Please help

StarvingArtist

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
14
My Rosie is about 5 yrs old. Her last month was about a month ago and has been walking weird. We put her in an ICU and she was doing better, but now she has a lump on her tummy. We found her kinda trapped in the corner of her tank and helped her out of it and she fell on her back. That's how we noticed the spot. Should we flip her back over or is she about to molt again???? We are scared she is dying.
 

StarvingArtist

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
14
Here is a picture I'm trying to upload the video but having trouble. She's kind of "juicy" and wiggling her legs a bit.
 

Attachments

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Can you please post some pictures of the spider and the enclosure? And of the lump as well. It is hard to give help without visual problems.
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Has she been on her back since the fall? The lump is worrying. How was she stuck in a corner, on her back? I wouldn't flip her over again, it could be molting, and you'll do more harm than good.
 

StarvingArtist

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
14
She was face up in the corner by her rock. When she got to the edge of the rock she flipped over. This is an image of her face up. We just aren't sure if she should be on her back of not. We aren't sure if she's weak or molting, since she was face up in the corner when we found her.
 

Attachments

mistertim

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
548
She was face up in the corner by her rock. When she got to the edge of the rock she flipped over. This is an image of her face up. We just aren't sure if she should be on her back of not. We aren't sure if she's weak or molting, since she was face up in the corner when we found her.
Don't really like the look of those legs. They look to be curling in which is not good. What do you mean by "walking weird"? Also, are you 100% positive that this is a female and not a male?
 

StarvingArtist

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
14
Yeah she doesn't have the hooks in her front legs. She skitters really fast. I wish I could figure out how to upload the video... I know they twitch while they molt.. but could she molt again so soon?
 

StarvingArtist

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
14
I have a new picture. It looks like her leg is splitting open. I don't know if you can see it, but it kinda looks juicy.
 

Attachments

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
How big is the distance between the substrate and the lid? Rocks in a T enclosure and too much space between floor and lid are a hazard.
Whatever is happening, she does not look good. Maybe she fell and is now suffering from internal damage. @cold blood @EulersK @KezyGLA , do you know what to make of this?
 

StarvingArtist

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
14
It's not a rock. She has a cave. Not more than an inch or so tall. So she didn't have a big fall or anything.
I'm thinking maybe her last molt must have went badly...
 

StarvingArtist

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
14
I know I said rock earlier. My mistake. It's just a little cave. She has no where to climb for any drastic falls.
 

WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
Very strange then. May have just been a bad molt, but what is your setup? Pics may help to get to the bottom of the problem.
 

KezyGLA

Arachnoking
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
3,013
Last edited:

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
KezyGLA is right, that substrate is too wet for me. They are fine with the water dish (always full of course) when humidity is concerned, no need to mist/moist the substrate.

Anyway maybe something went not 100% right with a molt... upload more pics man, can help.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
From what I've gathered in this thread, your tarantula keeps flipping over several times? It's pretty clearly trying to molt in the latest picture.

Tell me if this is an accurate description of how she walks. She's able to move, but it's very twitchy and uncoordinated. Individual legs seem to not be in sync with the rest of the spider. It almost looks like she has Parkinson's. An old term that you'll come across is "DKS", but that's just a made up phrase. If my description sounds about right, then your spider was likely exposed to something that caused a bit of harm. I have an adult female G. rosea with the exact same ailment, and I know for a fact that she was exposed to pesticides from her previous owner. Unlike mammals who shed their skin constantly, spiders are stuck with the same exoskeleton until they molt again. If pesticides (or any other harmful chemicals) make their way onto the exoskeleton, then there is no way to remove it until a molt. This will result in a spider behaving the way I described above until the next molt. Amazingly, though, a molt will often resolve the issue overnight. Unfortunately for you, she just molted a month ago (is that right? You said "Her last month was about a month ago and has been walking weird," and I assume you mean her last molt was a month ago). If that's the case, you could be waiting over a year for another molt.

Now, if you meant that her last meal was a month ago and this started immediately after that, then I stand by my hypothesis. What did you feed her specifically, and where did you get the food? It's also very strange for a G. rosea to take a meal that soon before a molt. They usually fast for months before a molt when they're that size.
 

Haksilence

Bad At Titles
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Messages
405
Assuming you said it's been a month since last molt I can't say it's looking good. If that's the case zero percent chance it's getting ready to molt again, from the look of that dorsal photo the coloration on the legs and abdomen look off and almost have a wet or sore like appearance.
If it did molt a month ago it looks to me like it had some complications with the molt. Potentially a "wet molt" the fact that it seams "weak" and "walking weird" and whatnot leads me to believe this.
Putting it in an ICU almost certainly made matters worse.

If, as Euler's said, and you meant it ate last month, then it could, by all means be preparing to molt. That first photo is a very clear molting posture. If THIS was the case we need more information and photos to help.

Photos of the entire enclosure and clear photos of the growth/dorsal/ventral point of views will be greatly helpful
 

StarvingArtist

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
14
Her tank was really dry when she molted last month. I tried doing research and everything kept saying put her in ICU and keep her tank humid. Is it too humid now? Should I put her in a dry ICU? I'm afraid to touch her again, if she is molting.
We always get her crickets from petsmart, and the same location. This is her enclosure.
 

Attachments

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
I'd leave her alone for now. See if anything changes in 24 hours. An ICU is only helpful in the case of dehydration, for future reference.
 

StarvingArtist

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
14
And yes I saw the term "dks" but couldn't find anything that could give me any info. I watched a bunch of videos and agree she has the same kind of skittery drunk walk. I have no idea where she could have gotten anything bad for her though. We hadn't fed her fo quite a while before her molt, and we think she molted too fast? It was in the span of taking a shower that she had molted.

Her legs look to be splitting open... I can try and get a better photo of that but I don't want to put my phone in the tank and stress her out.

She's still on Her back wiggling around this morning, but I'm sad to say she's not wiggling as fast.
 

Attachments

Top