# Bad/wet molt -> inability to excrete feces



## Draiman (Jul 19, 2010)

I have an adult female L. violaceopes I acquired recently, which I discovered today to be wholly unable to excrete feces. She molted about 3 or 4 days after I got her, and while it did look like it did not go perfectly, with the tips of her legs slightly wet and ragged, but 2 weeks afterwards she fed and I thought all was fine. Tonight I went to check on her, and found her visibly straining and pushing the tip of her abdomen against the substrate, and then using one of her back legs to "kick" at the tip of her abdomen. She was definitely not trying to web, since she has no problems producing and manipulating her silk. From what I can see, nothing is stuck; no remnants of the old exuvium or anything. When she molted, she initially did have a piece of the exuvium stuck at her rear end, which I managed to pull loose. Now I'm not sure if that did more harm than good...

Now I have a fresh mature male coming for her and he's now going to be wasted. Not only that, but she might well die from this, unless perhaps she induces a molt. Has anyone of you ever had this happen? Did your spider eventually molt and resolve the problem?

Thanks in advance for any input.


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## CAK (Jul 19, 2010)

Dang...  sounds like I am not alone here.  I have a 3.5 or 4" LV that must have had a bad molt and her spinnerettes and anus look pretty messed up.  I ICU'd her and she seemed to spark up, but she certainly doesn't teleport like she used to.  

I'd gladly look for advice if anyone has anything.  The anus doesnt' look plugged externally. 

Sorry Draimian as you and I are in pretty much the same boat.  this species just seems to be sensitive.

Clarification:  My LV is about 2 weeks post molt.


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## Draiman (Jul 19, 2010)

CAK said:


> Clarification:  My LV is about *2 weeks* post molt.


Same here. My lady is feeding, but visibly simply cannot excrete any feces. For me, what is really sad about this is that this is a species native to where I am from and was the one single species I wanted to breed...and this had to happen. Life is great.

Sorry to hear about your spider. It sounds like an identical situation to what is happening with mine, with the anus not looking blocked at all. Odd.


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## Moltar (Jul 19, 2010)

It's possible that when you pulled off the leftover shed it left a tiny bit inside that is now plugging up the anus. I've heard of people treating regular fecal impactions by swabbing with a q-tip dipped in warm water. This may or may not help here but you could give it a try.

Good luck.


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## xhexdx (Jul 19, 2010)

Moltar said:


> It's possible that when you pulled off the leftover shed it left a tiny bit inside that is now plugging up the anus. I've heard of people treating regular fecal impactions by swabbing with a q-tip dipped in warm water. This may or may not help here but you could give it a try.
> 
> Good luck.


This would be my suggestion as well.


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## Hobo (Jul 19, 2010)

Give this thread a read.

Your situation reminded me of this one, as Kyle also noticed his spider brushing her abdomen with her back legs.

Good luck, hope it ends well.


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## Draiman (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks for the input guys. Guess I should have run a search first, lol.

Kyle's picture of his dead metallica really doesn't offer much hope, especially considering he mentioned he tried the q-tip thing and it didn't work. Plus in his case from what I understand there was a visible obstruction at the spider's anus? Mine doesn't, so I'm at a loss as to what to do.  (I almost never use this emoticon, but this really is sad)


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## Draiman (Jul 19, 2010)

Okay, now I see tiny 1-2mm brown spots on the glass with white drag marks trailing them. They are definitely spider poop, but I am not 100% certain if they're from the LV, since the enclosure she is in is an old one and there are old poop marks on the sides, _but_ I don't remember seeing these around before, and the drag marks suggest the spider had trouble ejecting the poop, which means it's probably her. I think this is a good sign, at least I now know the orifice is not _completely_ blocked. Should I still try the q-tip thing? Her teleporting ability will be a big stumbling block, but I suppose I will have to give it a shot. No pun intended :liar:


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## joshuai (Jul 19, 2010)

Lube it up with some glycerin or something, olive oil? thats what i did with a T that had a visible obstruction, it softened for a day then she got it off! and is doing great!


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## Draiman (Jul 19, 2010)

joshuai said:


> Lube it up with some glycerin or something, olive oil? thats what i did with a T that had a visible obstruction, it softened for a day then she got it off! and is doing great!


