Need some help!

[SubarcticPig]

So I have a Chilean Rose that I recieved from a friend that couldnt have a pet any longer. She is somewhere around 8 years old. Nice aquarium(24×12), coconut husk sub(3in), half log den, no heating element. When I first got her (Beefcake The Mighty) she was great, fantastic behavior in all regards. Always had water, fed at least every week, roamed around, webbed, able to be held ( VERY sparingly) and a solid frame. Then I had to move her to a friends during house construction. Didnt feed her for a couple weeks so she could get used to her new spot. Back to normal after that for a week or so, then she stopped. Wouldnt eat, waited a week, wouldbt eat, wait a couple weeks, wouldnt eat. Fast forward, now its been about 8 months since she has eaten. Always has had water. Periodically tried but stoped assuming long pre-molt. Then just recently I tried again, after almost 2 months of not. She is absolutely TERRIFIED of a cricket. Literally goes spastic if one comes across her. She isnt acting healthy, or looking healthy. Im wondering if she is dying, or If she is just in a funk? Is there something I can do? Thanks a boatload for any help

SubarctiPig

 

[nicodimus22]

This species is notorious for long fasts, sometimes for over a year. One person reported a fast that lasted over two years. She could be in pre-molt, or simply not hungry. Nothing to worry about. All you need to do is keep the water dish full and offer a food item once every two or three weeks, and remove it if she isn't interested. If she molts, hold off on feeding for 3 weeks so her fangs can harden before she tries to eat.

 

[SubarcticPig]

Thank you. I was aware of the long periods of fasting(didnt realize two years though!!) What is worrying me is her fright. The best way i can explain it, is she acts like ive zapped her with a cattle prod if a cricket comes across her. Legs EVERYWHERE, yawing, pitching, elevating and running. Its insane looking, spastic. Is that just being moody?

 

[nicodimus22]

Thank you. I was aware of the long periods of fasting(didnt realize two years though!!) What is worrying me is her fright. The best way i can explain it, is she acts like ive zapped her with a cattle prod if a cricket comes across her. Legs EVERYWHERE, yawing, pitching, elevating and running. Its insane looking, spastic. Is that just being moody?

If she's in pre-molt, she may not feel great, and that might account for the changes in behavior.

 

[Venom1080]

Thank you. I was aware of the long periods of fasting(didnt realize two years though!!) What is worrying me is her fright. The best way i can explain it, is she acts like ive zapped her with a cattle prod if a cricket comes across her. Legs EVERYWHERE, yawing, pitching, elevating and running. Its insane looking, spastic. Is that just being moody?

sounds like tarantula poisoning. can she walk straight? ive had a couple that were poisoned, one tiny N incei that miraculously survived and a 2.5" P ornata that died within 12h.

 

[FishermanSteve]

Sounds like dks to me. My first rose hair developed dks a few weeks after a molt. No warning at all. Eventually it got to the point where a tap on her cage would send her into a 5 minute frenzy. I had to put her down when I realized she could never eat or drink again

 

[nicodimus22]

sounds like tarantula poisoning. can she walk straight? ive had a couple that were poisoned, one tiny N incei that miraculously survived and a 2.5" P ornata that died within 12h.

Out of curiosity, are you talking about the T eating something with bad stuff inside, or direct exposure to some airborne chemical?

 

[Venom1080]

Out of curiosity, are you talking about the T eating something with bad stuff inside, or direct exposure to some airborne chemical?

mine or OPs?

 

[FishermanSteve]

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/dks-dyskinetic-syndrome.181845/
If you think it is DKS read the thread above. Some people have been able to get their t to its next molt and they return to normal.

 

[nicodimus22]

mine or OPs?

Yours. When I read "tarantula poisoning" I didn't know which scenario we were talking about.

 

[Venom1080]

Yours. When I read "tarantula poisoning" I didn't know which scenario we were talking about.

DKS= tarantula poisoning. details in the dks thread.

 

[cold blood]

Yeah, DKS isn't a disease or the issue, its merely a symptom of some larger problem...like a runny nose is an indicator of a cold...you wouldn't tell people you have "runny nose"....no, you would say you have a cold and a runny nose as a result.

I'm not sure if this is the case here, it could be...was it fed prey (crickets) that you caught outside? Was there any spraying near you? Any fumes or exposure to anything?

Regardless, when a rose hair stops eating, its best to stop offering food until you see a hunting posture. I would feed it half as much as you have been feeding to be honest, they have a really low food requirement....since they can go 4-6 years between molts, that's a ton of time to fatten it...no hurry. People tend to over-feed this species, which just accentuates their fasting episodes.

 

[Andrea82]

It seems there is a cause for concern after she stayed with your friend, or when you returned to your house after construction.
Could she have been in contact with something during that period? It sounds like she went downhill from there.