Brachypelma emilia with possible diskentic syndrome

[tylerdpeter]

This girl for the past couple months has had a fungal infection around her spinerettes. She has refused food for several months with no signs of a molt coming up. Her abdomen keeps shrinking and now is becoming so wrinkled and thin I'm very worried. I've had her in a dry environment with access to clean water, that I change daily.
Every time I changed the water she would literally submerge herself, untill the next time I changed it. She seems extremely dehydrated but I've done all I can ( ICU, wet cotton swabs up to chelicre...deffinately mispronounced that) and she keeps getting worse. I've noticed within the past couple days she has been moving very strangely. So I took this video so maybe one of you can give me some insight. Thank you!

 

[emitellall]

These look like the movements of one of my tarantulas which recently died after a few months with similar symptoms(dks). I'm sorry about your girl. I hope she makes a recovery.

 

[JustSomeDude]

Damn shame keep us posted on the recovery beautiful little guy

 

[cold blood]

This may seem too obvious, but I'd moisten the substrate at the very least. It honestly looks more like a hydration issue. DKS....SYMPTOMS....are generally much wilder and frantic.

 

[viper69]

Only going by the video, I can tell you her leg movements are identical to the leg movements of all of my terrestrial NW Ts that I ultimately handled. It's my opinion that Ts do not like the sensation of touching human flesh at all. All of my Ts actively looked to avoid touching my hand when presented with either more of my hand to touch vs touching the hard surface they were on (they weren't in their homes either). They would all keep moving along the edge of the hard surface they were on, hoping not to come in contact with my hand.

I speculate it's because human flesh is soft and mushy to them when they step. I've never observed these leg movements when they touch a hard object such as plastic, a synthetic material, or cork bark.

 

[tylerdpeter]

This may seem too obvious, but I'd moisten the substrate at the very least. It honestly looks more like a hydration issue. DKS....SYMPTOMS....are generally much wilder and frantic.

The only moisture in its enclosure would come from its water bowl. Since I found the fungus I've kept the humidity as low as I possibly can. I only put her in the cup with wet towels ( in the video) so she might get a drink, and I could trasport her.

Ive seen videos where the dks symptoms are REDICULOUS, but my girl has never moved as sporadically as showed in the video. She is extremely lethargic and sits in one spot, in a half-ish death curl, 24/7.

 

[tylerdpeter]

Only going by the video, I can tell you her leg movements are identical to the leg movements of all of my terrestrial NW Ts that I ultimately handled. It's my opinion that Ts do not like the sensation of touching human flesh at all. All of my Ts actively looked to avoid touching my hand when presented with either more of my hand to touch vs touching the hard surface they were on (they weren't in their homes either). They would all keep moving along the edge of the hard surface they were on, hoping not to come in contact with my hand.

I speculate it's because human flesh is soft and mushy to them when they step. I've never observed these leg movements when they touch a hard object such as plastic, a synthetic material, or cork bark.

I totally agree with you. I never handle my Ts BC of how unnatural it must feel to them. However I have Never seen this girl move like that. I've had her several years and the few times I've had to handle her, she has move alot more energetically and not as sporadically.

 

[BobBarley]

The only moisture in its enclosure would come from its water bowl. Since I found the fungus I've kept the humidity as low as I possibly can. I only put her in the cup with wet towels ( in the video) so she might get a drink, and I could trasport her.

Ive seen videos where the dks symptoms are REDICULOUS, but my girl has never moved as sporadically as showed in the video. She is extremely lethargic and sits in one spot, in a half-ish death curl, 24/7.

Cold Blood, from what I read, meant for you to moisten the substrate. Just my two cents.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

So, since you said that she refused food for months there's a good thing, at least. Not intoxication of some sort due to preys. A friend of mine a decade ago had a GBB and she died after a week showing those somewhat DKS symptoms, with legs "everywhere", after eating a contaminated cricket (from the wild, bad mistake).

I think the only thing you can do is continue to keep her with a water dish always full... put her in the water dish even if you notice she needs a drink but can't reach that.

 

[ireleana]

Really sorry about your T. I don't know what it is and i couldn't see the video but thought I would mention some things that some people may not be aware of or think of.
Pesticides. Through food, plants, hands, cage maintenance equipment etc.. From our pets as well with flea medications like Revolution. Obviously other pets and even some people shouldn't have access to where the T's are but things happen or we inadvertently introduce it. Even smokers. Especially smokers and especially if you handle them. Nicotine is the tobacco plants natural insecticide. I'm not sure how it directly effects T's , but it can't be good. Always wash your hands when handling any tools and especially the T itself if you do handle them. Clean clothes too lol! Seriously though. When I give my pets flea prevention, I avoid doing anything with the T's for a few days. Just because it can transfer on furniture, on to you or your clothes etc..