Thanks for the suggestion! How exactly would you suggest I do it? Do I simply swab the the spider's anus with the oil, or is it more elaborate than that? What if I do it wrongly and it causes the opening to stick together instead of loosening up? I don't know, and I don't want to screw this up more than I already have.


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## KoriTamashii (Jul 19, 2010)

It doesn't sound like you've screwed anything up, Drai.

What you should do is get a little olive oil, or warm water, hell, maybe try both.

If you can pinch grab her, now would be the time to do it.

Gently rub the q-tip covered in oil/water against her anus a few times. It'll be more likely to help if what you use is warm.

If she absolutely won't let you pinch her, then just try your best to gently do it as she sits on the ground. She'll probably move, but wait for her to settle and do it some more.

Let me know how this works out.


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## joshuai (Jul 19, 2010)

Draiman said:


> Thanks for the suggestion! How exactly would you suggest I do it? Do I simply swab the the spider's anus with the oil, or is it more elaborate than that? What if I do it wrongly and it causes the opening to stick together instead of loosening up? I don't know, and I don't want to screw this up more than I already have.


I used a Qtip with olive oil olive oil does not dry so it wont make it stick together, glycerin may be the better choice. it will work into the anus softening any molt or feces in there and may help soften it enough to get it out! just dont get any near the book lungs!


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## Draiman (Jul 20, 2010)

KoriTamashii said:


> It doesn't sound like you've screwed anything up, Drai.
> 
> What you should do is get a little olive oil, or warm water, hell, maybe try both.
> 
> ...





joshuai said:


> I used a Qtip with olive oil olive oil does not dry so it wont make it stick together, glycerin may be the better choice. it will work into the anus softening any molt or feces in there and may help soften it enough to get it out! just dont get any near the book lungs!


Thanks a million for the help guys. She's too skittish and defensive for a pinch-grab, but maybe I'll put her in the fridge to slow her down. I'll post an update tonight after I've done it.


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## Draiman (Jul 20, 2010)

After the first round of the olive oil treatment I think I can be cautiously optimistic about her chances of survival. Almost immediately after the first swab of olive oil was applied, two blobs of poop came out of her rear end. The poop was obviously not shot out as arboreals would normally do, but it is at least an improvement from last night. Later, she jumped from one end of the enclosure to the other and made an awkward crash-landing, which immediately sparked a flow of this clear viscous liquid from the rear of her abdomen. At first I feared the worst and thought it was hemolymph, but then realised it was too runny to be hemolymph. I am quite sure it was poop, or at least the liquid component of spider poop. Hopefully the fall dislodged or loosened whatever was blocking the spider's anus, but I'm not sure.

Joshuai - how many times did you apply the olive oil? Would you suggest I try it again later today, or is once good enough?


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## Draiman (Jul 20, 2010)

Round two - this time I squeezed a small drop of olive oil right on the spider's anus. Not sure if that was called for, but I took the risk. I don't think there is anything more I can do though.


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## Draiman (Jul 20, 2010)

Great, I'm talking to myself again.


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## Lilija (Jul 20, 2010)

I've been following intently, this one and the other thread where the guy's poor g. rosea's front legs got stuck.  I just have nothing much to add, besides moral support.


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## CAK (Jul 20, 2010)

Draiman said:


> Great, I'm talking to myself again.




Hey Draiman,

You are sounding a bit more successful than mine.  I ICU'd her for a few days and she seemed to perk up.  Since mine is about 4" and a bit more delicate, I was able to put her in a ziplock baggie loosely with a hole in it to help control her and then swab her pooper.  I got nothing out of her but a torqued off spider.  Upon closer inspection, her spinneretts and anus are all messed up.  I imagine she won't last but another day or so.  I'm attesting this to a bad molt.

Good luck on yours my friend.

Joe


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## lunashimmer (Jul 20, 2010)

*Aww!*

I'm sorry, Draiman and Joe, that your Ts are messed up!!!  I too am following this thread so that I can learn from it. Draiman, keep posting your efforts and reactions so this can be catalogued for future reference. Joe, I hope that your T makes it!!!


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## Draiman (Jul 20, 2010)

I wonder if I may have used too much oil...her entire rear end is now a wet soppy mess.


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## Draiman (Jul 20, 2010)

lunashimmer said:


> I'm sorry, Draiman and Joe, that your Ts are messed up!!!  I too am following this thread so that I can learn from it. Draiman, keep posting your efforts and reactions so this can be catalogued for future reference. Joe, I hope that your T makes it!!!


