My 18 year old C rosea stuck in molt, when is a good time to intervene?

Jezsticles

Arachnopeon
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Sep 13, 2016
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I'v had Caroline my beautiful Chilean rose now for more than half my life, she has never had trouble molting before, I could see her getting into trouble after the 48 hour mark, because usually she undresses pretty quick, its been 4 days now since she started, she has all her body and legs out, but one, nd it looks like its actually jammed in her mouth, not sure whether she is trying to amputate herself or not but shes been like this for a while, I'm lost and not sure when or if at all I should intervene. Any help would be appreciated..

Apologise for the typo on the thread, was rushing a little...G rosea**
 
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DragonizedGlory

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If you can see how far the leg is from getting out and it's just a little further you can gently try to help without putting too much pressure on the new leg. If the leg seems twisted unnaturally then your t may have lost a leg. I think the "in its mouth" bit is just the t trying to help it's leg out. If you don't mind could you post an image of the T. It could help the pro's (not me) give a good diagnosis I think.
(Oh and it's G. Rosea)
 

Jezsticles

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If you can see how far the leg is from getting out and it's just a little further you can gently try to help without putting too much pressure on the new leg. If the leg seems twisted unnaturally then your t may have lost a leg. I think the "in its mouth" bit is just the t trying to help it's leg out. If you don't mind could you post an image of the T. It could help the pro's (not me) give a good diagnosis I think.
(Oh and it's G. Rosea)
If you can see how far the leg is from getting out and it's just a little further you can gently try to help without putting too much pressure on the new leg. If the leg seems twisted unnaturally then your t may have lost a leg. I think the "in its mouth" bit is just the t trying to help it's leg out. If you don't mind could you post an image of the T. It could help the pro's (not me) give a good diagnosis I think.
(Oh and it's G. Rosea)
it's a little hard to see which part is free, can't tell if it's at the base or not...
 

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viper69

ArachnoGod
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Nice to read about older Ts! An image would help. I honestly don't think there is anything you can do but let nature take its course.

Her new exoskeleton is surely hardening (assuming that process is working normally).

If she's mobile (unsure) she will remove the leg herself when she's able to. All you can do is wait and keep water around for her to drink.
 

Jezsticles

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Nice to read about older Ts! An image would help. I honestly don't think there is anything you can do but let nature take its course.

Her new exoskeleton is surely hardening (assuming that process is working normally).

If she's mobile (unsure) she will remove the leg herself when she's able to. All you can do is wait and keep water around for her to drink.
shes still on her back though, she struggles about every few hours or so.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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shes still on her back though, she struggles about every few hours or so.
When I hit submit, you had just posted your pics, couldn't see them yet hah.

IMO, you are going to have to wait it out. The fact it took 48 hr so far, and previously she was very quick is certainly an indication that something is "up". It doesn't mean she's going to die, but it's not a good sign IMO.

I noticed the pics now, that is unfortunate. I wouldn't give up on her yet, I'd also give her water via a dropper too. Not every animal is going to live a complete life cycle, w/that said however, 18 yr is a good length of time for a female. Sure people have reported longer lives for this species. However, no one knows what the median life span is for any of these species. It could be anything from 15-25 no one knows.
 

EulersK

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I don't come bearing good news, unfortunately.

At four days, that spider is almost certainly lost. Even if it is still alive, the new exoskeleton has hardened inside of that old exuvia, trapping your spider in the process. I have heard of people attempting to remove the exuvia, but I've never seen it succeed. I really am sorry to tell you this, but I wouldn't have any hope at this point.

EDIT: I misread, I thought the whole spider was still in the exuvia four days later. The spider will likely remove the leg on its own eventually. So long as the book lungs got out (which they did), then the spider won't suffocate. It just needs to heal up.
 
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Matabuey

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I don't come bearing good news, unfortunately.

At four days, that spider is almost certainly lost. Even if it is still alive, the new exoskeleton has hardened inside of that old exuvia, trapping your spider in the process. I have heard of people attempting to remove the exuvia, but I've never seen it succeed. I really am sorry to tell you this, but I wouldn't have any hope at this point.
Even with only one leg stuck?
 

awiec

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It appears the the spider is pretty much all the way out, though the fact that she isn't moving much indicates that she is rather weak; most spiders would just pop the leg off and be on their way. If you want to remove the leg, take a small, soft paint brush and brush at one of the joints, if she is healthy enough she should just pop it off, though being so old and presumably exhausted, I'm not sure how it would turn out.
 

Toxoderidae

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I actually cut my avic's leg out of her exuvia, I made a thread about her. She had a wet molt. it CAN be done with the spider surviving, but she had some pretty awful internal problems, and couldn't even drink. It can be done, but I found her the day she molted, so hadn't hardened completely.

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/a-avic-bad-molt.281485/ here is the thread. I wrote in there she had popped out herself, but I had to cut two of her legs out. She sadly didn't make it.
 

EulersK

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Even with only one leg stuck?
I must have missed that somehow, sorry. I guess that's what I get for doing this at work. So then the spider is fine, but it will most certainly lose that leg. She'll take it off herself eventually.
 

Jezsticles

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yeh, just had a closer look, I can see that she has her first leg stuck, she has it free up to her tibia, i gave her a cotton bud soacked in water nd she latched on to it, nd i think shes drinking cause its gently pulsing, iv left it there for a minute too make she has a good drink, it be worth cutting it at the tibia or try and nd gently tease it out, she is resisting me though..
 

Jezsticles

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
10
I don't come bearing good news, unfortunately.

At four days, that spider is almost certainly lost. Even if it is still alive, the new exoskeleton has hardened inside of that old exuvia, trapping your spider in the process. I have heard of people attempting to remove the exuvia, but I've never seen it succeed. I really am sorry to tell you this, but I wouldn't have any hope at this point.

EDIT: I misread, I thought the whole spider was still in the exuvia four days later. The spider will likely remove the leg on its own eventually. So long as the book lungs got out (which they did), then the spider won't suffocate. It just needs to heal up.
yeh, just had a closer look, I can see that she has her first leg stuck, she has it free up to her tibia, i gave her a cotton bud soacked in water nd she latched on to it, nd i think shes drinking cause its gently pulsing, iv left it there for a minute too make she has a good drink, it be worth cutting it at the tibia or try and nd gently tease it out, she is resisting me though..
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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yeh, just had a closer look, I can see that she has her first leg stuck, she has it free up to her tibia, i gave her a cotton bud soacked in water nd she latched on to it, nd i think shes drinking cause its gently pulsing, iv left it there for a minute too make she has a good drink, it be worth cutting it at the tibia or try and nd gently tease it out, she is resisting me though..
I would NOT cut it off, no. Let her do her thing, she knows what she's doing. Tarantulas have the ability to cut off circulation to a leg and thus detach it, similar to a lizard's tail. If you do it for her, she could bleed put. Just keep providing water the way you are.
 
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Jezsticles

Arachnopeon
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I would NOT cut it off, no. Let her do her thing, she knows what she's doing. Tarantulas have the ability to cut off circulation to a leg and thus detach it, similar to a lizard's tail. If you do it for her, she should bleed put. Just keep providing water the way you are.
ok, will do, how often should I give her water, every few hours or so?
 
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