# Defang a tarantula



## Arachnopuppy

I was just wondering if anyone know if they can still eat or not if you defang your tarantula?  Obviously, they won't be able to catch live prey.  But what if you feed it dead prey or a piece of dead prey?


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## Code Monkey

Think about it: a tarantula, in addition to the initial prey capture, uses its fangs extensively to masticate and otherwise manipulate the prey/food. Defanging them is equivalent to pulling all your teeth and tying your hands behind your back and then asking you to eat. You could probably get something down but it's not easy.


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## Spydra

Hey Lam!    Why would someone want to defang their T ?

Renee


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## deifiler

[Pirate voice] arrr... I smell a troll![Pirate voice]

 

;P 

Besides, the fangs would be replaced if a succesful moult cycle was fulfilled...


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## Code Monkey

> _Originally posted by Spydra _
> *Hey Lam!    Why would someone want to defang their T ?*


That's an easy one: because they have fangs.

I've given a number of public demonstrations, impromptu and otherwise, over the years about tarantulas. One of the first questions you will be asked upon people seeing a live tarantula is "Is it defanged?".

The unwashed masses being both convinced that they're dangerously venomous as well as prone to bite can't imagine that anyone would get near one with the fangs intact. I always have to explain that defanging them would very likely be a death sentence and that, if it wasn't, they'd just regenerate them on the next moult anyhow.

EDIT: Similar questions even arise for something like a rat snake, people are just plain ignorant in general when it comes to exotics.


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## Angelo

and even if you were going to defang a tarantula, how on earth would you do it, and with what would you do it with! i dont think id want to see that be done.


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## luther

People do the strangest things to their pets.  They declaw their cats and chop the tails and ears off their dogs.  I wonder how you'd even start to remove a tarantula's fangs...  

It's a surrealy bad idea and I think a troll is definately in the area.


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## rosehaired1979

Whats the point of defanging because there next molt there fangs will grow back.


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## Code Monkey

Re: Trolls...

People, it's Lam for crying out loud, he's weird but he's not a troll. Odds are given past history, he got into some argument with friends and is looking for more reasoned responses against them.


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## Malkavian

> _Originally posted by luther _
> *People do the strangest things to their pets.  They declaw their cats and chop the tails and ears off their dogs.  I wonder how you'd even start to remove a tarantula's fangs...
> 
> It's a surrealy bad idea and I think a troll is definately in the area. *


Just playing devil's advocate, stopping your pet from destroying your furniture is just somewhat different, IMHO, than defanging a tarantula
 (OTOH i'm totally opposed to ear and tail docking)


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## manville

hahaha that would be really mean if anyone did that dont know how it is possible though


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## Immortal_sin

*thread derail alert...*

declawing is the equivalent of removing the first joint of your fingers... so, I suppose if your furniture is important enough to mutilate your cat for, then some people can justify it.
Clipping a cat's nails short also prevents them from destroying furniture, it's cheaper, and not painful 
(sorry, declawing is a big pet peeve of mine)

Reactions: Agree 1


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## luther

Sorry about the troll suggestion.  I was playing with it and it went off in my hand.

Seriously then, I can't imagine the mindset that considers the mutilation of their "pet" in order that it fit in with their lifestyle choices.  For anyone that is considering a defanged tarantula as a pet I would suggest a millipede.


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## rapunzel

> _Originally posted by Malkavian _
> *Just playing devil's advocate, stopping your pet from destroying your furniture is just somewhat different, IMHO, than defanging a tarantula
> (OTOH i'm totally opposed to ear and tail docking) *


no...stopping your pet from destroying your furniture would be putting those plastic sheaths on your cats nails so that they dont scratch, called "Soft Paws"...I suppose the equivelant to that would be putting the sheaths on a tarantulas fangs.
Mutilation on a tarantula is at least temporary if they lived...they can grow their fangs back, whilst a cat cannot grow back its last joint ever.


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## LPacker79

> declawing is the equivalent of removing the first joint of your fingers... so, I suppose if your furniture is important enough to mutilate your cat for, then some people can justify it.