Thanks, and will do. 



CAK said:


> Hey Draiman,
> 
> You are sounding a bit more successful than mine.  I ICU'd her for a few days and she seemed to perk up.  Since mine is about 4" and a bit more delicate, I was able to put her in a ziplock baggie loosely with a hole in it to help control her and then swab her pooper.  I got nothing out of her but a torqued off spider.  Upon closer inspection, her spinneretts and anus are all messed up.  I imagine she won't last but another day or so.  I'm attesting this to a bad molt.
> 
> ...


Sorry to hear 

Mine is looking the same - disoriented spinnerets and a messed up anus. I don't think I should mess with her anymore, I've probably done all I could with the olive oil. I will keep posting updates on her condition, but at the moment it's not looking great.


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## ametan (Jul 20, 2010)

Draiman said:


> I wonder if I may have used too much oil...her entire rear end is now a wet soppy mess.


!!! Couldn't this block her book lungs? !!!


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## Draiman (Jul 20, 2010)

ametan said:


> !!! Couldn't this block her book lungs? !!!


Lol sorry, I was referring to the rear end _of her abdomen_.


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## jbm150 (Jul 20, 2010)

This is a fascinating discussion.  I'm sorry for your troubles and wish you the best.  I'll have to keep this in mind if I ever run into this situation.


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## Draiman (Jul 20, 2010)

Thanks Jeff. 

I am about to ask what is probably a very silly question, but anyway: If the spider does survive this ordeal, would she be mateable at all before her next molt, or will it simply be a waste of time?

I'm asking because _L. violaceopes_ is a species native to where I am from, and I thought I could get a small captive breeding program going. The species is almost certainly locally extinct, and I want nothing more than to be able to see these spiders in the wild, in the flesh.


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## Draiman (Jul 20, 2010)

Here's something rather odd - I just found the front side of the enclosure sprayed with what looks to be water, and noticed that the spider's abdomen was soaking wet (it wasn't before). The "water" was also not there before. There was no sign of any solid feces, just drops of clear liquid everywhere. There was also this strange sour smell emanating from the enclosure. None of these were present a couple of hours ago. It almost seems as if the spider tried to poop and all of this stuff came flying out? But if so, where is the solid feces (the brown-white stuff that is normally always present)?

EDIT: Yeah, just checked again - her entire abdomen is drenched with something, I don't know what. At first glance it would look like she was bleeding, but if she was bleeding such copious amounts of hemolymph from a body part as major as the abdomen (where the heart and other organs are) she would be long dead by now. That's not to say she's looking good. It's 2.30 in the morning over here right now and I have a distinct feeling that I will wake up to a dead spider tomorrow. She really is in bad shape.


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## fartkowski (Jul 20, 2010)

Hi
Do you know if she is wild caught?
Could it possibly be a parasite stopping her up?


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## Arachnoholic420 (Jul 20, 2010)

Sorry for your loss bro... i feel your pain.... 



fartkowski said:


> Hi
> Do you know if she is wild caught?
> Could it possibly be a parasite stopping her up?


Cris... it can possibly happen... i knew of a t that exploded with tiny worms...
the only way for him to find out is to dissect it...


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## CAK (Jul 20, 2010)

Not so good update.....  

Loss for me!  Came home to her on her back just like a molt and the whole end of her abdome exploded with hemolyph and poo and quite obviously dead.   


Draiman, hope your outcome is better than mine.

Joe - CAK


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## Lilija (Jul 20, 2010)

CAK said:


> Not so good update.....
> 
> Loss for me!  Came home to her on her back just like a molt and the whole end of her abdome exploded with hemolyph and poo and quite obviously dead.
> 
> ...



Agh, that's horrible, heartwrenching.  This thread is so intense.  So sorry to hear it.


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## Lisa Gayle 713 (Jul 20, 2010)

*self cleansing?*

Perhaps her body is producing more fluid to clean out the anal orifice? :? I would make sure she has lots of water and keep your fingers crossed. I hope she's ok. 

PS I realize I am a noob. However, I do have a lot of experience with critters in general. And T's seem to be a hearty bunch.


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## Draiman (Jul 21, 2010)

fartkowski said:


> Hi
> Do you know if she is wild caught?
> Could it possibly be a parasite stopping her up?


