Help Please, Urgent Response!

[KezyGLA]

There are so many things wrong with your setup. I dont mean to be harsh but I doubt this will end well. The lack of substrate is one problem. Then there is the misting which is another problem(as your T is an arid species). Then there is crickets in with an ill T. Can see it trying to flick hairs so its probably aggrovating it.

My guess is as you said it was walking around moving a lot recently is that it was probably trying to get away from the cricket. This means climbing the walls all the way to the top of its cage. I would hazard a guess that she fell and has some sort of internal damage.

Please if you get another T make sure you read info on the species from these forums by using the search feature.

Sorry to see your T in this condition

 

[kingbaboonlover]

There are so many things wrong with your setup. I dont mean to be harsh but I doubt this will end well. The lack of substrate is one problem. Then there is the misting which is another problem(as your T is an arid species). Then there is crickets in with an ill T. Can see it trying to flick hairs so its probably aggrovating it.

My guess is as you said it was walking around moving a lot recently is that it was probably trying to get away from the cricket. This means climbing the walls all the way to the top of its cage. I would hazard a guess that she fell and has some sort of internal damage.

Please if you get another T make sure you read info on the species from these forums by using the search feature.

Sorry to see your T in this condition

I only put the cricket in the enclosure that same morning to see if my T will eat and took it out about 3 hours later alive. And the mist is not something I normally do but I wanted to rule out all possible causes of this problem like spider being too hungry, dry, thirsty etc. I guess right now I can only wait and see what happens next.

 

[KezyGLA]

I only put the cricket in the enclosure that same morning to see if my T will eat and took it out about 3 hours later alive. And the mist is not something I normally do but I wanted to rule out all possible causes of this problem like spider being too hungry, dry, thirsty etc. I guess right now I can only wait and see what happens next.

I understand when us hobbyists worry we try all we can but there are some things that will cause more harm than good. It sucks that you are experiencing this. I am pretty much positive that I am losing one of my favourite specimens tonight too, so I feel your pain.

Im not meaning to have a go, really. I just want to point out the IMO main reason I think that has made your T in this condition. Although I know now that you introduced the cricket after it was like this, a fall and internal damage is the most likely reason for an otherwise healthy T to turn ill.

I cant stress enough how much of a risk having such little substrate in a terrestrials enclosure is.

Again, I know you are trying. It is not a nice situation to be in but maybe it is best to be left along with fresh water dish.

 

[kingbaboonlover]

I understand when us hobbyists worry we try all we can but there are some things that will cause more harm than good. It sucks that you are experiencing this. I am pretty much positive that I am losing one of my favourite specimens tonight too, so I feel your pain.

Aww, it sucks real bad. I wish you luck with your own specimen. This is an update just telling you guys I have moved my T into an ICU and im gonna leave it until tomorrow for updates.

 

[kingbaboonlover]

Update: My T is still alive, but showing just about every sign of dehydration (shriveled abdomen, front legs curled, lots of inactivity) so after tomorrow, which is ICU day 3 im gonna put her onto her back and carefully drip water into the mouth area and see what happens.

 

[Teal]

Update: My T is still alive, but showing just about every sign of dehydration (shriveled abdomen, front legs curled, lots of inactivity) so after tomorrow, which is ICU day 3 im gonna put her onto her back and carefully drip water into the mouth area and see what happens.

Is she drinking from the water bowl on her own? If so, there probably isn't need to flip her over... but if she no longer has the strength for drinking, it would be a good idea. I hope she isn't too far gone. Keep us updated.

 

[cold blood]

I got this T when it was large enough to be classed as adult size and that was near 6 years ago. So far I'm gonna put all this down to old age.

I know, she's got a real issue with fasting for too long. Most food is refused or uneaten.

Old age is unlikely, with as long as they can live, that's not something I'd have on the front burner.

Fasting is what the species does, its one of the big reasons so many try to dissuade beginners from starting with them. They can also be incredibly picky eaters, some preferring prey by size...mine for instance won't eat anything it deems too small, nor will it eat worms of any kind....although many others do.

If its not eating and this thin, keep trying both different kinds and sizes of feeders....you will find something. Get some wax worms, leave them and let them turn into moths, I've found moths are an excellent feeding trigger for all species.

Holding prey just above her head with a tweezers so she can get a bead on the prey and then softly dropping it into the strike zone is also something you should try. These aren't the best chase and catch tarantulas, and with that much space, I can certainly see her having difficulties catching crickets, especially as she deteriorates.

There are so many things wrong with your setup. I dont mean to be harsh but I doubt this will end well. The lack of substrate is one problem. Then there is the misting which is another problem(as your T is an arid species). Then there is crickets in with an ill T. Can see it trying to flick hairs so its probably aggrovating it.

My guess is as you said it was walking around moving a lot recently is that it was probably trying to get away from the cricket. This means climbing the walls all the way to the top of its cage. I would hazard a guess that she fell and has some sort of internal damage.

Please if you get another T make sure you read info on the species from these forums by using the search feature.

Sorry to see your T in this condition

This was my initial reaction as well. Literally, the water dish is the ONLY thing about the set up that is correct. Its way way way way too tall. It has a big tall piece of wood, which will only encourage climbing, and with the massive distance between the ground and the top, that's worse than a bad thing...that's setting your t up for a fatal fall, which is possibly what you are dealing with. What you have is a very very large arboreal set up...actually too large for all but the largest arboreals, and this is the opposite of what a terrestrial set up should be like. To utilize that enclosure you would literally need to fill it 4/5ths of the way with substrate....use that much coco fiber and it will cost a small fortune...use topsoil and you will need a bobcat to move the thing.

Bottom line, its unnecessarily tall and large.

The reason people keep bringing up the misting is because you both talk about humidity levels and have a hygrometer...both are red flags, especially when dealing with a species like this one. Just the fact that you are even measuring humidity in a rosea enclosure shows a lack of understanding, which people would like to help correct so you can move forward with a better base of knowledge and confidence in caring for your spider.

Update: My T is still alive, but showing just about every sign of dehydration (shriveled abdomen, front legs curled, lots of inactivity) so after tomorrow, which is ICU day 3 im gonna put her onto her back and carefully drip water into the mouth area and see what happens.

Now the misting was a terrible idea with the species, but I totally understand why you might try it if you didn't know better, because dehydration does appear to be an, if not, the issue...whether its just from a lack of water intake (we see ts dehydrate from time to time despite "claimed" full water dished....it can happen) or if its due to an injury from a fall where it lost some hemolymph and couldn't re-coup the fluids quickly enough.

Likewise, an ICU is a bad place for the species, and can easily make things worse.

To hydrate a severely dehydrated t, flipping it on its back and administering water droplets to the base of the fangs is indeed what you should do. The drinking will not be fast like you might expect, in fact, its almost imperceptible very often. If its too feisty to flip on its back, that's a positive sign and I'd just usher it to, or place the water dish directly in front of it.

Best of luck with its survival, and if it does make it, hopefully it will end up in a new and improved house.

 

[kingbaboonlover]

Latest update. Looking at its abdomen, My T is almost certainly dead

 

[_scorpio_]

 

[Lessej]

Latest update. Looking at its abdomen, My T is almost certainly dead

Sorry for your loss!