Please Help

[xanathefox]

I'm a proud owner of a P. Metallica sling with about 4 cm leg span.
She recently just made her first molt since she's with me (about 3/4 weeks ago) but recently she's acting weird.
She usually stays on top of her container and takes small walks.
Yesterday, she was on the ground acting weird, and even laid on her back but showed no signs of pre-molt. She spend the night like that, on her back and I was happy to think that she was molting, but then again, there are no signs of pre molt and she didn't move after all these hours. No contractions, no nothing...
About 1 hour ago she was moving her legs like she wanted to turn around the right way but she couldn't. I don't know what's going on.
Btw while she was on her back she had her legs curled so as you can imagine I had this small heart attack but then I thought not all tarantulas molt with their legs straight, so I chilled.
But now I'm afraid she turned aroud but her legs are still in god knows what positions.
I've put her in ICU to see if she gets better. It's definitly not dehydration as before she turned her back I saw her drinking water from her dish.
Please can anyone help me? There are 2 pics of how she is right now, please see and tell me what you think.

Regards,
Xana

 

[TownesVanZandt]

If a tarantula is not heavily dehydrated, you will cause more harm than good by placing it in an ICU.

 

[xanathefox]

Then what should I do?
This never happened to me and she's the baby of my eyes

 

[KezyGLA]

Do you have pics of her enclosure?

I would think its best to put her back in there next to her water dish instead of an ICU. The abdomen looks pretty plump and if it isnt dehydration then there is no need for IcU.

Do you have any other pets in the home?

 

[xanathefox]

Do you have pics of her enclosure?

I would think its best to put her back in there next to her water dish instead of an ICU. The abdomen looks pretty plump and if it isnt dehydration then there is no need for IcU.

Do you have any other pets in the home?

Yes, we have a cat but she's healthy and definitly with no parasites as we worry about it constanlty.
Here you have a picture of the enclosure.

 

[KezyGLA]

Have you used any treatments for parasites, fleas or mites recently on the cat?

And have you any cross ventilation on the enclosure?

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Yes, we have a cat but she's healthy and definitly with no parasites as we worry about it constanlty.
Here you have a picture of the enclosure.
View attachment 239651

hmm, I don´t necessarily think it´s connected, but that enclosure looks like it could be too stuffy. It´s quite moist in there (even condensation) and I can´t see any ventilation holes on the sides of the enclosure.

 

[xanathefox]

Have you used any treatments for parasites, fleas or mites recently on the cat?

And have you any cross ventilation on the enclosure?

Yes, we had a treatment on the cat but we have 5 other T's and the cat won't go near any of them and the others are perfectly fine.
The only ventilation it has are wholes on top, do you think it's too much humidity for her?

 

[xanathefox]

hmm, I don´t necessarily think it´s connected, but that enclosure looks like it could be too stuffy. It´s quite moist in there (even condensation) and I can´t see any ventilation holes on the sides of the enclosure.

The terrarium I can fix, my concerns here are the T. Will she be ok? How? Why? Help

 

[Nightstalker47]

Looks like it is dehydrated, is it drinking in the picture? Or did you place it there, if it shoved it's face in the water I would leave it be and let it get a good drink.

The enclosure does look like it lacks ventilation, add a good amount of airholes while you can (since it's not in there) and keep his water dish full. I wouldn't leave the T in the ICU for too long, just enough to get a drink, other then that there isn't much you can do. Place it back in its enclosure and hopefully it will recover.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

The terrarium I can fix, my concerns here are the T. Will she be ok? How? Why? Help

I can certainly understand your frustration in this situation! I wish I could say that she would be fine or that I had some advice that would help. Unfortunately I can only suggest that you take her out of the ICU, place her back in the enclosure and hope for the best. In these situations there isn´t too much the keepers can do, except making sure the water dish is filled and leaving the T alone to hopefully recover.

 

[Blue Jaye]

P.mets like it on the dryer side. The moisture in the enclosure with little ventilation is likely the problem. I would redo the enclosure drill more holes down the sides and dryer substrate. She will do fine with a water dish instead of a very moist enclosure. That's my two cents.I keep my P.mets on the dry side and they do very well.

 

[xanathefox]

P.mets like it on the dryer side. The moisture in the enclosure with little ventilation is likely the problem. I would redo the enclosure drill more holes down the sides and dryer substrate. She will do fine with a water dish instead of a very moist enclosure. That's my two cents.I keep my P.mets on the dry side and they do very well.

Thank you for all the help!

 

[xanathefox]

Looks like it is dehydrated, is it drinking in the picture? Or did you place it there, if it shoved it's face in the water I would leave it be and let it get a good drink.

The enclosure does look like it lacks ventilation, add a good amount of airholes while you can (since it's not in there) and keep his water dish full. I wouldn't leave the T in the ICU for too long, just enough to get a drink, other then that there isn't much you can do. Place it back in its enclosure and hopefully it will recover.

Unfortunately she stopped moving now, so I'm not sure she's still alive. I will do whatever there's left to do to try to save her but I don't think she's recovering :'(
Thank you all for the help

 

[Spidermolt]

I'm sorry to hear that, I would have to agree with everyone else there's too much moisture in the cage and not enough ventelation.

 

[cold blood]

Its absolutely the enclosure, and after that, an icu will only make things worse... like said, increase ventilation by a lot and dry that enclosure out...nothing kills a t faster than damp stuffy enclisures.

 

[KezyGLA]

The enclosure needs adjusted but flea treatment gets my vote. The cat doesnt need to get near the Ts. It could be trasfered other way(hands or clothes etc).

Flea treatment was the first thing that came to mind when I read "on the ground acting weird" and "on her back". Sounds like poisoning maybe. Add that with the cat recently being treated.

 

[xanathefox]

Thank you all for the tips and help, you were all really helpful, but unfortunately my baby has passed away
It was my first arboreal and the most tiny T I've ever received.
I hope in the future I can make a better terrarium choice for them.

*roll down, try not to cry... already crying a lot*

Thank you all.

 

[Venom1080]

Honsstly, it was probably the ICU that really did it.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Thank you all for the tips and help, you were all really helpful, but unfortunately my baby has passed away
It was my first arboreal and the most tiny T I've ever received.
I hope in the future I can make a better terrarium choice for them.

*roll down, try not to cry... already crying a lot*

Thank you all.

I'm really sorry to hear that, don't let it discourage you, we've all been there.