Old Poecilotheria rufilata with 1 leg stuck and 1 leg deformed after bad molt > how to proceed?

[Little Lasi]

Hello fellow tarantula keepers,
my 15 years old Poecilotheria rufilata had a bad molt around the end of January!
As a result the 3th and 4th leg on her right side got stuck.
I only noticed it after she presented herself again on the entrance of her hollow cork bark with the old exuvia still on her. I was able to cautiously free her 4th leg, unfortunately it's heavily deformed and thus not working properly. But the other one is still stuck much too deep inside the old skin (up to 3/4 of the femur).
Aside from not being as nimble and fast as usual she seems to be doing quite well, since hunting and feeding normally and even being capable of weaving her prey. And she also wasn't very amused about the photo session... ;-)

Now I'm not sure how best to proceed?!
And either...
1.) Do nothing and let her manage it on her own?
However, I'm worried that she won't make it through the next molt!
Because the double layer of cuticle or the deformation of her legs will potentially complicate it for her to get out, while she won't be able to autotomize them during the molting process due to her high age. Or that the stiffness or deformation impairs her ability to f.ex. turn upside down or pull out both sides evenly.
(1.1) Has someone experienced even old spiders to successfully autotomize limbs during molting? As she didn't do it this time and so far, I have only seen it in spiderlings.)

or
2.) Amputate by inducing autotomy?
However, I'm worried that she isn't capable of it due to her old age!
Because even if I've already used this method successfully a few times during my former work in a rescue center for exotic pets to protect tarantulas with injured or deformed limbs from bleeding to death or from the next molt going wrong. But these were all significantly younger spiders and I've heard that the older/bigger the tarantula the lower the disposition for autotomy.
(if I do so, then...
2.1) only remove the leg still stuck in the exuvia or also the deformed?
2.2) what is best to use in case she won't stop bleeding, as the natural wound closure between trochanter and coxa doesn't work as it should? (f.ex. spray-dressing or - plaster, tissue adhesive, instant glue, starch, flour...)
2.3) what is the best approach to most likely make her autotomize her leg(s)?
Because I have read that you're supposed to grab the femur with a pair of forceps and perform an upwards? directed twisting? movement in order to most likely achieve a fracture in the joint membrane between trochanter and coxa as the predetermined breaking point. However, I have always just pinched it, without pulling or twisting it in any direction, and fortunately they threw it off immediately and in the literature the process is described as "a sudden upward movement of the coxa, while the femur remains in its position as a kind of abutment. The trochanter is thereby canted, so that the joint membrane at the dorsal side tears downwards," which contradicts the recommendation of an upward movement of the femur.)

or do something else?

Sorry for the long text and the in part very specific questions, but I'm really worried about her and wanted to be as precise as possible, as she's already a granny!
Thank you all in advance for your experiences, tips, and recommendations!!!

 

[Wolfram1]

What a thought out question. Sadly i can't offer any advice since i have never had to deal with this problem before.

I assume you have seen this post:

The autotomization of spider legs

We are often asked how to autotomize injured legs in a spider. Like many reptiles, crabs and other arthropods, spiders have the ability to autotomize limbs and replace them later when they molt again. There are many reasons for autotoming. It can serve as a distraction from enemies engaged in a...

arachnoboards.com

Perhaps you could try contacting them directly, they seem to have a lot of experience due to the research they have been involved in.

In any case, good luck.

 

[viper69]

15 yrs wow, I bet in the wild they live like 4-6, if that.

Option 1 due to her age, and the unpredictable nature of an animal when subjected to trauma unexpectedly.

 

[l4nsky]

Do you have molt records for the past few years to gauge distance between molts? I'm going to infer she's probably around 12-13 months at this point in her lifespan to continue, which is impressive to say the least, but I'm still curious.

You're in relatively uncharted waters here with geriatric tarantulas, so the choice will ultimately lie with you. The only thing I can offer is the path I would take if I was in your shoes.