Thank you! Declawing is a huge pet peeve of mine as well. These people think they'll save their furniture by mutilating their cat. What will they do when the cat starts to avoid the litter box because of the pain in their feet? Shelters are full of declawed cats because "owners" wouldn't take responsibility for the effects of the procedure THEY wanted done. Arthritis, litterbox avoidance, biting. 1 in 5 cats will have a problem related to ondectomy (spelled wrong I know).  Not to mention that there are muscles in a cat's shoulders and back that can ONLY be exercised by digging the claws in and pulling back.  Declawing is just a cop out for being too lazy to train your cat.  

Whoa.......I'm totally off topic. Sorry Lam!


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## InsaneCaine

> One of the first questions you will be asked upon people seeing a live tarantula is "Is it defanged?".


It's funny you say that CM, because when I tell any of my friends that I keep tarantulas, that's one of the first questions that they ask.


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## Arachnopuppy

People, reread my origional post, please!  For heaven's sake, nobody is saying "I will defang my tarantula... what will happen?"

I just wanted to know if it's *possible* for a tarantula to eat without the fangs.  Yes, I was talking with some friends and they were convinced that tarantulas didn't need fangs, although this question was only a little motivated by the friends.

Here is an analogy.  If I were to ask if a pianist can still play piano after he lost a finger, would you people think that I would go out and find a pianist to cut off his finger?

By the way, that finger thing was based on a true story.  My dad, being a pianist, accidently cut off his finger once... actually twice if you count smashing.  Although they reattached his finger and he eventually recovered, amazingly enough he continued to play the piano with a missing finger for some time.  Ya... off topic rant... but please get the point!

So, from what I can gather, it IS possible for them to eat, but just very hard.


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## manville

weird no one ask me that question before. why would they ask that question...weird


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## Wolfchan

> _Originally posted by Malkavian _
> *Just playing devil's advocate, stopping your pet from destroying your furniture is just somewhat different, IMHO, than defanging a tarantula
> (OTOH i'm totally opposed to ear and tail docking) *


Mutilation is mutilation is mutilation.  If someone's furnture is more important than their cat's well-being, maybe a cat isn't the right pet for them.

I'm always surprised when I get the defanged question....I also have an astonishing number of people ask me if my snake (H. Nasicus) is venomoid!   

Anyways, as I recall, one of the members here awhile back had a T whose fangs got messed up by a moult, and that person had to cut open the crickets and/or make "cricket soup" for the poor T.


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## Arachnopuppy

Again, my question wasn't "can you defang a tarantula?"  My question was "if you defang a tarantula, can they still eat?"


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## Code Monkey

> _Originally posted by Lam _
> *Again, my question wasn't "can you defang a tarantula?"  My question was "if you defang a tarantula, can they still eat?" *


Yes, we know, unfortunately for you it spawned a discussion on cat declawing.

Ts can eat already killed and opened up prey, just not well.

Declawing cats is an unecessary and cruel operation.


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## Critterfarm

> _Originally posted by Wolfchan _
> *I also have an astonishing number of people ask me if my snake (H. Nasicus) is venomoid!
> *


Anyone that asks if a hognose snake is a venomoid is an idiot and I think you should de-fang and/or de-claw them


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## InsaneCaine

Lam, I know what you meant. Sorry that your thread kind of got side tracked (hi-jacked). 



> _Originally posted by manville:_
> *weird no one ask me that question before. why would they ask that question...weird*


I think that Code Monkey said it best.



> _ Originally posted by Code Monkey:_
> *The unwashed masses being both convinced that they're dangerously venomous as well as prone to bite can't imagine that anyone would get near one with the fangs intact. *


I've had some people ask, "Aren't those things more poisonous than Black Widows?" To which i reply, "No, they are not more venomous than Black Widows."


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## DnKslr

> One of the first questions you will be asked upon people seeing a live tarantula is "Is it defanged?".


