Help With Vinegaroon?

[taxidermyrictus]

So, I've had a vinegaroon for about two years now. It's a female-- and I came home from visiting my husband's family to a very upsetting surprise of her heat lamps being out (our home is kept around 59-60 F so I supplement) and her habitat being dry (very upsetting that my friend didn't spray her enclosure down or even check on her and my other arthropods. The only thing moving when I got home were my powder orange isopods.). I quickly found her (she's in a 50 gallon tank with an array of other arthropods-- she's the only predator and typically eats crickets) and she was barely responsive. Her pedipalps and antenniform were twitching... more so when held her in my hand (I figure because of the warmth). I've been keeping a careful eye on her since this and making sure her heat is back around 75 and the enclosure is back at 75% humidity. She's been more responsive since I started doing this... but she still hasn't quite started moving. Is there anything else that I'm missing here that I could be doing? I'm hoping that she's going to recover (she is actually responding to stimuli much quicker then when I found her) but I'm still very scared that I'm going to lose her. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd be very grateful for them. I adore her and the rest of the enclosure seems to be bouncing back okay (a variety of roaches, a singular darkling beetle, dairy cow isopods, and a Texas golden millipede). Thanks ahead of time!

 

[CRX]

You can never rely on friends to care for your pets. They will always slack, it has been my experience as well that I had to learn the hard way. Sending prayers your way OP.

 

[egyptiancrow]

honestly just keeping her warm, fed, and properly humid is the best you can do. make sure youre giving her nutritious food and warmth to help her recover. i hope it goes well!

 

[Smotzer]

What species is it?

 

[coolnweird]

I don't have any advice, I just wanted to express my condolences. It must have been a terrible feeling when you realized your critters hadn't been cared for in your absence. Anyone who neglected my pets for a week would no longer be counted among my friends!

 

[taxidermyrictus]

What species is it?

She's a Mastigoproctus Giganteus.

 

[taxidermyrictus]

What species is it?

She's a Mastigoproctus Giganteus.

honestly just keeping her warm, fed, and properly humid is the best you can do. make sure youre giving her nutritious food and warmth to help her recover. i hope it goes well!

I'm worried cause she won't eat... I've been trying but she kinda just... Moves her pedipalps around. I've tried holding it for her, letting her go after it herself, dead prey and live... I also made sure it was easy prey (usually she gets small crickets but I switched to wax worms hoping it would help). She drinks. But she barely moves... There furthest I've found is about an inch from where I'd placed her. She barely moves her legs... But she -can- move them.

I keep thinking she's maybe trying to molt but didn't manage to bury herself first... But I'm sure that's not it. Probably. I suppose anything is possible.

 

[Edan bandoot]

Keep her drinking

 

[taxidermyrictus]

So, it's been a week... And there's been no marked improvement but she's still hanging in there. She hasn't been receptive to food (I got wax worms as easy prey since she won't walk) but her abdomen was bloated so I figured she may have eaten one of the feeder insects in the tank. I've purposely put her on some frog moss under one of the heat lamps (red 50 watt) and I keep it misted... I've also been handing her a drinking sponge that I dampen multiple times a day (she lets me take and return it to her). She's... Definitely hanging in there but she hasn't really gotten better or worse. Her relationship with me is great now... I think she really realized I'm there to help her. She even seems to like holding my finger with a single pedipalp (she doesn't tug it just rests the one on me).

... But what I've noticed is she is reactive. Her pedipalps are moving normally, so are her barely used anymore antenniforms... But she can't seem to move? Her legs are weirdly tucked towards her abdomen like a dead arthropod ... Is... It possible my vinegaroon is paralyzed? Is this a thing? I can, of course, share some pictures if this helps at all (of her and her enclosure that she shares with a bunch of non-predatory arthropods). I'm more then happy to take care of her one way or the other... I just wish I knew what was actually wrong with her. She's my first non-cockroach arthropod and I don't want to think I've failed her because she's honestly... very sweet? Never once has she taken up a defensive stance with me... She even gets on with her tank mates (most of which are there because she didn't eat them when they were juveniles).

 

[CRX]

So sorry for all this OP. I'm rooting for her.

 

[egyptiancrow]

So, it's been a week... And there's been no marked improvement but she's still hanging in there. She hasn't been receptive to food (I got wax worms as easy prey since she won't walk) but her abdomen was bloated so I figured she may have eaten one of the feeder insects in the tank. I've purposely put her on some frog moss under one of the heat lamps (red 50 watt) and I keep it misted... I've also been handing her a drinking sponge that I dampen multiple times a day (she lets me take and return it to her). She's... Definitely hanging in there but she hasn't really gotten better or worse. Her relationship with me is great now... I think she really realized I'm there to help her. She even seems to like holding my finger with a single pedipalp (she doesn't tug it just rests the one on me).

