G. pulchra, interesting problem

[curiousme]

Greetings, it's been awhile, but I need some opinions. I am fully aware that the answer could just be, wait until it molts and see. However if there is something I'm not thinking of, please point it out. A couple of months ago i noticed that my G. pulchra had a unique bald patch. It's in an arc on the side of its abdomen. After examining it further, the back leg has a hard crust on it, which had rubbed the place that out rested on the abdomen bald. There was no bleeding, nor injury as it can't climb in it's enclosure. I don't know if the hard substance is some sort of scab. I tried a q-tip and water with no success. It also has developed a white patch on bald patch. These are the best pictures I could get.

 

[KezyGLA]

Its a friction mark. I would feed less until the next moult to be safe. Reduce the risk of rupture.

I am not sure what the white spot at the end of the mark is though :/

I wish you luck

 

[EulersK]

Yeah, I'd just try to push her towards a molt as quickly as possible. Luckily, warmer weather is not far off.

I fear that the rubbing will eventually cause irritation on the exoskeleton itself. Right now it's just a bald patch, but I can see how that could go bad.

 

[curiousme]

Its a friction mark. I would feed less until the next moult to be safe. Reduce the risk of rupture.

I am not sure what the white spot at the end of the mark is though :/

I wish you luck

It almost looks like mold, but there is none in the enclosure and it is kept dry.

Yeah, I'd just try to push her towards a molt as quickly as possible. Luckily, warmer weather is not far off.

I fear that the rubbing will eventually cause irritation on the exoskeleton itself. Right now it's just a bald patch, but I can see how that could go bad.

That was my thinking, just stop feeding and let him molt. The spot on the leg troubles me, it really feels like a scab. So it will keep rubbing and I'm unsure if that could lead to something eventually. I'll just watch him then and hope for the best.

 

[EulersK]

That was my thinking, just stop feeding and let him molt. The spot on the leg troubles me, it really feels like a scab. So it will keep rubbing and I'm unsure if that could lead to something eventually. I'll just watch him then and hope for the best.

Well, I wouldn't stop feeding entirely. I've found that doing so can actually lead to delayed molts. Given that she's fat enough, just offer a very small meal once every other month or so.

I don't know, I'm worried about the rubbing. If it were my spider, I might wrap the leg in a thin layer of cotton or something. I wouldn't generally recommend it, but the risk of injury apparently seems high here.

 

[KezyGLA]

It may have been some leaking hamolymph from the problem on the leg?

 

[nicodimus22]

Whenever I see something mysterious and white on a T, my first reaction is "Is it poop?" Sometimes they can rub into things they've pooped on and get white stuff on themselves that looks like it might be mold or worse.

 

[curiousme]

Well, I wouldn't stop feeding entirely. I've found that doing so can actually lead to delayed molts. Given that she's fat enough, just offer a very small meal once every other month or so.

I don't know, I'm worried about the rubbing. If it were my spider, I might wrap the leg in a thin layer of cotton or something. I wouldn't generally recommend it, but the risk of injury apparently seems high here.

Given that it's on a joint, I'll have to think about how to do that. Given that he is still quite pink, it may be awhile for a molt and that would solve my major problem with the situation. If he can just get to the molt, I bet he'll be fine eventually. He hasn't molted in a few years, like 3, so it may be awhile yet.

Whenever I see something mysterious and white on a T, my first reaction is "Is it poop?" Sometimes they can rub into things they've pooped on and get white stuff on themselves that looks like it might be mold or worse.

My first thought too, but I used a wet q-tip and it didn't come off at all like the poop that I've removed off a tarantula before.

 

[Charlie69]

Maybe try to put some liquid bandaid on the bald spot to prevent more damage ? Don't know if It could affect the molt?

 

[TarantulaBob]

Do you always remove the bolus

 

[KezyGLA]

Maybe coat the wound in peteoleum gel?

 

[G. pulchra]

I would just slow down the feeding a bit and keep an eye on here. Just for reference, how often do you feed her normally?

 

[TarantulaBob]

How old is he

 

[EulersK]

Do you always remove the bolus

That has nothing to do with it.

How old is he

Inconsequential.

 

[TarantulaBob]

Bolus can cause mold durrrr

 

[EulersK]

Bolus can cause mold durrrr

Mold isn't the issue here - the tarantula has some type of growth on it. Unless you think that mold grows on the spider itself... which doesn't happen.

 

[curiousme]

"It's been awhile" is an understatement.

That's all I have to contribute. Some things never change!

True, but my collection went down from 26 to 2. Not much to post about! I'm still alive though!

 

[darkness975]

True, but my collection went down from 26 to 2. Not much to post about! I'm still alive though!

Time to build it back up

 

[Andrea82]

I would be careful with applying anything on the patch, since anything put on it can also travel to the mouthparts and or booklungs. Pushing for a molt seems the right thing to do, but that could be far off.
@cold blood could have something to add maybe?

 

[cold blood]

Not really...never seen anything like it...its not blood, or hemolymph, as its both clear and lacking in clotting ability. Adding something to an unknown is a real risk...although petroleum jelly is probably not much of a risk.