That has always confused me. Even before I got any T's I knew that you couldn't (at least you shouldn't) defang them. Snakes can be defanged. Some people even defang their dogs and cats or file the teeth down but how could anyone think T's can be defanged without serious injury? These are the same people that ask me "They're not poisonous right? You only have the non poisonous ones right?" and I just stare at them

	
	
		
		
	


	




I've even had people that own snakes ask me that and when I tell them "No, they are all venomous" the first thing they say is "Well, I won't be coming to your house!" "I have snakes but they're not venomous so they're not dangerous." Again, I just stare at them amazed at the stupidity they're capable of


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## Mojo Jojo

I don't think that boxers would look right with their tail long.


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## Sheri

> _Originally posted by Big Dragonfly _
> *I don't think that boxers would look right with their tail long. *


Boxers wouldn't look right with their tail long b/c you have only seen boxers with short tails.
Which brings me to circumcision.
To snip or not to snip? I said no for my boys. In fact, medi-care here won't cover the procedure anymore. Is it also becoming less common in the States?
Sorry Lam.


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## Code Monkey

> _Originally posted by sheri _
> *To snip or not to snip? I said no for my boys. In fact, medi-care here won't cover the procedure anymore. Is it also becoming less common in the States?
> Sorry Lam. *


It is becoming less common. If I have boys I'm not going to have them circumcised (hopefully find out the gender tomorrow, maybe then we can call the baby something better than 'Nacho').


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## Sheri

My dead friend bob named his son Aniken. They were planning on giving him up for adoption and nic-named the fetus that. After he was born they just couldn't think of a more appropriate name.
I think its a boy because it seems to be a boy trend this past couple of years. I know of very few people who have had girls since 1999. 
Let us know!


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## Arachnopuppy

> _Originally posted by Code Monkey _
> *It is becoming less common. If I have boys I'm not going to have them circumcised (hopefully find out the gender tomorrow, maybe then we can call the baby something better than 'Nacho'). *


Hahaha.  Good luck.  My sister and her husband couldn't agree on a name until after the boy was born.  And even then, they just chose something that neither of the wanted, because it was neutral territory.  They ended up naming him Kenny.


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## Critterfarm

> _Originally posted by Code Monkey _
> *It is becoming less common. If I have boys I'm not going to have them circumcised (hopefully find out the gender tomorrow, maybe then we can call the baby something better than 'Nacho'). *


Let me take the opportunity to congratulate you and the wife/significant missus.  It's always nice to see healthy and productive (assumption based on your language and communication skills ) members of society breed to offset the slathering masses and their great contributions.  I hope for the best for both of you and for the child.


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## Immortal_sin

another thread derailed!

Shelby is named for the car, of course. If she'd have been a boy, it would have been Cobra. Everyone is glad she was a girl


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## metzgerzoo

"it seems to be a boy trend this past couple of years. I know of very few people who have had girls since 1999."

I must be the rare one...I've had two girls since 99.

Lam...tell your friends that once they can figure out the art of "Tarantula dentistry" and can figure out a way to keep the fangs from coming back while at the same time, supplying them with a liquid diet by hand...then the fangs shall stay!!!;P


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## phormingochilus

> _Originally posted by Lam _
> *Again, my question wasn't "can you defang a tarantula?"  My question was "if you defang a tarantula, can they still eat?" *


The answer would be yes. But it will take intensive care to feed the poor critter and it's useless in any regard as if you succeed to nurse the spider through its next molt, it will regenerate the fangs almost completely. 

I'd say that it would be plain cruelty to defang a tarantula. If we take the analog with the cats it would be like removing the lower jaw ... with the exception that cats cannot regenerate a jaw in a year or two after such an operation. But I am sure you can imagine the impact on a tarantula during the period it should be without fangs. You should literally be tube feeding the animal stressing both you and in essence your pet.

If you really think that you should defang a tarantula in order to be keeping such animal, I'd strongly suggest that you don't choose to keep T's - or any animal with fangs, respecting these amazing animals' physical integrity.