Yeah she is WC. I don't think it's a parasite though, because before her molt she was perfectly fine.



CAK said:


> Not so good update.....
> 
> Loss for me!  Came home to her on her back just like a molt and the whole end of her abdome exploded with hemolyph and poo and quite obviously dead.
> 
> ...


Sorry for the loss 

Mine, surprisingly, is still alive. Still looking absolutely messed up though.



Lisa Gayle 713 said:


> Perhaps her body is producing more fluid to clean out the anal orifice? :? I would make sure she has lots of water and keep your fingers crossed. I hope she's ok.
> 
> PS I realize I am a noob. However, I do have a lot of experience with critters in general. And T's seem to be a hearty bunch.


That sounds like a distinct possibility! 

P.S. you're making me feel guilty about my sig


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## Draiman (Jul 21, 2010)

Update: She is still kicking at the rear end of her abdomen. Great, so it's still blocked.


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## KoriTamashii (Jul 21, 2010)

Drai - I'd give the swabbing another go. If it helped a little the first time, it could need to become an ongoing treatment.

I also think the liquid could be her body producing extra chemicals to help with the blockage.


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## Draiman (Jul 21, 2010)

KoriTamashii said:


> Drai - I'd give the swabbing another go. If it helped a little the first time, it could need to become an ongoing treatment.


True. I'll give it another go tonight. She's still kicking at her abdomen and spinnerettes.


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## lunashimmer (Jul 21, 2010)

Joe - I am so sorry about your T.  

Draiman - Any updates? How is she looking today?


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## Draiman (Jul 21, 2010)

lunashimmer said:


> Joe - I am so sorry about your T.
> 
> Draiman - Any updates? How is she looking today?


Worse than yesterday - now she cannot even climb the sides of the enclosure. I don't expect her to last very long, sadly.


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## Ballam (Jul 21, 2010)

I'm so sorry to hear about this Joe and Draiman. I have two L. violaceopes that I have raised from a sling, they are both about 2" now but this is something I will have to be wary of in the future.


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## jbm150 (Jul 21, 2010)

Geez guys, this really sucks.  I'm sorry for your tough loss CAK 

Gavin, could you get some pics up of her condition?  Does her abdomen have any degree of swelling or the lumps like we've seen on other's spiders?


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## Draiman (Jul 21, 2010)

jbm150 said:


> Does her abdomen have any degree of *swelling or the lumps like we've seen on other's spiders*?


I was about to post about this. Yep, there is a peculiar looking raised area at the tip of her abdomen. Impacted poop?

It isn't a random asymmetrical lump though, it follows the general shape and contours of the abdomen.


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## lunashimmer (Jul 21, 2010)

This is breaking my heart.   Have you thought about euthanizing her?


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## Crysta (Jul 21, 2010)

did you try taking a magnifying class to her bum and see where the poop holes supposed to be? maybe dry rubbing it with abit of a soapy q-tip and see?


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## MichiganReptiles (Jul 21, 2010)

CAK said:


> Not so good update.....
> 
> Loss for me!  Came home to her on her back just like a molt and the whole end of her abdome exploded with hemolyph and poo and quite obviously dead.
> 
> ...


I'm so sorry to hear that, Joe. I have been hoping for a good outcome for both of you. I've been following this thread as well for educational purposes alone because I have no experience or knowledge to add.


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## MichiganReptiles (Jul 21, 2010)

Draiman said:


> Worse than yesterday - now she cannot even climb the sides of the enclosure. I don't expect her to last very long, sadly.


That sucks.   I was hoping for better updates and happy news.


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## ZergFront (Jul 21, 2010)

Hobo said:


> Give this thread a read.
> 
> Your situation reminded me of this one, as Kyle also noticed his spider brushing her abdomen with her back legs.
> 
> Good luck, hope it ends well.


 Thanks for the link. I've never come across that one. Wonder what causes blockages and wet molts. :?


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## Draiman (Jul 22, 2010)

lunashimmer said:


> This is breaking my heart.   Have you thought about euthanizing her?


Nah, I'm not one to euthanize inverts, since they don't feel pain as we do. No point in killing her as long as she is alive and has a chance of recovery. If a mammal or some other higher animal was visibly suffering then euthanasia would be an option, but I just don't see the point in euthanizing inverts, unless there is some threat to the rest of the collection; ie. parasites and whatnot.


