EMERGENCY! i think my pede has an impacted digestive tract...any hope?

[edesign]

or should I just go ahead and euthanize it?

My E. trigonopodus "Toby" was acting strange all yesterday evening/night...crawling around it's tank trying to climb out. Never does that...not for hours on end anyway. Well, I didn't think much of it until I noticed it starting to twitch it's tail end a bit but I didn't really know what for. It was lying on the substrate this morning before work which it does sometimes so I thought nothing of it. When I got home from work...same thing which had me concerned. Just now I checked it again and it was upside down not even moving unless I touched it.

Upon closer examination I realized that three of it's body segments about 3/5 of the way towards the tail end were swollen more than the others (was more evident when looking at the underside). I think it must have an impacted digestive system...is there ANY hope of it recovering or should I put it out of it's misery by putting it in the freezer now? Dammit

 

[fantasticp]

Perhaps you could try putting the lower half of the pede in room temp water. Loosens up things in some animals....might not be impactation. I've never seen that before, but it could happen. Personally I would never freeze, but it isn't my pede.

 

[edesign]

i'll try that...

i'd shoot it with my 9mm but uh...my neighbors probably wouldn't appreciate it. and I'm not going to stomp on it since I may want to preserve it. I don't know of any other readily available means to send it to the halls of Valhalla, I'm open to suggestions.

 

[fantasticp]

Think it could be a parasite of some sort?

 

[C_Strike]

i'll try that...

i'd shoot it with my 9mm but uh...my neighbors probably wouldn't appreciate it.

maybe its me but that sounds like some serious overkill, lol
fun but massively OTT, lol

either that or makeup some plastique explosives and blow it out of existance? lmao

 

[Cirith Ungol]

I don't know of any other readily available means to send it to the halls of Valhalla, I'm open to suggestions.

You could stick it with a knife. If you want it to go to Valhalla then it has to die in battle! There is no other way.

Tried the bathing thing yet?

 

[Alice]

freezing is one of the gentlest ways to kill an invert, if you decide that it's necessary. i would try the water method first, though. try using water a bit above room temps, around 30°c are fine.

 

[cacoseraph]

what about sort of squishing it's butt end between your fingers. try to toothpaste out any problems. almost guaranteed to get bit if you do it hard enough... but their venom seems pretty wimpy to me

 

[Galapoheros]

I like the "toothpaste" idea. You could put the head end in a tube of some kind so you won't get bit. Maybe try the bathing thing first, then a toothpast massage.

 

[cacoseraph]

I like the "toothpaste" idea. You could put the head end in a tube of some kind so you won't get bit. Maybe try the bathing thing first, then a toothpast massage.

ahahha, it would have never occured to me to secure its head like that. shows where my brain is, i guess. heh. i agree that the bathing would be a better first step. less invasive and what not.


oh yeah, and as for how to do it in, if it comes to that... dropping it in alcohol is probably not a good way to go... even my deadhead polymorpha still writhed and thrashed something awful. of course they aren't feeling anything, but it still made me uncomfortable watching it

 

[mindlessvw]

i have a pygmy that we had to tube and we had the hardest time finding something small enough...we used aquarium tube it varies in size and is easily cut to accomidate the length of the animal...good luck tubing a pede! I hope your little guy pulls through...i may be wrong but soaking does not seem like the best option for an invert...like i said i may be wrong just a thought

 

[edesign]

what about sort of squishing it's butt end between your fingers. try to toothpaste out any problems. almost guaranteed to get bit if you do it hard enough... but their venom seems pretty wimpy to me

yah but caco...we all know you have this fetish for centipede bites

update: just got home from work...i let it soak since last night. From the swollen segments back there is NO response whatsoever, but from there forward it is still able to move it's legs but still very very lethargic

However, now there is something sticking out of it's behind. I felt it with my finger (i don't think it's capable of biting me at this point) and it feels pretty gooey. I am also now noticing slight swelling at the second segment back from the head, not as bad as the others but noticeable. At this point I don't know that it could recover even if I got it out, whatever it is (but I sure want to know what it is). Too bad I don't have a camera Maybe my webcam can get a decent pic...fuzzy as heck but if you use your imagination a little

edit: The part sticking out is actually part of the pede When the insides come out I take that as a very bad sign. I don't think it's a parasite, but I dno't know if it's WC or CB. But it's been fine for a year and a half, anyone aware of any that could incubate that long???

toothpaste method didn't work but I didn't squeeze very hard, at this point it's antennae and very front legs are just twitching. Unfortunately Cirith...I don't think it could die in battle if it wanted to at this point unless I shoved it's fangs in to my skin myself So maybe no Valhalla...perhaps a large, moist field with an endless supply of little creatures to feast upon

So long Toby...enjoyed having you in my humble abode the past year and a half. Take it easy lil buddy, rest in peace

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Sorry to hear, dude...

 

[Stylopidae]

You have my condolances, as well.

Look on the bright side, though...extra tank means new critters.

 

[fantasticp]

Sorry. I have never seen that happen to any of my centipedes, but I have seen something similar happen to two AGB millis, where some puffy white organ seems to be expanding out of the butt door. It didn't kill them right away. They actually lived 6-8 months like that with no ill effects other than looking a bit freaky. I wonder what sort of digestive problem causes that. They seemed to be able to poop fine for a while until the inflammation was too much and probably blocked the exit.