... But what I've noticed is she is reactive. Her pedipalps are moving normally, so are her barely used anymore antenniforms... But she can't seem to move? Her legs are weirdly tucked towards her abdomen like a dead arthropod ... Is... It possible my vinegaroon is paralyzed? Is this a thing? I can, of course, share some pictures if this helps at all (of her and her enclosure that she shares with a bunch of non-predatory arthropods). I'm more then happy to take care of her one way or the other... I just wish I knew what was actually wrong with her. She's my first non-cockroach arthropod and I don't want to think I've failed her because she's honestly... very sweet? Never once has she taken up a defensive stance with me... She even gets on with her tank mates (most of which are there because she didn't eat them when they were juveniles).

if shes paralyzed seeming then it would remind me of DKS which arachnids can get from pesticide, chemical and tainted feeder insects. but if shes still been alive for a week, i doubt it. are you feeding her water by hand? try to feed her by hand as well.

 

[taxidermyrictus]

if shes paralyzed seeming then it would remind me of DKS which arachnids can get from pesticide, chemical and tainted feeder insects. but if shes still been alive for a week, i doubt it. are you feeding her water by hand? try to feed her by hand as well.

I use my sprayer (mind you I'm putting so little pressure on it that it's just spaced out drops not a stream-- just to avoid me having anything on my hands) along with a water sponge so water is always easily accessible to her. I thought it might have been something like poison... But my cricket source isv very reliable and while (against my begging otherwise) my previous roommate had used insecticide... It had been on a different floor and opposite side of our house. Months ago. So I can't imagine it's that.

 

[Edan bandoot]

You're not giving her a water dish? Sponges aren't great

 

[egyptiancrow]

id reccomend to give her water more directly like with a water dish. what is her setup like right now?

 

[taxidermyrictus]

You're not giving her a water dish? Sponges aren't great

She does have a water dish. But she hasn't been able to move since all this started so I have been using the sponge to help her when I'm not home.

id reccomend to give her water more directly like with a water dish. what is her setup like right now?

She's in a 50 gallon tank with several wooden and ceramic spots to hide and hunt (her favorite is a large ceramic half hide that she's made her burrow). Water bowl placed in the center of the enclosure. Coconut fiber substrate with frog and sphagnum moss dispersed throughout. It's shared with Dubai roaches, a single hissing cockroach, a darkling beetle that thinks it's a cockroach, a Texas golden millipede, and a clean up crew of powder orange and dairy cow isopods. I'm including images... The first included image is the spot she hasn't moved from for a week which is what is making wonder if she's somehow paralyzed. That's why I started providing the sponge as well as placing the frog moss there and providing fresh water through drops brought to her 2-3 times a day. The sponge is, usually, there for the cockroaches or for the crickets that are introduced for her prey normally. Currently I offer her a wax worm daily too see if she's interested in food. So far she is not... But her abdomen has been bloating down so I feel she's going to want food soon.

 

[egyptiancrow]

You should possibly try some prey that actually moves more.

with so many creatures, i would say its pretty possible something transferred to her, but im far from an expert of such things :/

 

[taxidermyrictus]

You should possibly try some prey that actually moves more.

with so many creatures, i would say its pretty possible something transferred to her, but im far from an expert of such things :/

Outside of the wax worms... All my arthropods come from the same place-- they've all been together for over a year as well (the darkling beetle was a super worm that escaped her). It's also been about a month since I added feeders to the tank (usually small sized crickets because she wouldn't eat dubias--which is why they're in the tank-- and didn't react to super worms). Would it take that long for something to start showing up-- just thinking out loud... She's my first arachnid and everyone in the tank seems bright and healthy other then her. Millipede is almost always goin' places.

 

[taxidermyrictus]

She's doing the worst she's been today... It feels like she's barely hanging on. I included did pics just in case someone sees something I haven't.

Part of me wants to dig a small hole for her in the substrate and see if maybe something went wrong before she could dig to molt. This was when she did it her first year with me.

Worse comes to worst... She just gives back to the ecosystem she's been living in.

 

[Edan bandoot]

Nothing visibly wrong assuming the enclosure is kept moist enough

 

[egyptiancrow]

id just leave her be. try to feed her and then see how it goes