Are these parasite eggs in my T's poop?

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

They are about half the size of a grain of rice each.

The vet's office is closed at the moment, and I was told just before they closed to try to get a sample the next time it pooped, just incase it had parasites.

But I'm not sure how to scrape those off intact, or even if I'm supposed to.

Should I just leave them on the side of the acrylic glass until I can bring the enclosure in on monday when they re-open? Or is that a bad idea?

 

[kingshockey]

i cant say for sure if its just poop or not but the vets is a waste of time and money say you take the sample in and pay to get tests run and then if they can even id it as a parasite what then? they dont know how to treat tarantulas anything that kills the parasite would probably kill the t as well. you can try this though soak a cotton ball use tong to apply it gently to those spots if it smears /gets runny its most likely poop

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

Damn...

The vet said they had medication for parasites, I didn't know it was a also toxic to tarantulas...

If it can't be cured what should I do? I put it on the other side of my house in quarantine to protect my other Ts.

I've only had it for a few days, it eats like its starving but gains no abdomen weight, and either the pet store or the people who brought it to them messed up its toes on one of its legs

I feel really bad for it, is there really nothing I can do to help it recover?

 

[Brewser]

I've only had it for a few days, it eats like its starving but gains no abdomen weight, and either the pet store or the people who brought it to them messed up its toes on one of its legs

Pics ?

 

[Arachnophobphile]

They are about half the size of a grain of rice each.

The vet's office is closed at the moment, and I was told just before they closed to try to get a sample the next time it pooped, just incase it had parasites.

But I'm not sure how to scrape those off intact, or even if I'm supposed to. View attachment 480697

Should I just leave them on the side of the acrylic glass until I can bring the enclosure in on monday when they re-open? Or is that a bad idea?

If you do a search on tarantula parasites the most you are going to find deals with nematodes, mites, tarantula hawks, diptera flies and phorrid flies.

Nematomorpha or horsehair worms do not pose a threat to tarantulas due to the characteristics of their reproductive cycle.

Alot of the info can be derived from ' The Tarantula Keeper's Guide' pages 220-222. Even though the book is old the info on parasites is still current.

Like @kingshockey said vets are not going to know how to treat it without killing the T. Nematodes are fatal as by the time they present themselves it is already too late.

From your pic I cannot make out what it is. Could be eggs of something but also could be poop remnants, who knows. They are definitely not nematode eggs as you would not visually be able to see those.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

It looks like poop pellets to me

 

[cold blood]

it eats like its starving but gains no abdomen weight,

sounds like a normal freshly molted t. It takes time and many meals or very large meals to fatten them quickly....on top of that there is no need, or advantage in a t fattening quickly.

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

Pics ?

@ Here is the effected toe as close up as I could get. when moving it holds this leg straight up, when still it eventually brings it back down but usually not all the way. it runs fine on the ground with that leg up, and is fast and kills/eats prey easily, but sometimes tumbles when wall sprinting to the substrate if the substrate is too far away. So it was reccomended I keep it in a terrestrial enclosure to avoid falls (to bolster this I added in even more substrate).

The vet and his contacts agreed with it likely being do to someone closing a lid on its foot (and if not that, a bad molt).

It pissed me off someone would do that, but at the same time I was also relieved that it probably wasnt parasites and might be fixed with a molt (though I did ask if he could check for parasites just incase for peace of mind, and he was happy to do so if I wanted to, but the consensus was that its mechanical damage).

That is until about an hour after the call I saw what looked like eggs in the first pic I posted, I knew it wasnt nematode eggs as those you need a microscope to see, but was worried it might be something else.

This is my first aboreal thats not a sling, so I'm not used to seeing whats normal in visible poop yet. The only other adult ive had was a male g. rosea, and that was decades ago when I was a child, (I cant recall if I ever even saw its poop, he was quite old when I got him). So from a practical view I'm new to the hobby, but also "technically" not?

The slings' poop is so tiny I never end up noticing it, otherwise I would just compare. I figured if I posted here people could compare with their own poop pics and perhaps ease my mind if it looked the same. (I don't trust just searching it up these days with how much inaccurate stuff and AI generated garbage is out there now, and this seemed faster than looking up a video)

sounds like a normal freshly molted t. It takes time and many meals or very large meals to fatten them quickly....on top of that there is no need, or advantage in a t fattening quickly.

Thats a relief, I was worried its seemingly endless hunger meant a parasite was possibly eating its food.

It looks like poop pellets to me
View attachment 480707

Thank you! That pic helps a lot

If you do a search on tarantula parasites the most you are going to find deals with nematodes, mites, tarantula hawks, diptera flies and phorrid flies.

Nematomorpha or horsehair worms do not pose a threat to tarantulas due to the characteristics of their reproductive cycle.

Alot of the info can be derived from ' The Tarantula Keeper's Guide' pages 220-222. Even though the book is old the info on parasites is still current.

Like @kingshockey said vets are not going to know how to treat it without killing the T. Nematodes are fatal as by the time they present themselves it is already too late.

