Dyskinetic syndrome

[Mei]

Hi, I'm new and also a beginner tarantula keeper, so if this is a werid post now you know why.

I've only had 3 tarantulas in my lifetime. A Grammostola rosea that died mysteriously, a B. vagans that recently died of old age (he was a male and I he was already a few years old when I bought him) and my most recent T, a Megaphobema robustum.

I bought the Megaphobema robustum today, it's not sexed, nor do I know exactly how old it is, but it's obviously a juvenile. When I received my new buddy in a plastic container I was concerned about the way he was moving. He was wiggling and moving his legs in a weird way but i brushed it off thinking that "maybe the container he came in wasn't tall enough and he couldn't move his legs because of it" etc. etc. But once I got home BAM! Death curl. I put him in an ICU and now he's better, but I realised after a few minutes of research that my buddy most likely has dyskinetic syndrome.

I don't want to lose him (yes I know I keep saying "him" even though he isn't sexed, sorry lmao) like this. Is there a way of keeping him alive? He seems better now, but is it really the end for my bud? Anyway I can help him?

Thanks, I hope somebody replies

 

[Nightstalker47]

If you received the spider in that condition you need to contact the vendor and make it right.

Anyone would have known if it had DKS symtpoms when it was packed.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Some sellers aren’t always true to word I only got a small refund on T stirmi shoulda got full without having to send back . It was a goner just as ready to die as any T with dks , just a cyst takes longer to kill .
Best of luck to you hope you get a better result .

 

[Mei]

If you received the spider in that condition you need to contact the vendor and make it right.

Anyone would have known if it had DKS symtpoms when it was packed.

The thing is that the guy I bought it from doesn't have any ideas about this. Je j

If you received the spider in that condition you need to contact the vendor and make it right.

Anyone would have known if it had DKS symtpoms when it was packed.

I actually got it from free from a guy who works at a reptile exhibition in my city. (I have a friend who knows him and they're good friends so he gave it to me for free ) He got the tarantula from a breeder that lives in another city, which also might be the cause of my buddy's dks, the road till it got here might have disturbed him too much. I can also get another tarantula for free if this one dies, the guy said so.

But what I'm asking is can my T's state improve? Is it really going to die?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Ehh no cure for dks but make sure it can’t fall much heighth no more then 1x legspan and keep it well hydrated but not real damp.
Sounds like dehydration also, I Dono were Paul Becker , pet center USA. Got most my first 30 Ts from here .
Your seller is good much better then a guy on Ab who sold me T stirmi . I shoulda gotten a. New Goliath $45 was a 1/3 refund but beats nothing.

 

[Mei]

Ehh no cure for dks but make sure it can’t fall much heighth no more then 1x legspan and keep it well hydrated but not real damp.
Sounds like dehydration also, I Dono were Paul Becker , pet center USA. Got most my first 30 Ts from here .
Your seller is good much better then a guy on Ab who sold me T stirmi . I shoulda gotten a. New Goliath $45 was a 1/3 refund but beats nothing.

Yeaa I'm keeping his container humid and I change his water every 3 hours or so (except at night lmao). While I know thay there's no cure for dks, can't it molt and get rid of the symptoms or is he doomed?

 

[boina]

Yeaa I'm keeping his container humid and I change his water every 3 hours or so (except at night lmao). While I know thay there's no cure for dks, can't it molt and get rid of the symptoms or is he doomed?

First question: Why does it show dyskinetic movement? DKS is a catch all term for quite a few different conditions, so unless you know what causes it it's hard to tell you what to do about it.

1. Possibility: It's simply dehydrated. In that case an ICU might help, but not the way you are doing it. Put your spider on moist (not dripping wet!!!) paper towels and maybe even place a small water bowl in there with it. The point is to give it a chance to drink. Then leave it the hell alone!!! Do NOT change the water or do anything the like to constantly stress your tarantula out - that will make things worse for sure. Also, make sure your ICU is VERY well ventilated. Humid, stuffy conditions kill tarantulas and kill them fast.

If your tarantula is dehydrated it should improve fast. DO NOT keep it in the ICU for more than 24 hours.

2. Possibility: Poisoning. Your tarantula came in contact with some toxic substance in transport.

3. Possibility: Bacterial infection. In that case an ICU is the worst thing you can do, because bacteria thrive under these conditions. Increased movement of your spider in the ICU stems from it mobilizing it's last reserves trying to get out of there, not from it getting better. Because of this I would not use an ICU at all, unless I'm sure dehydration is the only reason for the weird movement.

There is no cure, but I had several cases of DKS recently and described my experience here: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/treatment-for-dks.306385/

 

[Mei]

First question: Why does it show dyskinetic movement? DKS is a catch all term for quite a few different conditions, so unless you know what causes it it's hard to tell you what to do about it.

