Worried about A. geniculata...

Storm76

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Usually I'm not easily worried when it comes to my T's, since I've experienced quite some up and downs over the time I've spent in the hobby by now. But today I'm seriously worried:

As you know, my big A. geniculata female molted some weeks ago. A couple weeks after she did, I figured I'd see if she'd be willing to eat and she hungrily jumped on the big sized locust. Over the time, she ate 3 of them size I wanted to give her some start to get her rump back to normal.

She had the last one a week ago. Today, I wake up and check on my T's and see her flailing her legs through the air, fallen onto her back and not able to get back up. So, open cage, get tongs and help her gently to turn around. She didn't threaten, didn't flick, didn't try to bite - which is seriously ODD for her. Not to mention that she moved veeeeeery slowly. Decided to get a good look at her and got her into a catchcup (and she didn't walk at all, I literally had to gently move her into it with my tongs.. ) hence but couldn't find anything wrong with her on the outside. Sat her down on the bed and she didn't even want to move curling her legpair IV as if she had no pressure.

So, had her sitting there, went to clean her cage some, change and clean waterbowel, then put her back in. I'm not kidding when I say I could've just picked her up with my bare hands today and she wouldn't have done anything. And that, above all else, has me worried. She behaves suddenly as if she's totally week, loses hydraulic pressure, that kind of stuff. 2 days ago, she would've eaten my face if I got that close even with the tongs!

Nothing has changed since she molted, same cage, no fumes, and my A. azuraklaasi ate a locust from the same batch and is just fine. I have no idea what to do...I'm hoping it's nothing serious and she gets better from whatever this is, so I just leave her be but man....I REALLY hope I don't lose that girl!
 

BobBarley

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Wow, I'm stumped. I know you're a very experienced keeper and have all the basics down. Could just be her time to go... Maybe something internally wrong? That really sucks. Good luck, and I hope she recovers!
 

Poec54

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Sounds like a molting problem, possibly internal bleeding, which would reduce the hydraulic pressure needed to use her legs. I've lost premolt and post-molt tarantulas, that looked otherwise healthy. I'm sure their high reproductive rates are partially intended to cover losses from molting.
 

Storm76

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Sounds like a molting problem, possibly internal bleeding, which would reduce the hydraulic pressure needed to use her legs. I've lost premolt and post-molt tarantulas, that looked otherwise healthy. I'm sure their high reproductive rates are partially intended to cover losses from molting.
Yeah, I'm kinda wondering if something went wrong with her last molt. I sure hope she'll pull through whatever is going on though. Losing this one right after my P. cam during molting and being one of my favs in my collection would be really sad. I'm surprised though that she moved quickly, jumped at food and everything just normally a week ago. A couple days ago she was still wanting to eat my face when I refilled her waterdish...and now this. Weird....
 

KezyGLA

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That is odd indeed. I would agree that it may be an internal problem.

Never the less that really sucks man.:(

I hope it isn't as serious and she makes a full recovery
 

Chris LXXIX

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Not the best lucky moment for you my man, i say (T's talking). Hope the best.
 

Mauri

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Feel terrible for you! Hope she gets better.

I would stop feeding that batch of locusts just in case as it sounds like it is food related. But am guessing....

What have you been feeding the locusts? Have you changed anything in regards the way you feed or got something different that might explain it..(like changing anything in the enclosure per say). I'd be interested in figuring it out for future reference.

Unless of course T's just get sick from time to time. I know you cant compare humans to T's but if we get food poisoning it generally makes you feel weak...well it did me :)

If it is food related I would have thought there's a chance she might pull through.
 

Venom1080

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similar thing happened with my Nhandu chormatus. when she was 1.5" she molted and i went to rehouse her a week or so later, she barely moved, i had to pick her up with a spoon to put her in the new cage. she immediately perked up and started burrowing and acting normal. im pretty positive her last cage was too dry and thats why she was weak acting. maybe thats the reason for your A genic?? i hope for the best.
 

elysium

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i think you mentioned that you found her on her back, meaning that she had fallen from the top/side of the enclosure. is it possible that she got hurt from the fall?
 

Storm76

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i think you mentioned that you found her on her back, meaning that she had fallen from the top/side of the enclosure. is it possible that she got hurt from the fall?
Not at all. She has only ~3" to the lid and at ~8" legspan...yeah no.

So apparently she is moving some while I'm not looking since I find her sitting ontop of her burrow, in front of it, then again at the other side of the cage...but right now I see her sitting next to her (full!) waterdish, huddled up. Cage isn't kept entirely dry either, I keep one side somewhat more moist anyways and she's always been fine. As for the locusts, the last one was eaten by said Avic anyways and that girl is just fine. I really, really, hope she'll pull through - somehow! Wished I knew what's wrong with her in the 1st place towards that end...
 

Mauri

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Fingers x and touch wood etc it passes.

Did you check for mites at night? Just something maybe..(i guess u would see them around the T)..
 

Storm76

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Fingers x and touch wood etc it passes.