I accidentally killed some crickets by feeding them a store bought apple without washing it. Not sure if thats why but its never happened again since i feed them only organic or cricket food. Makes sense especially since most apple orchards are heavily sprayed. I used to have to draw blood every 6 months on some of the workers from the orchards when I lived in Eastern Washington due to being exposed routinely.

 

[Beary Strange]

How sure how you that there was a fungal infection? Do you have pictures of that? And what did you use to treat it?

 

[tylerdpeter]

How sure how you that there was a fungal infection? Do you have pictures of that? And what did you use to treat it?

There was a very obvious white patch around her spinerettes that lasted for months. I tried wiping it off with a dry Q tip, didn't work. Grew back. I then used a very very mild solution of alcohol and water to try and kill the fungus. Grew back.
So then I preceded to keep her environment as dry as possible. 2 weeks after is when I filmed the video you see above.

She died today 12-28.

 

[tylerdpeter]

I have sad news. She passed away today 12-28-15. No death curl either. I thought she was resting untill after several gentle attempts to get her to move, I tried moving her and there was no response at the least. I will leave her be for another day to make sure its not a molt.

 

[tylerdpeter]

Really sorry about your T. I don't know what it is and i couldn't see the video but thought I would mention some things that some people may not be aware of or think of.
Pesticides. Through food, plants, hands, cage maintenance equipment etc.. From our pets as well with flea medications like Revolution. Obviously other pets and even some people shouldn't have access to where the T's are but things happen or we inadvertently introduce it. Even smokers. Especially smokers and especially if you handle them. Nicotine is the tobacco plants natural insecticide. I'm not sure how it directly effects T's , but it can't be good. Always wash your hands when handling any tools and especially the T itself if you do handle them. Clean clothes too lol! Seriously though. When I give my pets flea prevention, I avoid doing anything with the T's for a few days. Just because it can transfer on furniture, on to you or your clothes etc..

I accidentally killed some crickets by feeding them a store bought apple without washing it. Not sure if thats why but its never happened again since i feed them only organic or cricket food. Makes sense especially since most apple orchards are heavily sprayed. I used to have to draw blood every 6 months on some of the workers from the orchards when I lived in Eastern Washington due to being exposed routinely.

I completely agree. I am extremely careful on how I manage my Ts, like you said not wearing contaminated clothing, bad feeders, it could be anything but I'm so careful. All my produce is organic or pesticide free too.

It's strange because this emilia female is the only tarantula out of 40 that i have that has had this happen to. So I'm being extra careful not to have this happen to any of my others.

 

[ireleana]

I completely agree. I am extremely careful on how I manage my Ts, like you said not wearing contaminated clothing, bad feeders, it could be anything but I'm so careful. All my produce is organic or pesticide free too.

It's strange because this emilia female is the only tarantula out of 40 that i have that has had this happen to. So I'm being extra careful not to have this happen to any of my others.

Super sorry! I hope it's just an isolated incident. Could be anything from contamination to genetics or something else like a virus maybe.

 

[cold blood]

Bummer. I certainly hope this proves to be an isolated incident.

 

[Bugmom]

Are you sure it was fungus and not tarantula poop? She wouldn't be the first tarantula to die of a bowel impactment. Caked-on white stuff around the spinnerets is a sign of it. I think they also stop eating and become lethargic (as you would too if you couldn't defecate).

 

[tylerdpeter]

Tha

Are you sure it was fungus and not tarantula poop? She wouldn't be the first tarantula to die of a bowel impactment. Caked-on white stuff around the spinnerets is a sign of it. I think they also stop eating and become lethargic (as you would too if you couldn't defecate).

That is true. I thought about it being poop but after I tried to wipe it off with a Qtip, it came back. It had the same fluffy appearance a mold or fungus would show IMO.

 

[Chris11]

Damn sorry to hear the bad news man, by what i saw in the video it didnt have the characteristics of DKS, but somrthing else. Maybe cancer, or some other internal issue.... My first tarantula, a male G. rosea, lived to the fullest (except a successful mate, he had one attempt so he did get his rocks off at least once) almost 7 years and died of what i suppose was DKS. Literally one day he was different. Any sense of vibration sent him into a panicky convulsion of legs going everywhere and he refused food (even prekilled) for about 5 months. He succumbed in October 2014

 

[cold blood]

@Chris11, Old MM's act like that when they are on their last legs.