about your catatonic hamorii though because that's basically how mine is. She's got extra access to water now, but that's not gonna make the enclosure too moist for her is it? She's kept in a KK style enclosure.
 

The Grym Reaper

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I specifically said the right term with you in mind! That is good to know about your catatonic hamorii though because that's basically how mine is. She's got extra access to water now, but that's not gonna make the enclosure too moist for her is it? She's kept in a KK style enclosure.
Maybe you'll end up with an evil hamorii too :rofl:

The extra dish won't hurt, if she doesn't like it then she'll probably just fill it with sub/crap in it/tip it
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
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Nov 7, 2018
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Maybe you'll end up with an evil hamorii too :rofl:

The extra dish won't hurt, if she doesn't like it then she'll probably just fill it with sub/crap in it/tip it
She doesn't seem to mind it so far!

Haven't been able to catch her on the move since Sunday, but she is moving because every time I go to try my luck at watching her she's in a new spot.
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
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Nov 7, 2018
Messages
498
Update:
She hasn't minded the double water dish situation. I haven't been able to see her moving as much as I'd like but from what I have seen she looks a little more stable than before. Her abdomen is darkening quite a bit so I'm hopeful that she'll moult out of this and it won't be an issue!
 

PidderPeets

Arachnoprince
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May 27, 2017
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Is it at all possible that the substrate was/is too moist for its liking, so it's on it's toes to avoid it? To me at least, that would also explain why it seems to be getting better (as the substrate would start to dry). I admittedly have no experience with dyskinetic issues in Ts, but that just doesn't sound one to me. Most animals are a bit wobbly when walking on tip toes if they don't normally do so.

As for the generally calm behavior of the T, my hamorii is the same way. I have to really knock into his enclosure (which I would never do on purpose, but it does happen) to her him to move. Otherwise, he just does not care
 
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