I think this is one of the rare times I would suggest intervening, but in a very thought out and methodical way. If it was just one leg mangled, I wouldn't make the recommendation as losing one leg during a molt is more survivable then two IME. For that reason, my suggestion is to autototamize the back leg around May or about 4-5 months into her molt cycle. That appears to be the worst one and most likely to get stuck. IMHO, the main concern from autototamy is loss of fluids during the closure of the wound and presumably older tarantulas would take longer to close that wound, hence losing more fluids. Timing that "operation" towards the middle of her molt, when she's well hydrated, still eating, and with plenty of time to recover before the next impending molt, which hopefully will go smoothly, possibly with a regen back leg as well. Worst case scenario, the remaining twisted leg will get stuck and you'll need to intervene again, however it will atleast just be one leg lost during the stress of a molt instead of two.

As far as to the how to autototamize a limb, I haven't actually had a need to do that research myself, but I imagine I'd start with @Wolfram1's link and work out from there. Best of luck and I hope you consider keeping this thread updated for posterity, even if the end result doesn't turn out to be favorable. Again, you're really operating in the unknown here.

 

[A guy]

At this point, a molt should be quite predictable. Intervene when it's close to premolt but not during premolt.

I tried leaving bad legs on tarantulas before, hoping the next molt would totally fix it but they almost all come back out worse than before.

 

[Charliemum]

Poor lass.
While I have never been in this situation with an old spider, I have had experience with injured spiders received in the post. If you do decide to help her remove the leg there is a good chance if she doesn't seal it properly that cornflour won't be enough and any gules can cause problems with future moults.
I was told by @HooahArmy to use wound seal it should stop any leaking but not stick to the inner t causing no future moult issues. Luckily cornflour worked for me but HooahArmy had to use it on one of their girls after she took a leap of faith. It may also help you here if removing the leg is what you choose to do.
I now keep it in my emergency t kit now just incase .
Whatever you decide to do I hope your gorgeous lady gets through safe n sound. Sending good luck vibes fir you both.

 

[jennywallace]

I've only ever had to deal with something like this once - a 10ish year old boehmei. She got stuck in her moult and three legs ended up deformed. I had to extract her from the moult. I decided to leave the legs, hoping for a recovery in the next moult, but sadly, she never made it to the next moult. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you and your beautiful T all the best, hope she pulls through.

 

[Little Lasi]

Th

What a thought out question. Sadly i can't offer any advice since i have never had to deal with this problem before.

I assume you have seen this post:

The autotomization of spider legs

We are often asked how to autotomize injured legs in a spider. Like many reptiles, crabs and other arthropods, spiders have the ability to autotomize limbs and replace them later when they molt again. There are many reasons for autotoming. It can serve as a distraction from enemies engaged in a...

arachnoboards.com

Perhaps you could try contacting them directly, they seem to have a lot of experience due to the research they have been involved in.

In any case, good luck.

Same here! Fortunately I've never had to deal with molting issues until now...

And no I haven't seen it yet, as I'm still quite new here and in general haven't been very active on community platforms!

However, thanks a lot for the link and the great idea of contacting them directly!!!
and overall I'm impressed and very happy about the many tips and offers of help!

It gives me hope that the chances for my granny to make it through the next molt aren't that bad!

Do you have molt records for the past few years to gauge distance between molts? I'm going to infer she's probably around 12-13 months at this point in her lifespan to continue, which is impressive to say the least, but I'm still curious.

You're in relatively uncharted waters here with geriatric tarantulas, so the choice will ultimately lie with you. The only thing I can offer is the path I would take if I was in your shoes.