From your pic I cannot make out what it is. Could be eggs of something but also could be poop remnants, who knows. They are definitely not nematode eggs as you would not visually be able to see those.

Thats really unfortunate that we don't have a safe cure yet for that, hopefully one is found at some point, but thank you for the tips and search query suggestions.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Poop can look a bit different in different T’s, and/or just at different times. Chalky clumps, sprayed, smeared white “paint pen” looking streaks, you’ll get used to it. What I posted there was also an Avic, recently rehoused.
Although the damaged foot sucks, if it bothered her too much, she’d cast the leg off and regrow a new one. I wouldn’t worry about it as it doesn’t seem to be impeding her ability to hunt.
If you post a full pic of your setup, peeps here may have suggestions. Also if you haven’t yet checked it out, our resident Avic expert has a great Avic care guide. New or old, it’s a good read.

Avicularia Husbandry?

Hi! I'm new to the forum and am unsure if this is the right place for this, but I was wondering if there's anything I should know in advance before purchasing an Avicularia genus? (specifically, I have my eye on some a. metallica slings) I've done some reading, but being that I've only ever had...

arachnoboards.com

.

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

Poop can look a bit different in different T’s, and/or just at different times. Chalky clumps, sprayed, smeared white “paint pen” looking streaks, you’ll get used to it. What I posted there was also an Avic, recently rehoused.
Although the damaged foot sucks, if it bothered her too much, she’d cast the leg off and regrow a new one. I wouldn’t worry about it as it doesn’t seem to be impeding her ability to hunt.
If you post a full pic of your setup, peeps here may have suggestions. Also if you haven’t yet checked it out, our resident Avic expert has a great Avic care guide. New or old, it’s a good read.

Avicularia Husbandry?

Hi! I'm new to the forum and am unsure if this is the right place for this, but I was wondering if there's anything I should know in advance before purchasing an Avicularia genus? (specifically, I have my eye on some a. metallica slings) I've done some reading, but being that I've only ever had...

arachnoboards.com

.

Interesting, I guess thats why I haven't noticed the way poop is suppposed to look until my 8th tarantula lol (granted I got most of those in the same month)

And yeah, since its eating ok, I was more worried that if it had parasites it could die and possibly could spread them to my other Ts who so far are doing really well (my Davus pentaloris sling even molted in plain sight because of where it's burrow is, so that was pretty cool to see in person in real time).

When my Avicularia avicularia moves its almost like the leg is getting pulled upward as a reflex in a rigid fashion, rather than it positioning it. Kind of like if a double jointed person had someone else pull their finger backward and it locked in place for a while. Maybe the toe issue is a tendon issue in the entire leg? (the vet also suggested it being a tendon problem, which is making more sense as yesterday after the call its leg hyperextended up and sideways, almost touching the rear middle leg on the other side, it looked so painful ‍ but I guess its lucky it doesn't have nociceptors..).

Is it worth getting it checked just to make sure its not being a contagion vector? Also, despite being advised to keep it in a terrestrial enclosure, it still sticks to the walls, so when I put more loose substrate in to act as a pillow to land on if it tumbled again, I'm not exactly sure how much space I'm supposed to leave. It's instinct is to walk/run on vertical surfaces, so it needs room to walk, but if I give it too much room, it will keep falling when I feed it, and cushioning or not, avics are pretty fragile. So yes, I would certainly welcome any enclosure alteration advice!

Oh and I will definitely give that a read, gimpy or not I love my clutzy avic

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

Poop can look a bit different in different T’s, and/or just at different times. Chalky clumps, sprayed, smeared white “paint pen” looking streaks, you’ll get used to it. What I posted there was also an Avic, recently rehoused.
Although the damaged foot sucks, if it bothered her too much, she’d cast the leg off and regrow a new one. I wouldn’t worry about it as it doesn’t seem to be impeding her ability to hunt.
If you post a full pic of your setup, peeps here may have suggestions. Also if you haven’t yet checked it out, our resident Avic expert has a great Avic care guide. New or old, it’s a good read.

Avicularia Husbandry?

Hi! I'm new to the forum and am unsure if this is the right place for this, but I was wondering if there's anything I should know in advance before purchasing an Avicularia genus? (specifically, I have my eye on some a. metallica slings) I've done some reading, but being that I've only ever had...

arachnoboards.com

.

Here is a pic of the enclosure, as well as its leg doing its craziness, sorry for blurry glare. I havent added plants yet, its intended enclosure was going to be the thrive arboreal one, but that now sits empty.

 

[NMTs]

Looks like poop to me. Avics are normally on the thinner side as compared to heavy-bodied terrestrial species. The leg issue is concerning - that is something that I've seen as the result of an injury. Internal pressure due to swelling/bruising is what I've seen hypothesized about this, and it makes sense based on the way tarantulas move. A molt might correct the issue, but it also may not. The best you can do for it is keep it fed and watered. Also, before I spent any more money at that vet, I would ask them to thoroughly explain to me what kind of treatment they could provide to a T. It would shock me if they had any real treatment options, so it seems unethical that they're willing to continue testing/examining your spider and charging you for it...

