Is fasting actually a good way to get them to lose weight?

[Moakmeister]

Regina’s been quite fat lately, despite not eating in two months. Which, you know, she’s a tarantula, so two months isn’t much for her. But lately I’ve been trying to lose a little bit of weight myself, and I already knew that just not eating is a very unsafe way to lose weight, but I wondwred why. As long as you don’t starve to death, and begin eating again before it’s been too long, you’d think it wouldn’t be bad.
So I did research, and it turns out that, along with the other detrimental health effects of starving, you actually don’t lose much weight in the beginning - UNTIL you start starving and wasting away. Because when we don’t eat, our bodies prepare to begin starving, and that means slowing the metabolism way, way down. Hardly any fat consumption happens, so you stay at almost the same weight despite not eating.
I was thinking that maybe tarantulas also slow their metabolism down when they have no food. People often say on here that you need to stop feeding them if they’re fat, until they’re no longer fat, but should you actually just feed them smaller meals instead?

 

[cold blood]

People often say on here that you need to stop feeding them if they’re fat, until they’re no longer fat

I've never heard anyone say that....they say stop feeding and wait for a molt. Stopping feeding prevents further (long term) obesity, which if left unchecked, can become a long term problem.


Ts don't lose weight while fasting, this only comes after they molt.

 

[CommanderBacon]

Tarantulas don't get "fat" like people get fat, so the idea of putting them on a diet is more of a joke (I sometimes tell mine I'm sending them to fat camp). While humans store excess energy as fat, tarantulas generally just take in enough nutrients to be able to form a new exoskeleton and increase in size. Many Ts will stop eating when they have taken in enough nutrients in order to enter premolt, and some will fast for over a year on their own.

If you feel as though her abdomen is very large (read: larger than the size of her carapace), I recommend reducing the number of feedings to one small prey item every other week or two until she molts - not because being fat is unhealthy, but because if the abdomen is too large, the tarantula is more at risk of injury from dragging its butt around or fall damage.

I don't recommend withholding food just because you think your tarantula is "fat", though.

 

[Moakmeister]

Tarantulas don't get "fat" like people get fat, so the idea of putting them on a diet is more of a joke (I sometimes tell mine I'm sending them to fat camp). While humans store excess energy as fat, tarantulas generally just take in enough nutrients to be able to form a new exoskeleton and increase in size. Many Ts will stop eating when they have taken in enough nutrients in order to enter premolt, and some will fast for over a year on their own.

If you feel as though her abdomen is very large (read: larger than the size of her carapace), I recommend reducing the number of feedings to one small prey item every other week or two until she molts - not because being fat is unhealthy, but because if the abdomen is too large, the tarantula is more at risk of injury from dragging its butt around or fall damage.

I don't recommend withholding food just because you think your tarantula is "fat", though.

That’s actually exactly why I’m trying to thin her out, because I don’t want her getting hurt. Also it looks a bit stupid.

Ts don't lose weight while fasting, this only comes after they molt.

Wait, really? Not even when they digest the food and then defecate? How come they don’t just get infinitely fatter throughout their cycle

 

[CommanderBacon]

Wait, really? Not even when they digest the food and then defecate? How come they don’t just get infinitely fatter throughout their cycle

They are ambush predators and exothermic, so they expend very little energy during their day to day life. Heat will generally increase their metabolism, while cold temps will slow it down.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

I've never heard anyone say that....they say stop feeding and wait for a molt. Stopping feeding prevents further (long term) obesity, which if left unchecked, can become a long term problem.


Ts don't lose weight while fasting, this only comes after they molt.

Surely they would eventually lose weight by using up the stored lipid reserves if a fast went on long enough, no? But since they are incredibly efficient animals, presumably this would take an exceedingly long time.

That’s actually exactly why I’m trying to thin her out, because I don’t want her getting hurt. Also it looks a bit stupid.

Fat shaming your T. You monster.

 

[CommanderBacon]

Surely they would eventually lose weight by using up the stored lipid reserves if a fast went on long enough, no? But since they are incredibly efficient animals, presumably this would take an exceedingly long time.

I do have a Cyriocosmus leetzi which got quite plump, but she has denied food for months and months and has slimmed down juuuuuust a little bit. A *tiny* bit. It has taken *ages*.

I still offer her a tiny prey item every few weeks, but she just chucks it into her water bowl.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

I do have a Cyriocosmus leetzi which got quite plump, but she has denied food for months and months and has slimmed down juuuuuust a little bit. A *tiny* bit. It has taken *ages*.

I still offer her a tiny prey item every few weeks, but she just chucks it into her water bowl.

That's what I do when someone offers me mushrooms.

 

[cold blood]

Tarantulas don't get "fat" like people get fat, so the idea of putting them on a diet is more of a joke

Absolutely, being thin after a molt and fat before they molt is simply how they grow.