I think this is one of the rare times I would suggest intervening, but in a very thought out and methodical way. If it was just one leg mangled, I wouldn't make the recommendation as losing one leg during a molt is more survivable then two IME. For that reason, my suggestion is to autototamize the back leg around May or about 4-5 months into her molt cycle. That appears to be the worst one and most likely to get stuck. IMHO, the main concern from autototamy is loss of fluids during the closure of the wound and presumably older tarantulas would take longer to close that wound, hence losing more fluids. Timing that "operation" towards the middle of her molt, when she's well hydrated, still eating, and with plenty of time to recover before the next impending molt, which hopefully will go smoothly, possibly with a regen back leg as well. Worst case scenario, the remaining twisted leg will get stuck and you'll need to intervene again, however it will atleast just be one leg lost during the stress of a molt instead of two.

As far as to the how to autototamize a limb, I haven't actually had a need to do that research myself, but I imagine I'd start with @Wolfram1's link and work out from there. Best of luck and I hope you consider keeping this thread updated for posterity, even if the end result doesn't turn out to be favorable. Again, you're really operating in the unknown here.

Yeah, I document every molt as precisely as possible!
And this one came quite early and unexpected. Since despite her old age she still has molted on a yearly basis, but normally only during early summer.

Why do you think every 12-13 months is impressive?
As I consider this frequency normal for adult tarantulas. And the older they get, the longer the time span between the molts (f.ex. my 28 year old Lasiodora parahybana only molts every 2-3 years! Haha fortunately, since I tend to be a nervous wreck if it's imminent ;-) )
What however worries me, is that it's known that tarantulas with lost or potentially even deformed and thus not functional limbs tend to reduce the time span between their molts (the more limbs impaired, the earlier the next molt)

Thanks for sharing your experiences and the well thought out path you would take!!! It sounds very reasonable and I will probably stick to it!
Hence, to sum it up again...
You would roughly wait another month > until the middle of her molt cycle. So she has recovered enough from the strain of the last molt, while still having enough time to regain lost body fluids until the next and potentially even to regenerate a new, but smaller sized leg.
(Side note: I have read in different literature that regeneration of lost limbs is only possible if the loss happens either during the first 1/4 or 2/3 of the molt cycle, as it seems to be an all-or-nothing process. However, I wouldn't mind if it took her another molt to start regeneration, since she would probably be completely fine with only 7 legs)
And then around May you'd try to make her autotomize only the 3rd leg which is still stuck in the exuvia, as this is the one most likely to interfere with a flawless molting process. So she only has to deal with the deformed, but at least free 4th leg.
Did I understand you correctly?

In the context of wound closure at the predetermined breaking point between trochanter and coxa, did you experience that older or bigger tarantulas have much more problems with it?
Since this also scares me the most in regard to the "operation"! Although the physiological mechanism of the (3) coxal muscles and sclerites of the joint membrane sealing the opening and thus preventing it from bleeding out should still be present and theoretically work properly even if the spider is fully grown/old.

And would you put her in another enclosure in which I can monitor her more easily or at least somehow alter the set-up of her present home (consisting of a big hollow cork-bark with opening on the top, another one leaned at it and a back wall)?
As you write "Worst case scenario, the remaining twisted leg will get stuck and you'll need to intervene again..." and Poecilotheria, as Asian and African tarantula species in general, are much more reclusive than Theraphosinae and it's almost impossible to properly witness their molting process.
Or does " If it was just one leg mangled, I wouldn't make the recommendation as losing one leg during a molt is more survivable then two IME" and "...however it will atleast just be one leg lost during the stress of a molt instead of two." imply that she probably will be capable of removing it on her own during the molt if it's necessary and only a single leg, while changing her familiar living space is just another stressor better to avoid?

Thanks a lot for sharing your ideas and experiences and excuse me for the long text and many questions!!!
But it's a somehow complex issue and as you say "uncharted waters" causing a lot of concerning thoughts and questions!

Nevertheless a real pleasure to exchange thoughts with proficient keepers!!!
And of course I'll keep you all updated!

At this point, a molt should be quite predictable. Intervene when it's close to premolt but not during premolt.

I tried leaving bad legs on tarantulas before, hoping the next molt would totally fix it but they almost all come back out worse than before.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and your recommendation, but what phase do you exactly consider as pre-molt?