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## Draiman (Jul 22, 2010)

Update: Spider still alive, but looking and acting worse than ever before.


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## MichiganReptiles (Jul 22, 2010)

Thanks for keeping us posted. I keep checking this thread hoping to find good news. I know it's not likely, but I keep hoping.


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## CAK (Jul 23, 2010)

Thanks for the update Draiman!  I'm still optimistic!

Joe


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## lunashimmer (Jul 23, 2010)

Draiman said:


> Nah, I'm not one to euthanize inverts, since they don't feel pain as we do. No point in killing her as long as she is alive and has a chance of recovery. If a mammal or some other higher animal was visibly suffering then euthanasia would be an option, but I just don't see the point in euthanizing inverts, unless there is some threat to the rest of the collection; ie. parasites and whatnot.


I understand. I don't think I could ever do it myself, either. I was just wondering how you felt about that.

I keep logging in to see any good news!  I was sorry to see that she's doing worse.  I wish there was a smiley with tears.


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## Draiman (Jul 23, 2010)

Thanks for the encouragement guys. 

Her abdomen was looking less wet yesterday, and today it seems almost completely dry. Still no actual evidence of poop on the enclosure walls, and I certainly have not seen her defecate since the first round of olive oil treatment. I don't know what to make of it - there's nothing resembling a death curl but she just looks messed up and sickly and there is still a slight lump at the end of her abdomen. It APPEARS to be smaller than it was 2 days ago, but again I'm not sure.

I've already begun trying to acquire a replacement, because I just absolutely HAVE to breed this species (or at the very least, make an attempt to).


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## jebbewocky (Jul 23, 2010)

Draiman said:


> Nah, I'm not one to euthanize inverts, since they don't feel pain as we do. No point in killing her as long as she is alive and has a chance of recovery. If a mammal or some other higher animal was visibly suffering then euthanasia would be an option, but I just don't see the point in euthanizing inverts, unless there is some threat to the rest of the collection; ie. parasites and whatnot.


Couldn't one argue it's definitionally impossible to euthanize a T since they don't have the capacity to suffer?
EDIT: Also, good luck.  I should have said that first.


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## Draiman (Jul 24, 2010)

jebbewocky said:


> Couldn't one argue it's definitionally impossible to euthanize a T since they don't have the capacity to suffer?


Yeah, that's what I meant.


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## jebbewocky (Jul 24, 2010)

Draiman said:


> Yeah, that's what I meant.


Ah.  Carry on then.  :}


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## Lisa Gayle 713 (Jul 24, 2010)

Any news? Is she doing better?  *hopeful smile*


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## KoriTamashii (Jul 24, 2010)

jebbewocky said:


> Couldn't one argue it's definitionally impossible to euthanize a T since they don't have the capacity to suffer?
> EDIT: Also, good luck.  I should have said that first.


I would say being in a constant state of pain, whether they feel it as significantly as other creatures do, counts as suffering.


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## jebbewocky (Jul 24, 2010)

KoriTamashii said:


> I would say being in a constant state of pain, whether they feel it as significantly as other creatures do, counts as suffering.


The juries still out on whether or not they even feel pain _at all._
But there are other threads debating that, so let's not bring that here.


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## Draiman (Jul 24, 2010)

Lisa Gayle 713 said:


> Any news? Is she doing better?  *hopeful smile*


All I can say is, she's still alive. Today I also noticed this small elongated white thing stuck to one of her spinnerettes. It doesn't look like poop, but at the same time looks too thick to be silk. Let's hope it isn't a worm or parasite of some sort.

I'll try and feed her tomorrow. If she doesn't eat then I will most likely move her to an ICU and clean out her tank. She's WC, so the threat of contagious pathogens is very real and the white thingy I spotted today has got me a little worried.


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## Lisa Gayle 713 (Jul 26, 2010)

Well???? What news?

and PS- don't feel guilty about your sig- it is a silly thing to say, but I would swear he likes to go for walks!


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## Draiman (Jul 26, 2010)

Lisa Gayle 713 said:


> I would swear he likes to go for walks!


I think we both know that's just psychological (on your part, of course lol).



Lisa Gayle 713 said:


> Well???? What news?


Turned out I didn't have time to go get feeders for the critters yesterday, so she wasn't fed, and is still in her enclosure. Even now she's still scratching her rear end, so there has to be some sort of blockage still present. Not sure what more I can do, though.


