E Murinus stress/sickness/dks?

Shudragon

Arachnopeon
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Jan 26, 2017
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Hey guys,
So in my most recent T order I got a skeleton, curly hair and tiger rump. I live in northern Michigan where it is unseasonably warm at about 30 degrees right now, and normally I just hold my overnights at the delivery location and pick them up/take them home/warm them up ASAP. Never had a DoA from any of my Ts or feeders this way.

Unfortunately due to an ordering/shipping error I didn't receive my tracking number and info from the vendor until the day of delivery, meaning these guys sat on a truck in freezing temps all day because I couldn't hold them at pickup. I felt awful but was hopeful they would make it (standard heat pack/styro packing).

Tiger rump was surprisingly lightning fast on unbox and literally jumped out of its dish. Curly hair was terrifyingly curled up but turned out to be stress posture and has already eaten a cricket for me (woohoo).

The skeleton is not faring so well, and I ask more veteran keepers to help me understand what is going on. It is alive, however it is twitching single legs at a time and almost unmoving. At first I thought this was an effort to move fluid around and warm up, however it has been almost 6 hours and the behavior continues without the T moving in the least. It hasn't curled yet but I am worried this is DKS from stress from shipping and I'll lose the beautiful T before I get a chance with him. Should I ICU it? Any opinions for me? :sorry::anxious:

TL;DR Spider is twitching single legs and I am worried it is DKS from shipping stress. Help?

http://imgur.com/4NQAiYA <picture, placed him to be able to get water hopefully.
 

BorisTheSpider

No this is Patrick
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Some people have claimed limited success with ICU but most cases end with the same unhappy result . I doubt stress is the cause of DKS as the popular theory is either an exposure to toxins , an internal parasite , or even heredity . Basically no one knows .
 

Shudragon

Arachnopeon
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It is very strange behavior. I read somewhere that extreme temps could trigger it. His motor function seems normal hes just...literally twitching. I've never seen a T do it.
 

Andrea82

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He has a small abdomen as well, he could be dehydrated. Have you tried putting him next to a waterdish or with his mouthparts in the water?
Did you buy it as female/male/unsexed?
 

Chris LXXIX

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"DKS" is the trademark that jumps out when an intoxication due to a contaminated prey, that lead the Theraphosidae to die in a very sad way to see (still I remember a 'GBB' of a friend, a lot but a lot of time ago). They look like they aren't anymore in control of the legs etc

Your E.murinus (judging now only the picture you linked) IMO need to eat a bit, btw.
 

Shudragon

Arachnopeon
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Bought as a female but I haven't personally sexed her at the moment (I just default to he and his). Currently put on the edge of her water dish as that was my first thought as well. Soaked into some substrate (new enclosure) when I poured in more water she moved away so she has normal movement just very little. Is now reacting to air (blowing on her), legs have straightened out mostly, twitching has mostly stopped except for legs/pedopelps in the water. I'm thinking cold + stress + possible dehydration/underfed. Will be closely monitored for the next few days.
 

Shudragon

Arachnopeon
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"DKS" = intoxication due to a contaminated prey, that lead the Theraphosidae to die in a very sad way to see (still I remember a 'GBB' of a friend, a lot but a lot of time ago). They look like they aren't anymore in control of the legs etc

Your E.murinus (judging now only the picture you linked) IMO need to eat a bit, btw.
Definitely one of my first thoughts when I unboxed her. Very small abdomen for her carapace size. Will probably place a prekilled cricket next to her before I go to bed and see if she takes it/has started moving in the morning.
 

Chris LXXIX

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I tell you this (again, judging only the picture you posted).

It could be, yes... a bit of everything, stress included. After all, they are hardcore burrowers (seriously, my 0.1 E.murinus burrow isn't second to my giant 'Baboon' ones) and OB T's hate to being moved, rehoused, packed & shipped. They aren't like 'Grammos' that mostly "meh" on that sense.

