Is there anything I can do for my Avic Purpurea?

[orangepeelx3]

While watering the spiders tonight I noticed Tip Toe in near death curl at the bottom corner of it's enclosure. I removed it from the enclosure to better inspect what the problem could be and found it's abdomen significantly larger on one side and it's very lethargic. I'm not sure if it fell while crawling around it's enclosure or what but up until today it was it's normal self as far as I know. It did respond and stretch out it's legs when I carefully moved it to inspect it but not a whole lot. I placed the tarantula in a makeshift ICU with damp paper towels to keep it hydrated as I keep an eye on it.

Avic Purpurea
Juvenile
Fed crickets and dubia roaches from the pet store
Picture attached;

I've had this little one for almost 2 years and raised it from a really small sling. I love this spider and don't want to lose it. Has anyone had this happen and their spider pulled through? Is there anything else I can do?

 

[A guy]

I placed the tarantula in a makeshift ICU with damp paper towels to keep it hydrated as I keep an eye on it.

You've basically killed it now

 

[orangepeelx3]

You've basically killed it now

I wanted to be sure it was hydrated. It didn't stay in the ICU for long just for a small time so I could observe it but the lopsided swell in the abdomen is still a concern.

I asked if anyone observed something similar and their spider made a recovery or if there was anything I could do to help it. If you've nothing constructive to say there's no need to comment.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Sorry to hear about your purpurea. For hydration, it’s better better to flip her over (if she lets you) and put a drop of water on her mouthparts. If not, sit her mouthparts in a water dish. Did she seem to be pooping normally? Sexed female? Appear to be leaking anywhere?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Usually once you find a t in this bad of shape it’s too dehydrated to save but best of luck. Any progress??!

 

[orangepeelx3]

Sorry to hear about your purpurea. For hydration, it’s better better to flip her over (if she lets you) and put a drop of water on her mouthparts. If not, sit her mouthparts in a water dish. Did she seem to be pooping normally? Sexed female? Appear to be leaking anywhere?

Not sexed because it liked to tear apart it's molts when it tossed them from it's web tunnel. I don't know how to vent sex this species. After moving it back into it's enclosure after an hour or so in it's ICU it did respond a tad more than it initially had. It's not as much in death curl anymore either. I have it's water dish right next to it but If it allows it I will flip it onto it's back and do a little drop of water for it in a few hours as I don't want to stress it too much in such bad shape. It is not leaking anywhere as far as I can tell. Fingers crossed it can pull through.

Usually once you find a t in this bad of shape it’s too dehydrated to save but best of luck. Any progress??!

When I moved it back to it's enclosure it wasn't as limp as it was when I first found it in bad shape and even moved some, but it hasn't moved far from where I set it. I'll update if it makes it through the night.

 

[Brewser]

Waiting Patiently for Purple Pinktoe to Recover from any number of things ?
Best Wishes,

 

[ladyratri]

When I moved it back to it's enclosure it wasn't as limp as it was when I first found it in bad shape and even moved some, but it hasn't moved far from where I set it. I'll update if it makes it through the night.

Another option for hydration is to put it basically on top of the water dish so its mouthparts are in the water, just make sure the book lungs are not.

There have been other posts on the forum about tarantulas who had a cyst or other similar type of bulge/growth on their abdomen, with mixed results. Some rupture when the T tries to molt, others seem to improve with a molt. It's worth searching the forum.

The only things you can do are make sure it has access to water, and also make certain that there is fresh air circulating through its environment. The comment about the ICU killing it is in regards to stagnant air, which is significantly more harmful to Avics than most other T's. That style of ICU almost always does more harm than treating the T in its normal enclosure, as long as the normal enclosure is set up correctly.

Make sure your ventilation is good. If you aren't sure, post a photo of the whole enclosure.

 

[viper69]

Is there anything else I can do?

Wait

will likely die

 

[TheraMygale]

Its really sad. Raising A purpurea from sling is apparently hard.

so you must have been doing something right.

it is possible, for some reason, it lost its grip and fell.

at this point, its all depending on what actualy caused this, which is hard to determine.

other then keeping it hydrated… i have no idea.

any photos of enclosure?

what were you feeding the feeders?

when was last molt? How many molts in your care?

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

@OP have you seen her poop lately? Is there any hardened excrement at her anus? In the impaction cases I’ve read about a misshapen abdomen is common, as is lethargy. Impaction is rare.
Are you able to get a good look at the pedipalps (to make sure it isn’t a mature male)?

 

[orangepeelx3]

Morning update;

Checking in on it's enclosure the spider was where I left it the night before so I gave it a light mist. It responded by stretching it's legs some but I did notice droplet of fluid leaking from it's anus. This makes me think that the lopsided swelling might be something wrong with it internally. Maybe it did fall somehow? I'm not sure.

To answer a few questions because I don't want to ignore anyone;

Enclosure has plenty of ventilation so that's not a concern for me.
All feeders I give to my spiders are crickets and dubia roaches I get from the pet store.
It's last molt was about a month and a half ago.
It's last meal was about 5-6 days ago, ate 3 large crickets.
Regularly spot cleaned up spider poo from the top corner so I don't believe it's impacted.
Pedipalps don't appear to indicate male, they're slim and short.

Anyways, I have little hope. I'm going to continue to keep an eye on it and make sure it has immediate access to water until either a miracle happens or the worst. Thank you for those who commented. I appreciate it.

 

[TheraMygale]

a fall seems to be the only culprit so far.

i forgot the purpupea dont have the pink toes. So that wouldnt help to determine if its male.

 

[orangepeelx3]

Final update on Tiptoe.

Tiptoe passed away sometime last night. I found it this morning with some parasitic nematode wriggling near it's body. I can assume the cause of the abdominal swell, it's decline, and death was the parasite. It must have come from a feeder I purchased because I've never fed my spider anything wild caught. I don't have any blame for the store I purchase my feeders since this is the only time something like this has happened in the near decade I've gone to them for feeders. I'll be monitoring all my spiders for similar issues for the next few months but hopefully this is a one-time event. Thank you for the well wishes.

 

[cold blood]

Final update on Tiptoe.

Tiptoe passed away sometime last night. I found it this morning with some parasitic nematode wriggling near it's body. I can assume the cause of the abdominal swell, it's decline, and death was the parasite. It must have come from a feeder I purchased because I've never fed my spider anything wild caught. I don't have any blame for the store I purchase my feeders since this is the only time something like this has happened in the near decade I've gone to them for feeders. I'll be monitoring all my spiders for similar issues for the next few months but hopefully this is a one-time event. Thank you for the well wishes.

That was probably postmortem.....it's amazing how quickly flies and such will lay and hatch eggs.

 

[Smotzer]

Sorry for your loss! And yes I agree that it was likely after it passed like was stated above me.

 

[TheraMygale]

there are all sorts of wormy things that can look like parasitic nematodes.

i will hope for you its just something else that showed up because the tarantula was dead.

you could always open it up and see for yourself.

a little nematode looking thing near the body does not mean that your tarantula had a nematode infestation. You would have seen more then one at that point.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

So sorry to hear about your juvie purple, Tiptoe. :-(

 

[Nitroxide]

Shoot sorry to hear, was hoping for a better end. Does sound like a potential injury but it's always hard to know for sure.