Anal Impaction?

[DarkBrother]

I wonder if a tiny drop( a little bit on the end of a toothpick) of ex-LAX in their water bowls would help with the impaction?
Anyone willing to try,
Post back the results.

 

[James Spiders]

I just went threw this impaction with a hogna Miami wolf spider I bought online was only small was really good eater I'm fairly new to keeping spiders I had few when a was younger but have only recently got back into it I'd never heard of impaction before this but I'm fairly sure that's what it is open to hearing people's opinions on my pictures was ashame as he was great eater he hide alot until a day ago he came out and a seen the white blockage a thought it was mold at first but couldn't find any in his enclosures then he stopped moving and curled abit and a started researching what's out there and came to this conclusion what causes it is it over feeding?? as I have alot more slings mostly T's now and a obviously want to avoid this if I can as it's really sad for the spider.

 

[James Mullally]

It seems a few folks I know or whom I follow have had cases of anal impactions in their collections that resulted in fatalities in every case I'm aware of.

How big a problem is this? How rare is this condition? Have you personally dealt with an anal impaction in your collection? And if so, what did you do to treat the condition, if anything--and what was the outcome? Is this condition invariably fatal by the time we ascertain that one of our animals is suffering from it?

Also, in my home, we draw our water from a desert well, and our water is both off-the-chart Alkali and just chock-full of mineral content. My aquariums get a white lime crust around the top incredibly fast, and if I use tap water to spray glass tanks, the glass is coated with minerals almost immediatly that do not want to come off. I just sprang for a home water distillery system to avoid the cost and hassle of having to cart home distilled water from the grocery all the time, and I now have all of my snakes and spiders on distilled water just to avoid having a nasty mineral ring around all of my watering dishes and on the sides of my habitats.

Which has gotten me thinking: is there any possibility that mineral sediment in our water supply could be contributing to cases of impaction? I know that Drs. here in Arizona believe that drinking our well water can certainly contribute to the development of kidney stones in humans. Is it at all possible that the same could be true for blockages in spiders?

Could it be something we are feeding them? Could chitin levels affect the development of impactions?

I don't know enough about tarantula physiology to even formulate an opinion, but only to postulate a hypothesis. All the same, I thought I would do so. This seems like just such a sad and troubling condition for members of the hobby to have to face. I'm just wondering how widespread a condition it is and if there is anything at all to be done about it.

I’m currently trying to figure out what to do with an impacted tarantula and what it looks like I have a gbb I recently got it and I saw her climbing the glass and saw this I don’t know if she pooped on herself or if she is impacted I’m hoping you guys with a lot more experience can help me out.

 

[BMQ]

I saw this post and figured I'd revive it. I have a 6 year old Female P. Metallica who has eaten maybe twice in what must be nearly 2 years now. She usually molts once every year or so, so she is overdue if she is simply in premolt. Her energy is mostly the same though. Her abdomen seems shrunken, and she has a lot of what I believe to be feces around her anus. Could this be impaction?

I'm keeping her the same as I always have and never had these issues. I rehoused her nearly 2 years ago and that's when her issues started. I just noted the fecal material within the last week or so. I'm not sure if she is defecating. I attached pics. I've been stressing for well over a year about her not eating. Any help or thoughts is appreciated.

 

[Dry Desert]

I saw this post and figured I'd revive it. I have a 6 year old Female P. Metallica who has eaten maybe twice in what must be nearly 2 years now. She usually molts once every year or so, so she is overdue if she is simply in premolt. Her energy is mostly the same though. Her abdomen seems shrunken, and she has a lot of what I believe to be feces around her anus. Could this be impaction?

I'm keeping her the same as I always have and never had these issues. I rehoused her nearly 2 years ago and that's when her issues started. I just noted the fecal material within the last week or so. I'm not sure if she is defecating. I attached pics. I've been stressing for well over a year about her not eating. Any help or thoughts is appreciated.

As far as I am aware there is no such thing as " impaction "
If husbandry is correct , temperature, humidity etc. whatever is eaten will pass through the gut.
You will have egg binding in reptiles, but that is totally different.
With inverts, in the majority of cases the prey item is liquified when eaten so is never swallowed whole.
There have been some reports of millipedes dying of impaction caused by eating Coco fiber.
Not the case as there was little else, substrate wise, for it to eat.
And as Coco fiber has no neutritional value at all ,will have caused the death not impaction.
Any creature that attempts to swallow anything too large, intentionally, or unintentionally, will regurgitate said item, and as mentioned, inverts either slowly chew or liquify their prey, swallowing large items won't happen.

With correct husbandry, and correct varied diet anything consumed will pass, it's only when things are out of sync that problems occur, then we look around for an excuse, because obviously it couldn't be anything we've done, or not done, could it.

 

[IronPond]

My G.pulchripes juvenile has been very sluggish and refusing food, nothing I was worrying about I just assumed she is in premolt. Now today she was drinking from he water dish and i noticed a clearly visible little spot of poop between her spinnerets. This makes me wonder if she suffers from impaction. I've heard of people soaking q-tips i warm water and stroking the anus of their spiders to try to wipe off the poop plug. Could this be a way of helping her?

I have attached an image of the poop spot between her spinnerets, I apologize for the awful quality but I have no better means of photography.