And isn't that a little late?
Since I've read that loss of a limb after the new cuticle has already started to develop can cause a gap in it and therefore represent a high risk of the tarantula bleeding out during the molt!

 

[Wolfram1]

They are a german couple and more active on facebook than AB.

Very knowlegable and research focused, but not the quickest to answer husbandry questions. Otherwise they would probably be swamped.

Like @l4nsky said though, you likely have some time before you need to act.

I think i can confidently say you understood l4nsky perfectly even adapting the advice based on your own understanding of the severity of the deformation on the legs.

and god damn, that Lasiodora parahybana must be the oldest i have heard about, and i thought i was right up there with a 21 year old. Gotta love those grumpy old ladies.

What temperatures are you keeping her at?


A pleasure.
Thx for keeping us updated, this will inform future keepers.

 

[Little Lasi]

Poor lass.
While I have never been in this situation with an old spider, I have had experience with injured spiders received in the post. If you do decide to help her remove the leg there is a good chance if she doesn't seal it properly that cornflour won't be enough and any gules can cause problems with future moults.
I was told by @HooahArmy to use wound seal it should stop any leaking but not stick to the inner t causing no future moult issues. Luckily cornflour worked for me but HooahArmy had to use it on one of their girls after she took a leap of faith. It may also help you here if removing the leg is what you choose to do.
I now keep it in my emergency t kit now just incase .
Whatever you decide to do I hope your gorgeous lady gets through safe n sound. Sending good luck vibes fir you both.

Thanks a lot for your very useful advice and kind wishes for my granny P and me!

Yeah, super glue or any kind of glue also don't appear to be the right choice due to the toxins in it. And starch/flour seems only helpful in case of supporting the slow natural sealing process of very small wounds!

But wound seal sounds very good to me!!!
Can you therefore share the exact sort you are keeping in your emergency kit?
From what I've heard, a spray-bandage or -plaster works well, isn't harmful, and is quite easy to apply, as long as you make sure it only goes on the wound and doesn't stick to other areas.

 

[l4nsky]

@Little Lasi, @Wolfram1

Re-reading my last comment, I see that in my haste to respond with the little time I had, I haven't quite laid my thoughts out clearly. I'm still under a bit of a time crunch, however I'll try to be clearer this time.

For the record, I DON'T advise autototamizing leg III on the right side, ONLY leg IV as that is the most likely to get stuck in the next molt IMHO.

Leg III, while being stuck in the previous molt, is not the biggest issue IMHO. That piece of old molt has new exoskeleton under it, meaning that old molt is not actually attached to the specimen and can't get hemolymph pumped into it should the animal get injured. It's just hanging on. It doesn't appear to be impacting her currently and IMHO presents less of a future concern to surviving the next molt as the old molt will only degrade and weaken over the next 8 months of the specimen's movement and exposure to the environment in the enclosure.

IMHO, due to her age, she won't survive a double autototamy during a single molt or molt cycle.

IMHO, she won't survive attempting to molt again with both the difficulties on leg III and leg IV.

IMHO, of the two issues, the twisted leg IV is the easiest to fix with the smallest impact. If it's removed during a time in her molt cycle where she is at her "healthiest" having taken in plenty of resources, but yet still far enough away from the next molt that she has recovery time if it in fact does take longer for her to recover due to her age, then she has the highest likelihood of recovery.

IMHO, she will be able to molt out of leg III successfully ONLY if it is the only problem she has to deal with during the molt.

If I'm wrong and she does have issues, you will only have to autototamize one leg (leg III) during her next molt, which IMHO will be more surviveable than having to autototamize two legs should you choose to let her keep both leg III and leg IV going into the next molt.

f.ex. my 28 year old Lasiodora parahybana only molts every 2-3 years! Haha fortunately, since I tend to be a nervous wreck if it's imminent ;-) )

And I have WC adult female Aphonopelma that I will never know the age of on predictable, yearly molt schedules. We as hobbyists likely only know 1% of what we think we know and what we think we know is likely less than 1% of what there is to know in totality when it comes to these creatures .