Did you check for mites at night? Just something maybe..(i guess u would see them around the T)..
No mites at all in her cage or on her, nope. Just keeping my fingers crossed.
 

elysium

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Not at all. She has only ~3" to the lid and at ~8" legspan...yeah no.

So apparently she is moving some while I'm not looking since I find her sitting ontop of her burrow, in front of it, then again at the other side of the cage...but right now I see her sitting next to her (full!) waterdish, huddled up. Cage isn't kept entirely dry either, I keep one side somewhat more moist anyways and she's always been fine. As for the locusts, the last one was eaten by said Avic anyways and that girl is just fine. I really, really, hope she'll pull through - somehow! Wished I knew what's wrong with her in the 1st place towards that end...
Hope she pulls through... All the best mate
 

Octagon

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Not at all. She has only ~3" to the lid and at ~8" legspan...yeah no.

So apparently she is moving some while I'm not looking since I find her sitting ontop of her burrow, in front of it, then again at the other side of the cage...but right now I see her sitting next to her (full!) waterdish, huddled up. Cage isn't kept entirely dry either, I keep one side somewhat more moist anyways and she's always been fine. As for the locusts, the last one was eaten by said Avic anyways and that girl is just fine. I really, really, hope she'll pull through - somehow! Wished I knew what's wrong with her in the 1st place towards that end...
I am rooting for her. All the best.
 

Storm76

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It breaks my heart, but after a long-lasting struggle, some hope she might even recover, one of the prides of my collection died tonight.

When I got this T as a 2.25" sexed female, she already showed considerable attitude and I had more than one close call with her. I believe overall, she lived a happy life in my care and despite her low threshold for me interrupting it (watering...feeding...cleaning...the like) from time to time, she was not only my biggest T to date, but also one of the greatest looking. I had planned to breed her next year, but obviously that won't happen now anymore.

To make a long story short and give you guys the details what happened after my last posting: I left her be for the most part, just refilled her waterdish daily and offered food once that she showed no interest in. I found her sitting in different spots whenever I checked on her and hence had hope she might recoved. A week ago, she lay in her waterdish (full at the time) with legs curled nearly completely underneath her. In the past, I would have never dared to try that with her, but I decided to immediately grab her and check on her. Picking her up, she didn't try to bite at all, flailed her legs lightly but nothing else. A close inspection revealed nothing out of the ordinary except that she had hardened poop on her butt. I used a moistened qtip to gently get rid of that and placed her back into her cage.

Yesterday she was still crawling around - tonight I found her dead with her mouth in the waterdish, her abdomen hanging loose over the border of the same and all of the front legs curled underneath her. There were no life-signs anymore.

To make things worse, the 2nd of my A. geroldi died today as well during molting. When I checked on her, I found her freshly molted, one leg ripped off and bleeding. Sadly, it was too late to save her, too.

Bottom line I really miss my big geniculata girl that I raised from a small juvie to the huge adult that she became, but I'm going to assume that something went wrong internally during the last molt like Rick suspected, too.

Well...R.I.P Medeia...you'll be missed!

 

Octagon

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So sorry for the loss of your beautiful girl. I know it's not much comfort right now, but have no doubt that she had a great life under your care.
 

Crone Returns

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Mar 22, 2016
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It breaks my heart, but after a long-lasting struggle, some hope she might even recover, one of the prides of my collection died tonight.

When I got this T as a 2.25" sexed female, she already showed considerable attitude and I had more than one close call with her. I believe overall, she lived a happy life in my care and despite her low threshold for me interrupting it (watering...feeding...cleaning...the like) from time to time, she was not only my biggest T to date, but also one of the greatest looking. I had planned to breed her next year, but obviously that won't happen now anymore.

To make a long story short and give you guys the details what happened after my last posting: I left her be for the most part, just refilled her waterdish daily and offered food once that she showed no interest in. I found her sitting in different spots whenever I checked on her and hence had hope she might recoved. A week ago, she lay in her waterdish (full at the time) with legs curled nearly completely underneath her. In the past, I would have never dared to try that with her, but I decided to immediately grab her and check on her. Picking her up, she didn't try to bite at all, flailed her legs lightly but nothing else. A close inspection revealed nothing out of the ordinary except that she had hardened poop on her butt. I used a moistened qtip to gently get rid of that and placed her back into her cage.

Yesterday she was still crawling around - tonight I found her dead with her mouth in the waterdish, her abdomen hanging loose over the border of the same and all of the front legs curled underneath her. There were no life-signs anymore.

To make things worse, the 2nd of my A. geroldi died today as well during molting. When I checked on her, I found her freshly molted, one leg ripped off and bleeding. Sadly, it was too late to save her, too.

Bottom line I really miss my big geniculata girl that I raised from a small juvie to the huge adult that she became, but I'm going to assume that something went wrong internally during the last molt like Rick suspected, too.

Well...R.I.P Medeia...you'll be missed!

That's rough. I'm very sorry.
 
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