I don't recommend withholding food just because you think your tarantula is "fat", though

I do this with the super fatties all the time....but if they don't molt in a month or three (depending on the size of the t), I will offer a small meal.

How come they don’t just get infinitely fatter throughout their cycle

They will if you keep feeding them

Surely they would eventually lose weight by using up the stored lipid reserves if a fast went on long enough, no?

Not really...maybe in miniscule amounts...but not really...I have 1.5" pulchra slings, they haven't been fed since march, cause they're ridiculously fat...still are.....Ive had my porteri fast 13 months, her abdomen never looked any smaller....I could go on and on.

 

[CommanderBacon]

I do this with the super fatties all the time....but if they don't molt in a month or three (depending on the size of the t), I will offer a small meal.

Basically, the same. It depends on the size of a specimen. I have completely cut off food to slings only twice (my partner likes watching them eat and I came back from vacation once to find a few of my slings looking like ticks), but I really don't like to do that and prefer to dial back feedings gradually.

 

[Moakmeister]

They will if you keep feeding them

So, with Regina already being really fat, what should I do :/ and im still not sure she isn't constipated. But luckily she's definitely not impacted, since she doesn't have gunk around her backside and her spinnerets are normal.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

Forced fasting or calorie restriction will absolutely cause your spider to loose weight.
You are just not going to like how long it takes.

Reduce the size and frequency of meals if you like seeing her eat.

 

[CommanderBacon]

So, with Regina already being really fat, what should I do :/ and im still not sure she isn't constipated. But luckily she's definitely not impacted, since she doesn't have gunk around her backside and her spinnerets are normal.

Share a pic of her if you're not sure! Maybe we can help if we know what sort of state she's in.

 

[Moakmeister]

Share a pic of her if you're not sure! Maybe we can help if we know what sort of state she's in.

I'll take a picture in a bit. She's not insanely fat, but she's been really fat many times the whole time I've had her. It makes me feel like an irresponsible owner for overfeeding her, and when she molted in April, I really wanted to not let her get so big again, so when her abdomen got to the size it is now, I decided to not feed her again until it shrunk. And it's the same size still.

 

[Matt Man]

many species are seasonal feeders so they naturally fast during seasons with little prey and may over feed when food is plentiful. So their systems are well adapted for long spells without eating. Cutting their food will do little and it will be slow.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

People often say on here that you need to stop feeding them if they’re fat, until they’re no longer fat

That's something I see parroted on FB a lot (often "if the abdomen is bigger than the carapace then I stop feeding until it isn't") and it's nonsense tbh, the amount of time it'd take even specimens of faster growing species to lose abdominal mass from fasting is ridiculous, let alone the heinously slow growers.

but should you actually just feed them smaller meals instead?

I feed smaller meals and less frequently on the rare occasions that I feel it's required.

 

[EpicEpic]

Its the ONLY way....

Unless you can get a spider to do calisthenics

I actually got the opposite problem.

Beautiful female GBB German import putting on weight VERY slowly post-molt!

In due time...

 

[EpicEpic]

That's something I see parroted on FB a lot (often "if the abdomen is bigger than the carapace then I stop feeding until it isn't") and it's nonsense tbh, the amount of time it'd take even specimens of faster growing species to lose abdominal mass from fasting is ridiculous, let alone the heinously slow growers.



I feed smaller meals and less frequently on the rare occasions that I feel it's required.

I agree. But fat T's don't need to eat. A very famous quote around these parts that originated from Coldblood. That being said, unless you think its cruel (which I do find silly IMO)...I don't see a reason to feed.

Personally, ill give them a small meal now and then but its honestly just to watch them eat. They do most the time, and that's because they're opportunistic hunters not because they need a meal.

Just my .2

 

[NYCreepy Crawler]

Tarantulas don't get "fat" like people get fat, so the idea of putting them on a diet is more of a joke (I sometimes tell mine I'm sending them to fat camp). While humans store excess energy as fat, tarantulas generally just take in enough nutrients to be able to form a new exoskeleton and increase in size. Many Ts will stop eating when they have taken in enough nutrients in order to enter premolt, and some will fast for over a year on their own.

If you feel as though her abdomen is very large (read: larger than the size of her carapace), I recommend reducing the number of feedings to one small prey item every other week or two until she molts - not because being fat is unhealthy, but because if the abdomen is too large, the tarantula is more at risk of injury from dragging its butt around or fall damage.

I don't recommend withholding food just because you think your tarantula is "fat", though.

Question, if the abdomen is larger then its carapace its overfed? On all T's? Just asking.

 

[CommanderBacon]

Question, if the abdomen is larger then its carapace its overfed? On all T's? Just asking.

I would hesitate to say that it's overfed, but as a rule of thumb, it's a good idea to slow down regular feedings at that point.