Add a bit of cold, like you said, add the fact that looks a bit skinny (with that said, my experience with those is that while they are pretty nice eaters, it's rare that those turns "fat" like a lot of other NW T's loves to turn).

Being you I will leave her alone, access to water (present), if there's a piece of cork bark for hide, better... and then just wait. Try to offer a cricket within 3/4 days.
 

Shudragon

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I have a small predug burrow in the corner of the enclosure if she prefers that. She is definitely pissed off, she just threat postured me just from opening her container to check on her. We will see how she is doing in the morning. Thanks for your help :)
 

Shudragon

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So after 2 nights I am still very concerned about this T. She has gone down into the open burrow in the corner of the enclosure I dug, but has been completely unresponsive other than a direct poke or airflow.

Twitching and other abnormal behavior have stopped, assuming that was just from the cold. Lethargy is concerning for me however.
 

Rittdk01

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Sometimes leaving them alone is best. I wouldn't blow and poke at her, only adding to her stress.
 

MetalMan2004

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Keeping Ts is a big exercise in patience. When something is wrong, it seems almost always the best course of action is to give it water and leave it alone. Just be patient, don't poke it or blow on it, and let it chill out for a while. Maybe it'll de-stress and be just fine.
 

Andrea82

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For sure, just trying to judge any progress on doing better or worse.
If she went to her hide by herself, and threatpostured you, she seems to be recovering. I would bump the temp a bit, make sure her waterdish is full and leave her in a quiet dark spot. As soon as she starts feeding again i'd give her some big fat dubia or superworm (crush the heads) to fatten her up a bit.
 

Shudragon

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If she went to her hide by herself, and threatpostured you, she seems to be recovering. I would bump the temp a bit, make sure her waterdish is full and leave her in a quiet dark spot. As soon as she starts feeding again i'd give her some big fat dubia or superworm (crush the heads) to fatten her up a bit.
Her enclosure is next to my floor heating vent to try to bump the temp to about 80, her sub is nice and damp and waterdish is being kept full. I have just the dubia picked out for her in a few days.
 

Shudragon

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Just as an update for you guys and thanks for your advice, she has been drinking and already her abdomen is looking better, she is more active and moving around, and I provided a small hide on top of her substrate while she gets strength to start her full burrow, and she has been utilizing it. Look like she is gonna be fine.

:smug: was worried, thanks for the calming down.
 

Chris LXXIX

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Just as an update for you guys and thanks for your advice, she has been drinking and already her abdomen is looking better, she is more active and moving around, and I provided a small hide on top of her substrate while she gets strength to start her full burrow, and she has been utilizing it. Look like she is gonna be fine.

:smug: was worried, thanks for the calming down.
See? :)
 

Tarantula Ben

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Hi guys I have a question, I know this is on a different topic but I saw this post was recent. I put in a superworm in my A. Seemanni cage and she had a nice little burrow going on. I didn't crush the superworms head before I put it in the cage which now was an afterthought. I believe she is in premolt and didn't bother to eat it and then the superworm just rolled down the burrow. I need help as far as if I should dig up her cage to get the superworm out before it becomes a beetle and a bigger problem. Help please!!!
 

Andrea82

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Awesome!

Edit: just saw the other post above this one. My exclamation was for OP about the E.murinus getting better.....
 
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Shudragon

Arachnopeon
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Jan 26, 2017
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Hi guys I have a question, I know this is on a different topic but I saw this post was recent. I put in a superworm in my A. Seemanni cage and she had a nice little burrow going on. I didn't crush the superworms head before I put it in the cage which now was an afterthought. I believe she is in premolt and didn't bother to eat it and then the superworm just rolled down the burrow. I need help as far as if I should dig up her cage to get the superworm out before it becomes a beetle and a bigger problem. Help please!!!
I know I'm the new guy in this thread (btw, you can make your own pretty easily) but leaving a beetle in with a molting T is a dead T. Even if you disturb her, get that thing OUT.
 
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