G.Rosea immediate back flip upon entering ICU and other oddities

JenniK

Arachnopeon
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Jul 26, 2016
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i couldn't find my OP but here is a readers digest version. Oozing suspected, Thought, she was hurt or dehydrated, also possible poop on her abdomen and feet. received feedback that mostly she looked mostly fine but I needed to upgrade the substrate. She also seemed very skittish and antsy. Update: I did not change he substrate because she also looked premolt and I didn't want to further disrupt her. She continued to act skittish and like it was DKS, but it's been almost 2 moths and from what I read that ends in hours. Today there was more oozing and she was racing back and forth and launched herself into her water dish (she seemed super pissed about it) and then got herself wedged between her enclosure and hide. I swear I could see her moving with her breaths. I pushed her gently with a brush to get her in her ICU, and had to use more force as she actually seemed "heavy" when I nudged her. This is the weirdest part: she IMMEDIATELY flipped on her back in the ICU and stayed that way for 3 hours. After that she flipped back over on to all 8's. Ideas? I know the substrate needs to change so please, only comments that will be helpful besides that. :)
 

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TownesVanZandt

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May 12, 2015
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i couldn't find my OP but here is a readers digest version. Oozing suspected, Thought, she was hurt or dehydrated, also possible poop on her abdomen and feet. received feedback that mostly she looked mostly fine but I needed to upgrade the substrate. She also seemed very skittish and antsy. Update: I did not change he substrate because she also looked premolt and I didn't want to further disrupt her. She continued to act skittish and like it was DKS, but it's been almost 2 moths and from what I read that ends in hours. Today there was more oozing and she was racing back and forth and launched herself into her water dish (she seemed super pissed about it) and then got herself wedged between her enclosure and hide. I swear I could see her moving with her breaths. I pushed her gently with a brush to get her in her ICU, and had to use more force as she actually seemed "heavy" when I nudged her. This is the weirdest part: she IMMEDIATELY flipped on her back in the ICU and stayed that way for 3 hours. After that she flipped back over on to all 8's. Ideas? I know the substrate needs to change so please, only comments that will be helpful besides that. :)
Did you just put an arid species in premoult into an ICU? That´s an incredible stupid thing to do, sorry for being so frank. Put her back into her enclosure and let her be until she has moulted!
 

JenniK

Arachnopeon
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Jul 26, 2016
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Yes I did. And my feelings aren't hurt, I had the same concern. It seems very counterintuitive. Everything thing I read said ICU whether dehydration or injury :(
So suggestion is removing from ICU? How do you care for a dehydrated or injured arid species? She hates being handled and she's so ju,pu at this point in time that I wouldn't want to risk it anyway. Help. :((
 

Chris LXXIX

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Dec 25, 2014
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Well, if your G.rosea is molting (as I can guess from the second pic) IMO ICU (which wasn't maybe the best idea) or not don't move her at all at this point. To move a molting Theraphosidae... no, never.
 

JenniK

Arachnopeon
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Jul 26, 2016
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She actually flipped over to standing after 3 hours on her back. No molt....????
 

TownesVanZandt

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Yes I did. And my feelings aren't hurt, I had the same concern. It seems very counterintuitive. Everything thing I read said ICU whether dehydration or injury :(
So suggestion is removing from ICU? How do you care for a dehydrated or injured arid species? She hates being handled and she's so ju,pu at this point in time that I wouldn't want to risk it anyway. Help. :((
Ok, first of all, DKS is not a disease that tarantulas gets like we get the flu, it´s usually a result of them being exposed to chemicals or pesticides. If you´ve had this tarantula for some time, that is not likely to have happened? Secondly, ICU only helps if a tarantula is severely dehydrated and cannot drink by itself. Their abdomen will be really shrunken if that´s the case, and yours isn´t. I suspect that what you believe is DKS, is just normal signs of premoult. It´s not unusual for tarantulas to spend considerable amounts of time in premoult and they will act sluggish and strange while being in this stage. If your T is on its back, leave it be. If its on its feet, I would move it rather than keep it an ICU, which might just do more harm than good.
 

JenniK

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Jul 26, 2016
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Ok, Rosie is now out of ICU and I've placed her in her regular enclosure which was moved to a bathroom we don't use, so it can be sure dark and I'm less tempted to hover....thank you all!
 

TownesVanZandt

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Ok, Rosie is now out of ICU and I've placed her in her regular enclosure which was moved to a bathroom we don't use, so it can be sure dark and I'm less tempted to hover....thank you all!
Then, keep her water dish filled and let her be. With a successful moult she should be as good as new, only slightly bigger :). When she recovers from that (it takes a week or two for their exoskeleton and fangs to harden again), move her into a new enclosure with new substrate. Good luck!
 
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