 

[Little Lasi]

They are a german couple and more active on facebook than AB.

Very knowlegable and research focused, but not the quickest to answer husbandry questions. Otherwise they would probably be swamped.

Like @l4nsky said though, you likely have some time before you need to act.

I think i can confidently say you understood l4nsky perfectly even adapting the advice based on your own understanding of the severity of the deformation on the legs.

and god damn, that Lasiodora parahybana must be the oldest i have heard about, and i thought i was right up there with a 21 year old. Gotta love those grumpy old ladies.

What temperatures are you keeping her at?


A pleasure.
Thx for keeping us updated, this will inform future keepers.

Thanks for your fast reply!!!
That's funny, since I'm from Germany too (even if currently living in Austria) and I probably already know at least one of them.
Because if I recognize him correctly, the man on the right side of the photo appears to be Volker von Wirth?

Haha unfortunately I'm not a big fan of social media/Facebook, but I guess I will somehow have to get in contact with him/them in time...

In regard to the age of my L. parahybana granny, thanks a lot!
I'm also very proud of my oldest lady still doing quite well, as she was the third tarantula I've got.
Even if she is only capable of "catching" and eating pre-killed prey items and everything usually happens at a very slow pace ;-)
But she tends to be more jumpy than grumpy.

I keep her between 23-25 °C ambient temperature with a warm sun spot of about 28 °C which I turn of every winter for 2 months to provide a short diapause similar to the dry season in her natural habitat in Paraiba in Brasil

 

[Charliemum]

Thanks a lot for your very useful advice and kind wishes for my granny P and me!

Yeah, super glue or any kind of glue also don't appear to be the right choice due to the toxins in it. And starch/flour seems only helpful in case of supporting the slow natural sealing process of very small wounds!

But wound seal sounds very good to me!!!
Can you therefore share the exact sort you are keeping in your emergency kit?
From what I've heard, a spray-bandage or -plaster works well, isn't harmful, and is quite easy to apply, as long as you make sure it only goes on the wound and doesn't stick to other areas.

The make is actually called woundseal so it's easy to remember I haven't ever tried spray stuff I ovoid anything spray with t's but the woundseal is a powder forms an instant "scab" as it were once it touches anything wet, n if I remember correctly @HooahArmy said it just came off when the t moulted. It was expensive here in the uk but should be pretty cheap in USA as I imported the exact make HooahArmy used. I didn't want to risk a different brand incase it didn't work the same.

 

[Nitroxide]

I've never had to deal with this so wouldn't be able to give advice, just wanted to mention though that she is definitely in the right hands with you. I hope she pulls through.

 

[Wolfram1]

@Charliemum that wound sealant definitly sounds nifty

@Little Lasi, @Wolfram1

Re-reading my last comment, I see that in my haste to respond with the little time I had, I haven't quite laid my thoughts out clearly. I'm still under a bit of a time crunch, however I'll try to be clearer this time.

For the record, I DON'T advise autototamizing leg III on the right side, ONLY leg IV as that is the most likely to get stuck in the next molt IMHO.

Leg III, while being stuck in the previous molt, is not the biggest issue IMHO. That piece of old molt has new exoskeleton under it, meaning that old molt is not actually attached to the specimen and can't get hemolymph pumped into it should the animal get injured. It's just hanging on. It doesn't appear to be impacting her currently and IMHO presents less of a future concern to surviving the next molt as the old molt will only degrade over the next 8 months of the specimen's movement and exposure to the environment in the eclosure

ah i see, mb, i guess my own thoughts on the matter were that both legs looked equally problematic, the stuck exoskeleton immobilizing leg 3 completly, so perhaps if she is strong enough amputating both would be optimal for a future molt, but i see why, considering her age, you proposed to only remove one in order to not unduly weaken her.

@Little Lasi, are those the tarsal claws we can see at the broken end of leg 3 or do you recon the tarsal segment broke off?