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## EightLeggedFrea (Jul 26, 2010)

Terribly sorry to hear what you're going through but keep updating as I'd like to know how this turns out. Also how you're future breeding project goes when you get your replacement in.


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 27, 2010)

Any updates, Gavin?


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## Lisa Gayle 713 (Jul 27, 2010)

@ Damain- psychological? uhhh... yep! I'm guilty! I "bond" with all animals, great and small. I love them all.

*hoping the blockage dislodges*


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## Draiman (Jul 29, 2010)

EightLeggedFrea said:


> Terribly sorry to hear what you're going through but keep updating as I'd like to know how this turns out. Also how you're future breeding project goes when you get your replacement in.


Unfortunately, it's unlikely I will be able to get another female in the near future, due to financial constraints.



Warren Bautista said:


> Any updates, Gavin?


At this point I can't really be bothered with her anymore. She refuses food and is now in an ICU. Just before I put her in there yesterday I gave the rear end of her abdomen the gentlest of gentle squeezes and poop came shooting out. It looked like it had been stuck in there for a while. Later that day, after she'd been in the ICU for a while I noticed a few small globs of poop on the wall of the container she is in, with smear marks trailing them, which means she is still struggling to get her feces out. Which means the blockage is still present. I suppose the only hope for her now is if she molts, but how is she going to molt if she doesn't feed?



Lisa Gayle 713 said:


> @ Damain- psychological? uhhh... yep! I'm guilty! I "bond" with all animals, great and small. I love them all.


My point was, you may be able to do that, but as far as the spider is concerned, it has no emotional capacity, so if/when you think your spider "wants" to be handled, it's all in your head.

_For the politeness police - Is this too hostile and rude?_


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## KoriTamashii (Jul 29, 2010)

Draiman said:


> At this point I can't really be bothered with her anymore.[/I]


Only part of your last post that I saw.

Very sad.

Give her to someone else who will keep trying, then. :evil:


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## Draiman (Jul 29, 2010)

KoriTamashii said:


> Only part of your last post that I saw.
> 
> Very sad.
> 
> Give her to someone else who will keep trying, then. :evil:


I said that because I am quite certain that there is nothing more I can do for her anymore, except put her in an ICU and keep tabs on her (which I have done and am doing).


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## Mister Internet (Jul 29, 2010)

*Admin note*



KoriTamashii said:


> Only part of your last post that I saw.
> 
> Very sad.
> 
> Give her to someone else who will keep trying, then. :evil:


Dial it back a notch, please.

-MrI


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## KoriTamashii (Jul 29, 2010)

Mister Internet said:


> Dial it back a notch, please.
> 
> -MrI


Sorry :wall:

Just frustrating for all of us, methinks.

Plus the way he said it... ehhhh...

I understand, Drai, I really do. Sorry if I came off sort of... hsss.


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## Draiman (Jul 29, 2010)

KoriTamashii said:


> Plus the way he said it... ehhhh...
> 
> I understand, Drai, I really do. Sorry if I came off sort of... hsss.


You're right, in retrospect I think I worded it wrongly. But really, what more can I do for her? (genuine question. I really am at a loss)


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## KoriTamashii (Jul 29, 2010)

Draiman said:


> You're right, in retrospect I think I worded it wrongly. But really, what more can I do for her? (genuine question. I really am at a loss)


Did you keep trying the oil thing?


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## Draiman (Jul 29, 2010)

KoriTamashii said:


> Did you keep trying the oil thing?


Not after the second time, because only a day or two after the second round of treatment had been done, this happened:



Draiman said:


> Here's something rather odd - I just found the front side of the enclosure sprayed with what looks to be water, and noticed that the spider's abdomen was soaking wet (it wasn't before). The "water" was also not there before. There was no sign of any solid feces, just drops of clear liquid everywhere. There was also this strange sour smell emanating from the enclosure. None of these were present a couple of hours ago. It almost seems as if the spider tried to poop and all of this stuff came flying out? But if so, where is the solid feces (the brown-white stuff that is normally always present)?
> 
> EDIT: Yeah, just checked again - her entire abdomen is drenched with something, I don't know what. At first glance it would look like she was bleeding, but if she was bleeding such copious amounts of hemolymph from a body part as major as the abdomen (where the heart and other organs are) she would be long dead by now. That's not to say she's looking good. It's 2.30 in the morning over here right now and I have a distinct feeling that I will wake up to a dead spider tomorrow. She really is in bad shape.