Best regards
Søren


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## Arachnopuppy

> _Originally posted by Immortal_sin _
> *another thread derailed!
> *


Don't worry.  I don't mind at all if my thread is hijacked or goes in a completely different direction, as long as people are happy.  Actually, I was interested in people sharing info about their "younguns".


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## Arachnopuppy

> _Originally posted by phormingochilus _
> *If you really think that you should defang a tarantula in order to be keeping such animal, I'd strongly suggest that you don't choose to keep T's - or any animal with fangs, respecting these amazing animals' physical integrity.
> 
> Best regards
> Søren *


Just so everyone knows especially those that doesn't recognize me, I am Lam.  I kept tarantulas for quite a while before having to ship them off to someone to keep for me until I find other ways to keep them.  School dorm police came after my a$$ when they found out that I'd been keeping dozens and dozens of critters and that my friends were keeping them for me whenever they inspected my room.  It was either a kick in the butt that would land me on the street or getting rid of the tarantulas.  I reluctantly chose to ship them to Krystal, who then shipped them to Conipto.  Untraceble if you ask me.

But ya, I love tarantulas and animal over all.  I would personally let them devour me before I mutilate them in anyway.  Got bitten before and that didn't deter me one bit for keeping them.

In fact, I was one of the original members of this site.  I was here when arachnopets was in its infancy.  Man, am I old...


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## Kenny

*Little out of topic, kinda*

Hi

De-clawing a cat in Sweden for example, is illegal, it's considered to be animal cruelty/suffering, i.e. you can't go to a vet and get it done.


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## Immortal_sin

AFAIK...it's illegal in most European countries....

(sorry again Lam!!!)


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## Arachnopuppy

Ok, let me get this straight.  Declawing a cat is completely removing the claws?  Or is it just trimming the claws?  If it's removing the claws, that's horrible!  It's like removing my finger nails for good.  I happen to use my finger nails for a lot of things.


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## Immortal_sin

Lam, it not only removes the entire claw, it removes the FIRST JOINT of the toe....ugh!
very very bad!


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## Arachnopuppy

Then why the hell do people have cats if they're going to do that to their cats?  It's like deciding to have a child and then chain him to the wall so we don't have to hire a babysitter.


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## Immortal_sin

> _Originally posted by Lam _
> *Then why the hell do people have cats if they're going to do that to their cats?  It's like deciding to have a child and then chain him to the wall so we don't have to hire a babysitter. *


good question.. I suppose it's rhetorical?!


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## xBurntBytheSunx

people always ask me if i've had their poison removed hahahaha


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## Arachnopuppy

> _Originally posted by xBurntBytheSunx _
> *people always ask me if i've had their poison removed hahahaha *


Hahahaha.  For one thing, I gave up a long time ago telling people the difference between venom and poison.  For another, I also gave up long ago to say "and how would you suggest I do that?" whenever people ask me that question.


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## Longbord1

they say circumcisions are alot healthier for a male. as u know that there is a thing called smegma i hope im allowed to say that. and ive heard that it can get out of control if u don't wash it or something
and u can get infections and stuff.

although getting circumsized does make a big scar on ur parts.

i still think it is the healthier way to go.


mike


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## Sheri

> _Originally posted by Longbord1 _
> *they say circumcisions are alot healthier for a male. as u know that there is a thing called smegma i hope im allowed to say that. and ive heard that it can get out of control if u don't wash it or something
> and u can get infections and stuff.
> 
> although getting circumsized does make a big scar on ur parts.
> 
> i still think it is the healthier way to go.
> 
> 
> mike *


circumcision was taken up by Brits and North Americans in the WW1 when they were in the trenches for so long that they kep getting repeat infections of their penis. As a result, the mainstream population got on board insisting it was cleaner. But if uncut males gave the same amount of attention to keeing thier privates clean as they do to day, their hair, it is generally not a problem, although infection will still occasionaly occur in hygenic males.


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## Arachnopuppy

I am uncut and I clean it everyday in the shower.  People take showers at least once a day, well... hopefully once a day.  I don't understand why or how people don't clean their most precious part of the body.  It's beyond me I guess.


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