Because if I recognize him correctly, the man on the right side of the photo should be Volker von Wirth?

Haha unfortunately I'm not a big fan of social media/Facebook, but I guess I will somehow have to get in contact with him/them in time...

Exactly.
Same here i just thought i would mention it so you don't expect any quick responses here on AB. But i guess you could get lucky.

 

[Charliemum]

@Charliemum that wound sealant definitly sounds nifty



ah i see, mb, i guess my own thoughts on the matter were that both legs looked equally problematic, the stuck exoskeleton immobilizing leg 3 completly, so perhaps if she is strong enough amputating both would be optimal for a future molt, but i see why, considering her age, you proposed to only remove one in order to not unduly weaken her.

@Little Lasi, are those the tarsal claws we can see at the broken end of leg 3 or do you recon the tarsal segment broke off?




Exactly.
Same here i just thought i would mention it so you don't expect any quick responses here on AB. But i guess you could get lucky.

I thought so. I had never even heard of it before HooahArmy said to get it but I always have some in now.

Amazon.co.uk

This is the one I bought as I said it's a little pricey to just have laying around but to me it's worth the price. I would rather have it n not need it then need it n not have it.
It lives in a box with sterile gloves, cornflour, cotton buds, unused soft hair brushes, and cotton pads, it's my just incase box . I got paranoid after the way Amaterasu turned up in the post so I like to have it...just incase.

 

[l4nsky]

ah i see, mb, i guess my own thoughts on the matter were that both legs looked equally problematic, the stuck exoskeleton immobilizing leg 3 completly, so perhaps if she is strong enough amputating both would be optimal for a future molt, but i see why, considering her age, you proposed to only remove one in order to not unduly weaken her.

Her age is a concern, but honestly I'm thinking the risk is very minimal regardless. Tarantulas aren't just goo under the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton is just the dead, protective outer layer supported by the living inner layers.

The old molt on top, while restrictive and difficult for her to remove herself, is no longer supported by those living inner layers. The new exoskeleton, stuck in the remains of the old, is the one that's being supported.

The only thing the old exoskeleton can do between now and next January is deteriorate and weaken considerably. When she next goes to molt and pumps fluid between her new, new exoskeleton and this new exoskeleton, the pressure generated should be more than enough to free her from both the old and the old, old molt.

Think about it lol.... If you left an old molt sitting around the room for a year and went to go pick it up, is it strong as steel or does it fall apart in your hands? Why amputate for that?

 

[Wolfram1]

i was honestly more concernd about it getting in the way when she is moving in and out of the cork tube since it is sticking up at such an odd angle and more to the side too, rather then the second layer of exoskeleton, same with the actual molting process. Leg 4 at least looks like it can be held close to the opisthosoma and dragged along. Perhaps that wouldnt be the worst since it would be easier for her to self amputate. Also i wasn't sure if that was a wound at the leg tip, the other one looked whole at least. But i am just thinking aloud and speculating and i wouldn't oppose your argument.

What do you think about rehoming her? I don't think a cork tube is ideal in this situation, a half round or flat that is more accessible and can be visually observed from the backside if needed. Less hight might also be good to avoid her slipping and falling, but on the other hand all that would be quite stressful....

Or you could do away with the arboreal part entirely and offer a more terrestrial setup during the recovery process... what to do?

@Little Lasi have you seen the row of videos by Tom Moran about his Poecilotheria formosa mismolt and parts of it's recovery? Its not a spider as old as yours but it might still be helpful if you haven't.

 

[l4nsky]

i was honestly more concernd about it getting in the way when she is moving in and out of the cork tube since it is sticking up at such an odd angle and more to the side too, rather then the second layer of exoskeleton, same with the actual molting process.

The thought was considered, but again, circling back to the relative and increasing weakness of the discarded exuvia, if it were to get hung up, IMHO, the balance of probability would be for the tarantula to pull through the hung up molt as opposed to pulling off the leg.

