Question: What to do if a tarantula loses 1 or 2 fangs from a molt & how to tell if it lost them

[Tammra]

First off, go ahead and stop feeding her mice. No tarantula needs to eat a mouse, either for nutritional value or size. Two mice per month is a ridiculous amount of food for a tarantula - definitely up there with the most I've heard a tarantula even taking. A mouse can fight back, the bolus fosters rot and mites, and your tarantula gains nothing from it. Stick to crickets or roaches.

Unfortunately, that first picture does not look good at all. I've never seen something like that before. Those strands of goo coming from the fangs can't be good, I worry that the new fangs got left behind in the exuvia. There is a bit of fluid that leaks out when they molt, but it's nothing like that. For reference, here is my adult female T. stirmi in a very similar pose:
------

There is a phenomena called a wet molt, but I don't even think that's what this is. If she did indeed lose both fangs, your only option is to give her insect soup until the next molt. Ensure she has a full clean water dish at all times. If I'm right and she lost those fangs, she's going to be dehydrated... even moreso than after a normal molt.

At this point, I'm sure she's out. Is she leaking anywhere, especially around the fangs? Can you see if she has fangs at all?

There was only twice that she had two mice in one month. 95 percent of the time it was one once a month, and cricket supplements... I was told that because of her size that she was supposed to have mice. Her body alone is almost 6 inches. I will discontinue the mice immediately even when her fangs come back, as they are indeed missing... And she is no longer leaking. I believe the hemolymph was leaking from where her fangs got left behind. She appears fine now, minus not having fangs. Do you think I should wait until she fully hardens to feed her the soup, which was my plan, but I'm wondering if it would be beneficial to offer it sooner, and we clean her water dish every day to keep fresh water in there. We keep the humidity in her tank where it's supposed to be, but we live in a desert so we always keep fresh water in her tank.

 

[Tammra]

Agreed with above post, it looks like fangs stuck in moult and hemolymph is bleeding out. Keep her well hydrated for start, and offer her roach soup in around 3 weeks when she fully hardens. We can only hope for best right now

Thank you I was wondering when to introduce the insect soup...

 

[Marijan2]

Also, no need for any supplements, tarantulas are perfectly fine with prey as is, they are not lizards to need extra vitamins/minerals/calcium

 

[Tammra]

Also, no need for any supplements, tarantulas are perfectly fine with prey as is, they are not lizards to need extra vitamins/minerals/calcium

So she should just be having a diet consistent of crickets or cockroaches. no mice at all right?

 

[Marijan2]

So she should just be having a diet consistent of crickets or cockroaches. no mice at all right?

Yes, they are not needed at all, tarantulas do not get any benefits from them. If you want to feed her something bigger as a treat, i can suggest bigger roach species, like Elliptorhina sp. or Blaberus sp. After she fixes her teeth on next moult that is

 

[Tammra]

Yes, they are not needed at all, tarantulas do not get any benefits from them. If you want to feed her something bigger as a treat, i can suggest bigger roach species, like Elliptorhina sp. or Blaberus sp. After she fixes her teeth on next moult that is

Thank you so much. I wonder if I could possibly pick your brain a little further? Do you have an approximation of how long it might take her to molt on the cricket soup?

 

[Marijan2]

Thank you so much. I wonder if I could possibly pick your brain a little further? Do you have an approximation of how long it might take her to molt on the cricket soup?

It could take a long long time for her next moult since she's fuly grown adult, 8 months minimum, and possibly much much longer.

 

[cold blood]

I've had several lose fangs. IME you won't ever fatten the t like normal, but you can indeed get them through it and the fangs should be completely recovered once she molts.

I've found the best thing to offer is wax worms. I slice them the long way, then score it the opposite direction. It seems like its easier for them. I also like the idea of feeding a t that can't get its normal intake, something fattier, and waxies are about the fattiest thing you could feed (of the common feeders).

Good luck.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

-- about the mice issue --

Offering mice and such to T's is always a "russian roulette". There's IMO no need for, when well hydrated crickets and B.dubia (and similar) are perfectly fine.

The fact that, indeed, they ate those "in the wild" means nothing, because we are talking here about captivity, and things are completely different.

 

[Bugmom]

I've had several lose fangs. IME you won't ever fatten the t like normal, but you can indeed get them through it and the fangs should be completely recovered once she molts.

I've found the best thing to offer is wax worms. I slice them the long way, then score it the opposite direction. It seems like its easier for them. I also like the idea of feeding a t that can't get its normal intake, something fattier, and waxies are about the fattiest thing you could feed (of the common feeders).

Good luck.

I had an irminia earlier this year that lost it's fangs in a molt. Bug soup for weeks, blech. I didn't think to try waxworms, that would have been so much less gross. It molted again within I think 10 weeks, but it's also a juvenile.