My deformed smithi has not eaten in 8 months

[Unravel]

I've posted about this before, but nothing has changed with her, so im sorry for repeating myself

I got her heavy premolt about 8 months ago, she was 2inches or so, then she molted and got out of it with 4+ deformed limbs, losing 1. Her butt is still huge, and she is still alive, but she has not eaten at all. Her fangs seem ok under inspection.

I just don't want her dying randomly on me after all this. Is she waiting to molt again? Nothing is blocked in her is it? Why did the molt leave her with such a huge butt and no appetite i wonder. Should i keep it same 30-40% humidity or up it?

Thank you


here is a pic

 

[NikiP]

Judging from it's butt, it doesn't look hungry

 

[webbedone]

It looks nice and plump as long as it has water to drink it will be alright and should molt soon hopefully correcting some/all of the limb loss

 

[Athelas]

Those poor mangled little legs!

I hope she may be ok since her abdomen looks full. Is she drinking in that picture on top?

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[curiousme]

So, has the T eaten after its molt that left it deformed at all? In reading your post, it sounds as if the answer is no, but its abdomen is nice and plump. What are you trying to feed, if the answer is no?

 

[TomM]

Should i keep it same 30-40% humidity or up it?

Raise the humidity to around 60%

 

[KyuZo]

Kill a roach or cricket and leave it in the cage overnight. try this a few times to see if it work.

 

[Unravel]

Kill a roach or cricket and leave it in the cage overnight. try this a few times to see if it work.

i tried this, no luck.

I've been trying to feed her primarily dubia, both dead and alive, both really small and ample size. Have also tried a superworm and it didn't really work. I could go buy some crickets but besides hating them im not sure if it will be effective.

Thanks for the humidity tip, ill keep it higher

 

[KyuZo]

you'll never know if crickets will work until you try. they are usually my last resort for the picky eaters, they work most of the time. also try a freshly molted roach.

 

[TomM]

you'll never know if crickets will work until you try. they are usually my last resort for the picky eaters, they work most of the time. also try a freshly molted roach.

Both of these have worked for me. I have an A. hentzi (and 2 scorpions) that will only eat crickets. I've offered superworms, mealworms, dubias (although a freshly molted one has actually worked) and other than the fresh dubia they will only eat crickets.

 

[Falk]

Why feed it when it is already so fat? They dont even get that fat in the wild.

 

[AmbushArachnids]

Try crickets just to see if it increases your Ts "confidence". I would powerfeed her so she molts sooner and fixes those legs. But she will do fine with or without food for a long while. If she was starving she woulnt be picky. A few of my picky eaters (wouldnt take dubia) were put in there place with a month or 2 without food.

 

[Unravel]

its either wishful thinking, my imagination, or both but i think she just crawled in a hide and the top of her abdomen under a certain light is black... maybe she is forcing a molt, will be stressful watching her do it, hoping she will make it.

 

[AmbushArachnids]

its either wishful thinking, my imagination, or both but i think she just crawled in a hide and the top of her abdomen under a certain light is black... maybe she is forcing a molt, will be stressful watching her do it, hoping she will make it.

Do you know what a T in premolt looks like? Shiney blackish abdomen. If you can see the exo on the abdomen turn dark she could be headed for a molt.

 

[Falk]

Do you know what a T in premolt looks like? Shiney blackish abdomen. If you can see the exo on the abdomen turn dark she could be headed for a molt.

The premolt starts long before the abdomen turns black

 

[AmbushArachnids]

The premolt starts long before the abdomen turns black

Yes thats true. Let me refraise.. " Do you know what the visible signs of premolt look like?"

 

[Unravel]

Yes thats true. Let me refraise.. " Do you know what the visible signs of premolt look like?"

yes ive had couple spiders molt on me already. It is just somewhat difficult to tell because she is still fresh after a molt and has not kicked a hair off her abdomen, you can only see the dark when she is in the hide, there is a contrast between the top of her abdomen and the rest of it. Hopefully by tomorrow it turns all black and then she molts within couple of days. Smithis are slow at everything haha

 

[smallara98]

Man.. How did that happen? That sucks! Well, you could try to a.) Tong feed it. or b.) Give it a medium cricket. But she does look nice and PLUMP Hopefully by the next molt, her legs will be much better!

 

[webbedone]

Chop those crickets up and serve them up, i would spike up the temperature and humidity a little and power feed to force a molt too!

 

[malevolentrobot]

i'm siding with everyone else with re: your B. smithi being fine not eating with that booty on it. you could try and up the temps like previously stated so it gets it to a moult faster, and hopefully next moult will do most of the correcting.

Man.. How did that happen? That sucks! Well, you could try to a.) Tong feed it. or b.) Give it a medium cricket. But she does look nice and PLUMP Hopefully by the next molt, her legs will be much better!

legs got stuck in the moult, would be my guess.

i had a 1" T.ockerti that this basically happened to (lost three legs fully and had missing/bendy legs for two remaining) with a still large abdomen, and it stayed on living for a month of tong feeding (mainly crickets, which was odd because for the two months prior it loved dubia nymphs) and got fairly chubby.

sadly, the next moult did not correct the poor thing. hope OPs situation turns out much better.