Her abdomen only began to dry a few days ago. Come to think of it, I guess I could try applying the oil again, but my primary concern is, could it do more harm than good? That said, I can definitely see where you're coming from if you say trying something is better than doing nothing. If I'm going to do it, it will have to be tomorrow, since it's 3.30 in the morning over here right now and I'm past my bedtime.  :}


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## Draiman (Aug 4, 2010)

A little update:

- Floor and walls of ICU container covered in poop stains
- Despite that, spider still seems to have some trouble defecating; still exhibiting the strange behavior of rubbing the end of her abdomen against whatever she is walking on

I put her back in her main enclosure. Still at a loss as to what more I can/should do.


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## CAK (Aug 4, 2010)

Draiman said:


> I put her back in her main enclosure. Still at a loss as to what more I can/should do.


Don't know that there is much more you can do.  If she keeps hanging on, maybe she will be able to force a molt someday soon and get back to 100%.

Thanks for the update.  Once I have some cashola, I might replace the one I lost recently.


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## Musicwolf (Aug 4, 2010)

Just started following this thread - - just don't want you to forget - - have you offered her food again? If she got even partially cleared, she might eat - - if she eats, she's got a better chance of molting - - or so I would think.

Also, don't know how "handleable" she is, but what about an unconventional "warm bath" - - obviously keep the book lungs out of the water, but a "warm dip" may be as beneficial as the oil swabbing. Just guessing though, and I guarantee that you have more experience with T's than I do at this point.


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## Draiman (Aug 7, 2010)

Musicwolf said:


> Just started following this thread - - just don't want you to forget - - have you offered her food again? If she got even partially cleared, she might eat - - if she eats, she's got a better chance of molting - - or so I would think.


This is probably the first bit of positive news since this whole ordeal started: 

The spider was offered food today and refused to eat; and drastic circumstances call for drastic measures, so I pinch-grabbed her and force-fed her a decent sized prekilled frog. I went out for my own dinner, and when I got back, found her chewing on the back half of the frog (the front half of the frog had been completely consumed). She's still busy munching as I type this. Yay!


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## bdprice1968 (Aug 7, 2010)

*Woo Hoo*

Good news.?! Finally!!! Way to stick it through!!!
Hopefully this is the beginning of all good news.


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## Draiman (Sep 3, 2010)

She is still alive, and angry as ever:


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## HAGAR (Sep 3, 2010)

Wow

this is one of the more interesting and very informative threads that i have read of late.

Congrats on your t making it.

sorry or your los cak


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## Draiman (Sep 3, 2010)

HAGAR said:


> Congrats on your t making it.


She isn't out of danger yet, not by a long way. She still isn't feeding, and if she doesn't feed she most likely won't be able to molt, and if she doesn't molt this problem will persist.


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## HAGAR (Sep 3, 2010)

*Just a noobs thought*

O sorry thought you guys made it through the fight. 

Well i really hope she starts feeding and can get n good molt so this can sort itself out.

*the noob thought:*
i was wondering, instead of something being lodged in her anus, as you said you could not see anything, what would the possibility be of her rectal sac being enlarged in some way and in that way blocking the way out from her gut?

That would explain the bump you explain earlier in the thread on the back part of her abdomen and the lack of feces  ?

I am only asking out of interest i am in no way an expert on t's.
Well not yet, maybe in about 20 years lol


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## seanbond (Sep 3, 2010)

Im happy to see her throw those legs up for ya!!!!!!


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## Draiman (Sep 3, 2010)

seanbond said:


> Im happy to see her throw those legs up for ya!!!!!!


Thanks Sean, I'm trying to get her to eat and molt, but it's a bit difficult without actually force-feeding her.


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## seanbond (Sep 5, 2010)

keep it up man , hopefully she will pull thru for ya!


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## zakkman (Apr 28, 2022)

So, how it ended up? The T moulted and survived?
I've just lost my Singapore Blue yesterday with same circumstances


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## DustyD (Apr 28, 2022)

I don't expect you will get a response, unless it was posted on a different thread. The original poster has not been on this forum since 2012 and this incident took place in 2010.


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