A. versicolor Dying?

[hlb118]

My versicolor is now at the bottom of it's enclosure. It normally only comes out late in the evening to feed. It's now trying to walk around, can't keep it's balance, and can't climb up to the web/tunnels up top. I noticed this Monday evening.

I misted the enclosure a little more than usual since it's been acting weird. I have seen a video of t's dying, but it's a little young to be dying and I haven't seen the curl yet.

Should I put it in "ICU" ?

Sitting at work, I can't spend too much time searching. But I did look in the general Q & A section with no luck. I would like to do something to help when I get home from work later today.

Thank you,

Shannon

 

[Megan]

It sounds like your tarantula is exhibiting signs of "Dyskinetic Syndrome" or, for short, DKS. Sadly, this means very little because no one knows for sure the cause of it. I would definitely type that term in the search to read more about it.

You need to start looking at a whole range of possibilities: it could be anything from parasites to some type of poisoning (from the air or from the food). Do you spray any chemicals near your cage? Where do you get your feeders from? Do you have dogs or cats that you have recently applied a topical flea treatment to (this is a big one, it's VERY toxic to your T)? Where does the water you give your spider come from? You need to start looking at all aspects of spider's environment to see if there's any possibility of a harmful substance entering.

ICU helps mostly with dehydration but, at this point, since you don't know what is causing it and ICU won't hurt your spider, I would go ahead and ICU it.

 

[Kathy]

It's hard to say Shannon, but I know when my a. avic sling was going through its first molt, it went to the bottom of it's enclosure and acted weird. The next morning I got up and he had molted. I also know when they get close to molting they have a hard time climbing. Try not to think the worse, see how the little one is doing in the morning - maybe just getting ready to molt.

 

[DamoK21]

Im thinking the same ^^^ a upcoming molt. If the lil guy/girl starts twitching uncontrolably then yea id say DKS... and yea no one noes anything about it because of one simple reason... No one wants to fund the reasearch for it... Nor does any one wish to give any details on it, so for that reason i hope it aint DKS. but like me said i think s/he may just be coming into a molt... Alot of T's tend to be outragesly clumsy, slow moving, hard of walking and so on when it come's to molting,,,

let us now if any thing happens, or any further symptons show/occur

 

[shanebp]

Posting a picture would be helpful. Make sure it isn't too dry. I learned this the hard way, that when avics get dehydrated they go to the bottom to get as close to the moist substrate as possible. Mine unfortunately had to pass away before I found this out. Just my thoughts

 

[CAK]

Definitely a pic Shannon!

I had a pokie in a 2.5 gallon tank with a round tube hidey that was treated in "something" that put off a foul chemical musty smell after a couple months. The only reason I knew something was off, he was stumbling and fumbling all over the place and could hardly eat on a climb that I had in there. I smelled for mold or somethign and noticed the chemical smell.

I popped him into ICU and within 2 days, he was rip roaring again and better than ever. No more Petco round tube hideys for me!

Joe

 

[hlb118]

He is in ICU atm. My boyfriend kindly did that for me while I was at work yesterday. I will see if I can upload the picture from my phone that he took.

He is not even close to a curl. When I first noticed him sitting at the bottom of the enclosure, he was having trouble walking around (drunk). He had very spaz like movements. He even flipped upside down several times.

I would love it if all of this was due to molting! But he just molted a month or two ago. But you never know... Most of his molts took place in his tunnel.

His enclosure doesn't consist of much. Substrate, and a live plant I put in there that he put his house on. He made sure that he was sitting at the very top. The plant has since died, but I didn't take it out because his house was fine and so was he.

I do use advantage on my dog, but none of the other T's are showing signs of being bothered by it. The A. versicolor sits above a not working fire place with a few others, basically on display. The A. avic that sits right next to him is fine.

I guess all I can do is sit back and wait. I'll be feeding tonight, so I'll be double checking all spiders.

Thanks!

 

[CAK]

I do use advantage on my dog, but none of the other T's are showing signs of being bothered by it. The A. versicolor sits above a not working fire place with a few others, basically on display. The A. avic that sits right next to him is fine.


Thanks!

This is raising a huge flag for me! I'm sure other more experienced folks than me would chime in. Any spray chemicals (i.e. Advantage Flea killer) can and will become airborn and these little guys are VERY sensitive to begin with, which is possibly why you aren't seeing it in your other heartier T's.

Anyone else with an opinion?

 

[hlb118]

The Advantage was the expensive stuff you have to buy from the vets office. It's a topical drop that's put on the dogs skin. Not a spray.

I did think of it, and it just so happened, that I bathed him thoroughly Sunday. Because of the chance of it bothering the spiders, I wont be using it any longer. It's just wierd that I have been using it on him for "years" and not a single spider has been bothered. But it could be a possibility. So I eliminated that one.

Like I said, I'm going to be feeding tonight. So I will be checking on everyone for any signs of illness. Even the guys that don't like to come out.

Another possibility could be the crickets. But wouldn't others show signs if it was the food?

 

[xhexdx]

Avics can be very difficult to keep alive. I noticed you said it's too young to be dying, but with avics, the smaller they are, the more likely they are to die for 'no reason'.

What other spiders do you own? You're trying to compare apples to oranges, in my opinion, when saying the advantage should affect them all equally. Same with the cricket analogy.

Some of the hardier spiders (G. rosea, P. murinus, etc., in my opinion) might be able to tolerate things that something as fragile as an Avic can't.

Hope it works out, but by your description of the spazzing and flipping, I wouldn't get my hopes up too much.

Keep it in the ICU, make sure it stays warm and moist, and try to offer food when you're comfortable doing so and are able to keep a close eye on it and remove the food item if necessary.

--Joe

 

[hlb118]

Copied from profile.

3 Grammostola rosea F's (rose hair) Adults
1 Brachypelma smithi (mexican red knee) Subadult
2 Brachypelma albopilosa MM (curly hair) Adults
2 Grammostola aureostriatum (chaco golden knee) Subadults
1 Grammostola pulchra (brazilian black) Juvi
2 Avicularia avicularia (pink toe) Adult & Subadult
1 Avicularia versicolor (antilles pink toe) Subadult
1 Lasiodora striatipes F (bahia grey birdeater) Adult
1 Theraphosa apophysis (burgundy goliath) Juvi
1 Heteroscodra maculata (ornamental baboon) Adult
1 Haplopelma lividum F (cobalt blue) Subadult
1 Pterinochilus murinus (usambara baboon) Adult
1 Citharischius crawshayi (king baboon) Juvi
1 Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (greenbottle blue) Adult

Scorp's

1 Uroctonus mordax (found in northern california)

Like I said, I'll be doing a thorough check of all T's tonight. I am not happy about having one of my T's sick. He's been with me a year and a half now. Molts have all been quick (with no issues), he's always fiesty and a great eater.

Pictures on MySpace Joe lol www.myspace.com/shannonkenny

 

[hlb118]

No luck so far. I do have a question about the position he is in now...

Last night around 10pm I went to check on him. He was upside down, but in a curl. Never have I seen a T molting in a curl like that, but they have all been upside down. Checked on him this morning, same position. (Just peaking in the container)

Is it common for spiders to pass upside down?

I have witnessed many moltings, so it's old news. But this is weird to me.

 

[gumby]

My guess would be that he passed away. I am very sorry. You might watch for another day or so just to make sure but chances are that your T has passed away.