Bleeding GBB

[killy]

I knew that Honeybee, my GBB, was in pre-molt, so it was no surprise to find him "flipped" last week ... a couple of things bothered me, though: his front legs seemed to be pinned under him, and I don't remember ever seeing his belly look charred-black like that ...

I felt better when I came back and saw this ...

Things seemed to be going according to the great cosmic plan ...

I witnessed the second flip, but my camera wasn't ready, dammit! ...

Looked like time for a bigger house, but I didn't want to rehouse him just yet - damn me, in retrospect I should have re-housed him when he was in pre-molt ... I was very concerned about the legs, though - don't they look a little crooked and curled under?

Today I noticed little pearly-beads of hemolymph on his left hind leg ...

I immediately put him in an ICU (see the shot above) but I consulted the TKG which says, in the case of this kind of trauma, to keep him calm and dry and left alone in his enclosure, maintain feeding and watering ... so here's Honeybee in his new digs -
[

This is the first serious health crisis I've encountered with my Ts - I know I'm in good company - I'd like to hear from those of you that have dealt with a similar situation ...

 

[Mammothdog]

I haven't actually had a situation like yours because I'm kinda new. But I just wanted to say you have a awesome T. She may have had a little complications while molting. Just keep her well hydrated and it should get better.

 

[Hobo]

I knew that Honeybee, my GBB, was in pre-molt, so it was no surprise to find him "flipped" last week ... a couple of things bothered me, though: his front legs seemed to be pinned under him, and I don't remember ever seeing his belly look charred-black like that ...

I felt better when I came back and saw this ...

Things seemed to be going according to the great cosmic plan ...

I witnessed the second flip, but my camera wasn't ready, dammit! ...

Looked like time for a bigger house, but I didn't want to rehouse him just yet - damn me, in retrospect I should have re-housed him when he was in pre-molt ... I was very concerned about the legs, though - don't they look a little crooked and curled under?

Today I noticed little pearly-beads of hemolymph on his left hind leg ...

I immediately put him in an ICU (see the shot above) but I consulted the TKG which says, in the case of this kind of trauma, to keep him calm and dry and left alone in his enclosure, maintain feeding and watering ... so here's Honeybee in his new digs -
[

This is the first serious health crisis I've encountered with my Ts - I know I'm in good company - I'd like to hear from those of you that have dealt with a similar situation ...

My B. boehmei had a similar issue on one of her joints. After spinning around to grab a cricket, I noticed she was keeping leg I on her left side elevated as she was webbing the cricket up. I then noticed a bead of hemolymph forming right under the "knee" joint. It eventually dried, and she kept it elevated for about a month or so before using the leg regularly again. She hasn't moltet since then, but I expect no problems from her leg.

 

[xhexdx]

I wouldn't have done all that rehousing so soon after a molt.

 

[justinherran]

well good luck, i hope your spider is okay.

 

[Musicwolf]

I wouldn't have done all that rehousing so soon after a molt.

I agree, but I do understand what the OP was "trying" to do - - The ICU wasn't the best idea in this instance, but since the OP decided to move it back to a dry enclosure . . . . . might as well set up the new house for it.

Definitely a stressful experience all around for the T - rough molt, loss of familiar environment/webbing/home, and sudden climate changes (dry, wet, dry).

Has the bleeding stopped? That's my only concern right now . . . if the bleeding has stopped then just leave the poor T alone for a long while (like a week, so it can fully harden). Since the injury is on a leg - worst case scenario would be the T could remove the leg itself and regenerate over the next couple molts. Best case scenario is it recovers on it's own like Hobo's did.

Long story short, the T "should" be fine, but in the future, I'd recommend less interaction during and right after a molt.

 

[killy]

I want to thank everybody for your encouraging words and your spot-on critiques, and I'll be the first to agree with all of you. The moral of this story, I guess, is "read the TKG first, THEN react." I kinda did that one bass-ackwards. But as a former boss of mine likes to say "there's always time to do it right the second time" ...

The good news is yes, the breach appears to have been dammed, and I don't see any more glistening globs of T-goo. Honeybee seems to be doing what GBBs are supposed to do, including festooning his new enclosure like he's Omar the Tentmaker.

Here's a shot I took a few minutes ago. All systems seem to be go (but I won't take that for granted!) ...

 

[Musicwolf]

Glad that things appear to be normal - - a great looking spider to be sure.

 

[jrzyspider]

Hi Killy, Glad to see things seem to be ok. Your Honeybee is beautiful!

 

[killy]

Glad that things appear to be normal - - a great looking spider to be sure.

Thanks!

Originally posted by Jrzyspider
Hi Killy, Glad to see things seem to be ok. Your Honeybee is beautiful!

Thanks! Hey, did you get your GBB yet?