Bad Molt!

Austin S.

Arachnoprince
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My Cy. sp's "blue" molted last night. BUT the new fangs "chel." are stuck in the old ones. Thats all that is stuck, everything else went good. I tried gently pulling it off this morning, but nothing will happen. It's just too tight. What do I need to do guys? I'm afraid if I try pulling it off, the new fangs will just snap. And if I leave it be, I'm afreaid the fangs will harden and nothing can be done and she will die. Please help me on this guys. I feel like time is running out...
 

wicked

Arachnobaron
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You could try to soften them up by 'painting' them with a wet Q tip or paint brush to soften up the old skin. If you can soften it up enough, you may be able to very gently brush away the old skin.

Gool luck. Hope all goes well.
 

mikeymo

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a bad molt is probably my biggest fear.
I'm new to the hobby so i've yet to see any of my three T's molt (Chilean Rose/Mex Red Knee/Chaco Golden Knee).

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but aside from removing crickets and keeping the humidity up what else can be done to ensure things go smoothly around molt time?
 

Brian S

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Were you keeping it very humid? Often times a bad molt is the result of keeping too dry
 

Austin S.

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No it's been very humid. I dunno what happend. Well the best I could do was that I cleared away most of the old skin. New fangs are shown, not injured. All old skin was cleared away from the chel. but I could not brush it all off. There is like a ring (only part of the remaining old skin)around both fangs where they would connect to the chel. Those being there, the T is unable to draw and withdraw it's fangs... so what I'm assuming is that when (if the fangs are even able to function right) it tries to eat/capture prey, it would be about to close the fangs... and suck up her food.... know what I mean? What do you all think? I can't believe this crap happend, especially to this one... my fav. Oh well, keep your fingers crossed I guess...
 

Austin S.

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Well???? Come on, times runnin out... Do you think she will be able to eat from what I have said above?
 

PinkLady

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We had an e.murinus molt with no fangs. The suggestions we had to help her out were to take crickets and crush them up so that they were almost soup like. Wolfy also fed her very small crickets to help her along. You can always try that out and see how it goes.
 

Nitibus

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We had an e.murinus molt with no fangs. The suggestions we had to help her out were to take crickets and crush them up so that they were almost soup like. Wolfy also fed her very small crickets to help her along. You can always try that out and see how it goes.

Has it molted since ? Did it get its fangs bak ?
 

Anastasia

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well, Am not an expert, but, usin common sence
I would put it in container wit 1/4 inch water and paper towel
and put on low heat pad, keep at 80-85
I have a aborial snake witch sumtime have bad shads
hi humidity definately helps
but in other hand after molt T's are very frigiale
so Am not sure, I wish to be more help
I also got singapore sp myself
I know they have to be kept pretty humid
 

Austin S.

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Here are some photo's, several. I wanted to get as many/as many different angles of this as I could...


 

Arachnophilist

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wow thats not looking so good. I would say all you could do is try the crushed crickets. it looks like her abdomen is really wet in the one pic as well.. what was that?
 

Austin S.

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most likely just water. so i assume when it comes to eating, she wont be able to eat normal? how can i get her to eat crushed crix?
 

SpiderZone2

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Since your able to hold it, then maybe if you keep on wetting down the area's gently and they will be able to soften up and pull off. I have never ever seen that happen to a T in my life or as long as I have had any T's! I would in the future keep humidity levels up a tad from what you have them as it seems it must have been to dry come molting time. I have only had the abdomen stick twice in all the years I have had T's. A gently spraying to moisten and it came off.
Sorry to hear of your delema and hope it does come off. I have talked to others in the hobby and since the molt is fairly fresh because of the white fangs, I would still try continous wetting before the fangs start hardening. Other than that I have no other suggestions. It still might be able to eat even if it looks as they do. If you have no choice or the fangs start hardening which they will in the upcoming days, you can simply crush a few crickets after about a week and see if it will feed. Also remember to leave a nice water dish for it. Sorry as I really don't know what else to tell you. Good luck and I hope your animal survives this!
 

wicked

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It appears that the bands of old exoskeleton are causing a restriction, like a rubber band. There is really no way to know if this is going to prevent her from eating or not. Anything you do at this point is a calculated risk. This is the most delicate time of their life.
Maybe it won't cause a problem.
Maybe she will groom it off herself.
Maybe you will be feeding her cricket soup in a jar lid for the next four months.

If it were me, I would keep the stuck skin moist and pliable and, depending on circumstances, try to cut it off or pull it off. That is assuming she does not become highly aggitated and stressed.

If it were possible to slip something under the band of stuck skin like a pin or toothpick to lift it away from the fresh skin and cut it with small scissors or nail clipper. Again, this is a calculated risk and it is a risk. It's completely up to you.
Or, if you think it can be pulled down rather than cut, straighten out a paper clip, fold the end over to make a very tiny hook (I would dot glue on the end of the hook so the sharp edge would not cut her) and try to shimmy the band down and off. I really doubt she would stand for this, but it was just a thought.
Because of where it is I would assume the restriction would cause a problem for venom injection, but if she is able to fold her chelicerae under her she should still be able to eat smooshed crickets.

If you opt out of removing it, perhaps set her up in and ICU and leave her be for a few days just to be on the safe side. I bet she is pretty stressed out by now.
Best of luck to you. A very lovely T, I hope she comes out of it ok.
 

PinkLady

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Has it molted since ? Did it get its fangs bak ?
Wolfy had taken her to work and she was coming along really well. He was in the middle of doing some maint. and some children were getting a little too close to his station. He asked the parents to have their children back up only for safety purposes. Long story short they blew Wolfy off...one of the children hit the cart that the tarantulas were on and our baby got loose. She was found the following day in the sink drain at the back of the store. :( :mad:
 

guitarlust

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i hope at works out well with trying to get the stuck skin off. i'm new to the hobby and do not have much experience. a bad molt is what i am most fearful of.
 

Austin S.

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Maybe some good news for everyone. I just got off work, checked on her, and knowticed she has spread silk alllll over the place... maybe she'll be okay. Gunna try some crix in a couple days... keep those fingers crossed!
 
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