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

Looks like poop to me. Avics are normally on the thinner side as compared to heavy-bodied terrestrial species. The leg issue is concerning - that is something that I've seen as the result of an injury. Internal pressure due to swelling/bruising is what I've seen hypothesized about this, and it makes sense based on the way tarantulas move. A molt might correct the issue, but it also may not. The best you can do for it is keep it fed and watered. Also, before I spent any more money at that vet, I would ask them to thoroughly explain to me what kind of treatment they could provide to a T. It would shock me if they had any real treatment options, so it seems unethical that they're willing to continue testing/examining your spider and charging you for it...

The vet advised me to just keep an eye on it and keep it in a terrestrial setup after I sent pics and video. I was the one who requested checking its poop afterwards just incase (as I was worried). He told me if I want to I can have it looked at under his microscope, then warned me about the price estimate being high, and to collect its poop next time it goes if I want to do that, (though I forgot to ask how to collect it, and when I called back they were already closed). He also mentioned an at home test kit but said the zoom quality is bad on it for checking things that small.

A previous vet I talked to before all of this, had told me that the bum leg could either be from injury, or a parasite, so when I told the new vet what the other vet said, and showed him pictures of the leg, mouth, and foot, and video of it walking, a light colored strand in its mouth caught our attention once we zoomed in, but we ended up deducing it was likely just soil debris because its gone and the mouth now looks clean. He said he had not heard of a parasite attacking a single foot/leg specifically from the inside, and that its likely just physical trauma from whoever captured it or put it in the store, but after seeing the poop that looked a bit like some sort of eggs I was worried again.

It was basically this for a shorthand of the convo:
Him: it should be fine if kept in a terrestrial until healed, it will likely either heal in a molt or if not it will just look odd but be ok as long as that strand in the mouth was just debris, which it looks like is the case.
Me: are you sure? is there a way to double check? what about the stool sample the other person mentioned, how does that test work? can I do it at home?

Wording was different and there were more topics, we talked for a while, but that was the consensus basically.

Its not like he was pressuring me to go to the vet's office, he told me to wait at least a few days before deciding to make an appointment. He did mention a medication if needed in the cost if I went, I don't know what it was though. I will ask him what it is and what risk it poses to my pink toe if it receives it.

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

Also, ignore the fang pic attachment above, i selected an internet screenshot by mistake, removed it before posting but it still shows as an attachment, here is an actual pic of its fangs. that whiteish strand is gone now, and ignore the washed out color of the chelicera hairs, they are actually bright red and pinkish, my camera just sucks in low light

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

Better lighting version

 

[NMTs]

Its not like he was pressuring me to go to the vet's office, he told me to wait at least a few days before deciding to make an appointment.

OK, that makes more sense. I was sitting here thinking the vet was hearing a cash register jingling...

He did mention a medication if needed in the cost if I went, I don't know what it was though. I will ask him what it is and what risk it poses to my pink toe if it receives it.

Also ask how it's administered. It's not like you can make a T take a pill or drink some liquid medication. Even if it were powdered and dusted onto a feeder item, the way T's eat would prevent them from ingesting it.

Either way, I'm confident that what you posted a picture of above is excrement and not eggs. T poop looks just like the poop picture that @IntermittentSygnal posted - little oval shaped beads that can be shades of white or brown.

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

OK, that makes more sense. I was sitting here thinking the vet was hearing a cash register jingling...


Also ask how it's administered. It's not like you can make a T take a pill or drink some liquid medication. Even if it were powdered and dusted onto a feeder item, the way T's eat would prevent them from ingesting it.

Either way, I'm confident that what you posted a picture of above is excrement and not eggs. T poop looks just like the poop picture that @IntermittentSygnal posted - little oval shaped beads that can be shades of white or brown.

Lol nah he's a good guy.

Thats a really good point about the medication though, I didn't even think to ask how its administered, maybe by injecting a cricket? I'll definitely ask, thank you!

And yeah, weird how it looks like eggs though. Quiet nerve racking when your other Ts hide their poop lol. I guess I should have started with more adults for the reference.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Looks like poop to me. Avics are normally on the thinner side as compared to heavy-bodied terrestrial species. The leg issue is concerning - that is something that I've seen as the result of an injury. Internal pressure due to swelling/bruising is what I've seen hypothesized about this, and it makes sense based on the way tarantulas move. A molt might correct the issue, but it also may not. The best you can do for it is keep it fed and watered. Also, before I spent any more money at that vet, I would ask them to thoroughly explain to me what kind of treatment they could provide to a T. It would shock me if they had any real treatment options, so it seems unethical that they're willing to continue testing/examining your spider and charging you for it...

I remember that thread with the hydraulics issue, but don’t remember the outcome. I’ll see if I can find it.

 

[NMTs]

I remember that thread with the hydraulics issue, but don’t remember the outcome. I’ll see if I can find it.

I remember seeing one about a jumper, but I think there have been some about T's, too...

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

I remember that thread with the hydraulics issue, but don’t remember the outcome. I’ll see if I can find it.

I would definitely appreciate that.