1. Possibility: It's simply dehydrated. In that case an ICU might help, but not the way you are doing it. Put your spider on moist (not dripping wet!!!) paper towels and maybe even place a small water bowl in there with it. The point is to give it a chance to drink. Then leave it the hell alone!!! Do NOT change the water or do anything the like to constantly stress your tarantula out - that will make things worse for sure. Also, make sure your ICU is VERY well ventilated. Humid, stuffy conditions kill tarantulas and kill them fast.

If your tarantula is dehydrated it should improve fast. DO NOT keep it in the ICU for more than 24 hours.

2. Possibility: Poisoning. Your tarantula came in contact with some toxic substance in transport.

3. Possibility: Bacterial infection. In that case an ICU is the worst thing you can do, because bacteria thrive under these conditions. Increased movement of your spider in the ICU stems from it mobilizing it's last reserves trying to get out of there, not from it getting better. Because of this I would not use an ICU at all, unless I'm sure dehydration is the only reason for the weird movement.

There is no cure, but I had several cases of DKS recently and described my experience here: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/treatment-for-dks.306385/

I actually read your thread before making this post )
It's really useful.
I don't have a heating lamp, but my room's temperature is always somewhere around 24-30° Celsius. Should I try ICU for a longer while? It's symptoms seem to be fading slowly, I think. My buddy seems much better now than yesterday when I got him.

 

[PidderPeets]

I actually read your thread before making this post )
It's really useful.
I don't have a heating lamp, but my room's temperature is always somewhere around 24-30° Celsius. Should I try ICU for a longer while? It's symptoms seem to be fading slowly, I think. My buddy seems much better now than yesterday when I got him.

If it seems to be getting better, I would take it out now and put it in the enclosure you have planned for it. Very often in these "ICU" posts where the T is left there for extended periods of time, the tarantula temporarily improves, and then suddenly reverts back to the original level of poor health or even gets worse.

Whenever I've dealt with any dehydrated T, spider, or any other inverts, I just give them access to water (in the form of a water bowl or droplets), and they recover with just that. ICUs seem unnecessary and dangerous.

 

[EulersK]

The thing is that the guy I bought it from doesn't have any ideas about this.

Anyone even slightly versed in tarantulas would spot it a mile away, especially when it's being packed. He's a liar if he says that he had no idea.

I have a friend who knows him and they're good friends so he gave it to me for free

He gave it to you for free because of the symptoms.

 

[Mei]

Anyone even slightly versed in tarantulas would spot it a mile away, especially when it's being packed. He's a liar if he says that he had no idea.



He gave it to you for free because of the symptoms.

Nah he didn't
he's just a guy who takes care of reptiles at ab exhibition, he didn't know it was sick

 

[boina]

As @PidderPeets already said I'd take it out of the ICU now. Just make sure it has easy access to water and the substrate is moist, not wet, and if it was just dehydrated it should continue to improve.

 

[Mei]

As @PidderPeets already said I'd take it out of the ICU now. Just make sure it has easy access to water and the substrate is moist, not wet, and if it was just dehydrated it should continue to improve.

I took it out yesterday night. I think it's going to molt soon (he refuses food and has a bald spot on his abdomen), I just hope for the best.

 

[PidderPeets]

I took it out yesterday night. I think it's going to molt soon (he refuses food and has a bald spot on his abdomen), I just hope for the best.

Considering you just got it on Thursday, and it's spent that time in a death curl, in an ICU, and then rehoused into a proper setup, I would hardly expect it to eat yet.

As for the abdomen, a bald abdomen doesn't necessarily mean premolt, it just means it'll be easier for you to tell when a molt is coming. The exoskeleton underneath the hairs will turn darker and darker as a molt approaches. If the abdomen is still light, I wouldn't call it premolt just yet.

Glad to hear it's doing better and you rehoused it. I also hope for the best! Perhaps you could share some pictures of the full enclosure and we could offer you any advice if need be.

 

[Mei]

Considering you just got it on Thursday, and it's spent that time in a death curl, in an ICU, and then rehoused into a proper setup, I would hardly expect it to eat yet.

As for the abdomen, a bald abdomen doesn't necessarily mean premolt, it just means it'll be easier for you to tell when a molt is coming. The exoskeleton underneath the hairs will turn darker and darker as a molt approaches. If the abdomen is still light, I wouldn't call it premolt just yet.

Glad to hear it's doing better and you rehoused it. I also hope for the best! Perhaps you could share some pictures of the full enclosure and we could offer you any advice if need be.

The enclosure is pretty lame right now, the substrate is too thin, but I'll buy some more substrate and get a bigger enclosure for it in a week. (I gave my old enclosure to a friend a month ago so he could keep a pet frog in it )
It has a few bottle caps with water in it so he can access water more easly if one of them gets dirty and i put a small cup in it and covered it in substrate so i could give him an attempt of a hide. I'll try to make his small enclosure as practical as possible so he is happy and has access to anything he wants.
His bald spot seems to darken so I think he'll soon go into premolt.

Let's just hope my lil bud will make it. :,)