Is my tarantula dying of old age?

[kswart6176]

I have had my rose haired tarantula for 5 years and I adopted him/her from a family on FB marketplace who was afraid to hold him/her. He molted once for the other family before me, and now twice for me about a year ago. Since then his eating has slowed significantly, however, he did recently eat a huge hornworm over the summer(never given him a hornworm before but he seemed to really enjoy it).
Yesterday morning I found my T sitting at the front of his exhibit slightly curled up and breathing heavily. I attempted to give him water via pipette, and this did seem to make him react a bit. However I am unfamiliar with what to do now. I really appreciate any and all suggestions on how I may go about feeding him in his state if possible. And if this is death curl how can I make him as comfortable as possible.

 

[Gevo]

Sorry to hear your tarantula seems unwell.

What do you mean by “breathing heavily”? Tarantulas do not respirate like mammals; they have a passive air exchange on their abdomens via their book lungs, so whatever movement you’re seeing is something else.

You’re referring to the tarantula as “he,” so does that mean he could be a mature male? You can check for tibial hooks to confirm if that’s the case. If it is, then the behaviours are normal, and it means he is indeed in his twilight years and may not have much time left.

It’s also not uncommon for G. roseas to fast for very long periods of time.

Either way, offer food periodically and ensure water is available.

If you want more suggestions, you can upload pictures, both of the tarantula and of the setup to see if there’s anything people can see as the potential issue.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

pics could be helpful .

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

In addition to the above, tarantulas neither need, want nor get anything positive out of being handled. It is dangerous for them, and a fall could injure or even kill them. You mentioned giving water via pipette. Does he have a constant water source? Is his substrate within 1.5x his diagonal leg span? Does he have a mesh lid? All answers that could help for advice. A pic being advisable.

 

[cold blood]

I have had my rose haired tarantula for 5 years and I adopted him/her from a family on FB marketplace who was afraid to hold him/her. He molted once for the other family before me, and now twice for me about a year ago

Well molting twice over a 5 yr period means your rose hair isnt all that old....old ones molt once every 5 or 6 years.....these things grow slow and live a long long time....old age is almost never the problem with them.

Since then his eating has slowed significantly, however, he did recently eat a huge hornworm over the summer

They also have a very low food requirement....once a t meets its food needs, they stop eating....a huge hornworm would represent essentially 5 or 6 months of food in one sitting.....it may not need to eat again until it next molts, and that may be years away. A better feeding schedule for a rose hair adult would be one or maybe 2 crickets per month. The faster you plump a t, the longer its going to fast....and since the growth is so slow, you have a looooooong time to plump your t, so there is no hurry and little reason to feed huge meals (not that its a problem doing so aside from it leading to long periods of inactivity).

I found my T sitting at the front of his exhibit slightly curled up and breathing heavily

No it wasnt...as explained, they do not breathe like we do, in fact, they dont actively breathe at all....air simply passes over their book lungs and it is imperceptible.

I attempted to give him water via pipette, and this did seem to make him react a bit.

No water dish??

any and all suggestions on how I may go about feeding him in his state if possible.

Dont, there is no reason to even worry about feeding.....fat ts dont need food, period.

 

[viper69]

Pics needed

 

[TheraMygale]

The “look” of an old aged tarantula is quite different then a fresh mature adult. They get old looks. They lose hair many places. Arent so vivid looking. Its not just the super balding abdomen.

of course, photos would be useful.

hornworms, the big ones, are also A LOT of food, compared to a cricket.

There are so many questions that need answers.

 

[kswart6176]

Well molting twice over a 5 yr period means your rose hair isnt all that old....old ones molt once every 5 or 6 years.....these things grow slow and live a long long time....old age is almost never the problem with them.

They also have a very low food requirement....once a t meets its food needs, they stop eating....a huge hornworm would represent essentially 5 or 6 months of food in one sitting.....it may not need to eat again until it next molts, and that may be years away. A better feeding schedule for a rose hair adult would be one or maybe 2 crickets per month. The faster you plump a t, the longer its going to fast....and since the growth is so slow, you have a looooooong time to plump your t, so there is no hurry and little reason to feed huge meals (not that its a problem doing so aside from it leading to long periods of inactivity).
No it wasnt...as explained, they do not breathe like we do, in fact, they dont actively breathe at all....air simply passes over their book lungs and it is imperceptible.
No water dish??

For the record I’m a healthcare student so my aging T is a genuine worry for me as I work with aging elderly patients in nursing homes. My T, however, is fine. He was sitting in a strange scrunched up position in the same spot he usually sits when he knows it’s feeding time. However I just gave him that huge horn worm less than two months ago so I knew he wasn’t asking for more food.
Though he has since sprawled out to his normal shape(as you can see in the photos). He is on the other hand starting to change from the young beautiful pink tarantula he once was to a gray color, and yes he has lost hair on his abdomen(not enough to tell and he is not balding by any means, but enough for me to notice as I keep a close eye on him). So I believe he is getting old or he is actually a she that is preparing for a shed. I don’t think this is likely though, because like I stated previously he has shed once in the past 5 (almost 6) years. For further clarification,I adopted him almost 6 years ago, but the family before me had him for 2 years.
Thank you all for your concern! I wish I had this app as a worried mom back when he was just a young spider, and as a T lover I will most likely be around reading the abundant information available. Thank you again! Sorry to worry everyone! BUT thank you all for being just as worried as I was!
FURTHER HUSBANDRY TIPS IF POSSIBLE. PLEASE BE NICE AS I TRY TO MAKE MY T AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT BOTHERING HIM TOO MUCH.
I

 

[LucN]

Wrong type of cage, my friend. This is for an arboreal, not a terrestrial like a G. rosea.

You need something like a Kritter Keeper, with substrate filled to at least half to minimize fall risks.

In the current cage, your G. rosea has a real risk of a fatal fall accident should it attempt to climb to the top and lose its grip.

 

[cold blood]

I agree Luc....if there are issues with the t, its probably due to a fall.