What do you think about rehoming her? I don't think a cork tube is ideal in this situation, a half round or flat that is more accessible and can be visually observed from the backside if needed. Less hight might also be good to avoid her slipping and falling, but on the other hand all that would be quite stressful....

Or you could do away with the arboreal part entirely and offer a more terrestrial setup during the recovery process... what to do?

High level thoughts while being rushed by other tasks and without seeing the full enclosure nor knowing the environmental variables throughout the year:

• Keep the corkbark tube, but ensure you can see into it should you need to.
  • Rehousing her will further tax her and force her to use precious resources to web up a new hide which we want her to use for healing, and she is likely to throw up significant web curtains if only allowed a cork flat, reducing visibility even more than keeping her in a round would as she needs even more security in her weakened state.
• Keep her more humid this next molt to reduce her moisture loss from respiration to keep her resources maxed going into the next molt and to further hasten the deterioration of the stuck molt, making it easier for her to deal with.
  • If she will be exposed to temps below 72°F, DON'T increase humidity as wet amplifies cold and these are tropical animals.
  • If her enclosure doesn't have a ventilation pattern that fully circulates and exchanges the internal air volume by promoting the stack effect, DON'T increase humidity as this will only worsen the stagnation, which will tank her health overall.

 

[HooahArmy]

Back and (slightly) better than every before, it's... HooahArmy!

Thank you very much for blowing the conch, folks. This is an interesting post that likewise has my worries for the senior T in need. Should amputation come to be, there are some options for wound sealing. One of my favorites is...
BleedStop/Curicyn/QuikClot! Find this online or at a pharmacy. These are availible to me at my workplace and work like a charm on my Ts and unfortunately me. Its ingredients are bentonite clay, potassium aluminum sulfate, kaolin, and other natrual stuff and it does not burn, sting, or irritate wounds while stopping bleeding in the literal milisecond it touches blood or hemolymph. When set, it forms a clay-like 'shell' as a form of an artifical scab which natrually falls off once the wound begins to heal. On my Ts, I've seen the stuff stick on for about a week to a month before it pops off, the T acting as if nothing was wrong while it was on. The wound was always natrually sealled beneath when the 'shell' came off.

Another good one in a pinch is Corn Starch
In case blood clotting powder can't be found in your local area, corn starch is an oldie but goodie in the T raising world. It's fine powder consistency allows it to bind quickly to the region and form a clot. It does not set as solid as blood clotting powder and can be messy and hard to apply.

Here are some general tips for powders and injuries: How Do I Put Clotting Powder on my T Pal!?
1. Study the injury whether it be a abdomen rupture or amputation.
Give the T an hour or so to seal the wound by itself if the wound doesn't look too bad. Most Ts can clot on their own without help. If you see the leaking hemolyph as notably less than the start, your pal may be okay. Check him/her again in another hour for bleeding and/or odd behaviors.
2. Ready your Powder
In case you homie has a notable wound or isn't okay, get your tools ready. I highly recommend gloves, long sleeves, and goggles/mask for any person with a new world because a cloud of dust is scary to the critter. Have your powder ready along with small spoons, popsicle sticks, and a straw.
3. Sprinkle Or Blow
Is it a mid leg wound? Sprinkle your dust on a small spoon and try to coax your pal to dip the stub into it.
Is it a full amputation? Apply the dust to a small spoon to hold near your bud and try to use a popsicle stick to scoop it on, or lightly blow a tad towards the wound from the spoon with your straw
Body/ Abdomen Wound? Based on where it is, you may try the spoon n' scoop method or the straw method.
4. Be a Good Nurse
After applying the stuff, routinely check the wound every hour for a tad, then every day. Assess your buddy's behavior. Add more powder if needed.

PRO TIP: No wound powder or cornstarch? Try another starch or flour. Don't use powdered sugar as this one guy (now gone) off YouTube once did. Sugars offer food for bacteria and mold growth, and small insects too, which is a big HECK NO.