Sick P. murinus

[z32upgrader]

My juvenile female is doing very poorly and I don't really know why. Her abdomen is unusually round and dark for an OBT. She's been unusually plump for a few months now with no feedings. She started a pronounced death curl today. Not interested in drinking water or anything. She's very weak. I thought she might be impacted, but as far as I can tell it looks normal.
Any suggestions?

 

[Toxoderidae]

Looks to be some sort of worm like parasite, like what attacks mantids.

 

[z32upgrader]

Looks to be some sort of worm like parasite, like what attacks mantids.

She's captive born if that makes any difference. Are you saying I should steel myself for the possibility of a creature bursting out of her abdomen?

 

[Toxoderidae]

She's captive born if that makes any difference. Are you saying I should steel myself for the possibility of a creature bursting out of her abdomen?

There is a possibility. That's what the bloating makes me think. What kind of feeders is/was she on?

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I'm sorry to see that, man. P.murinus is one of my fav. T's and sucks at the zenith such a thing, especially if you consider that they are little tanks when it comes to the 'hardy' part.

The opistosoma, in the first picture, looks well fed, the one of a healthy Theraphosidae... that's strange. Btw what do you mean for "impacted"? (sorry if I ask, but English deceive me sometimes) You mean a internal issue due to a fall or something?

 

[cold blood]

I'm sorry to see that, man. P.murinus is one of my fav. T's and sucks at the zenith such a thing, especially if you consider that they are little tanks when it comes to the 'hardy' part.

The opistosoma, in the first picture, looks well fed, the one of a healthy Theraphosidae... that's strange. Btw what do you mean for "impacted"? (sorry if I ask, but English deceive me sometimes) You mean a internal issue due to a fall or something?

He means it cant poop

 

[z32upgrader]

There is a possibility. That's what the bloating makes me think. What kind of feeders is/was she on?

She eats dubia roaches from my colony. She may have had a few crickets from the local pet store. I was a little low on roaches for a while a month ago.

 

[cold blood]

A possibility, too....although the back door looks normal.:wideyed:

 

[z32upgrader]

Made a ten minute time lapse because her heartbeat was visible. Watching the video the heartbeat is irregular and comes and goes with pauses in between. I don't know what to make of that. It's probably not a good sign. Could be completely normal too with as little as we know of their biology.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/od2nswa6je6a7u3/p murinus heartbeat.mp4?dl=0
Junk Youtube channel link for those that can't see Dropbox content:

 

[Venom1080]

the only thing i could think of is a parasite of some kind.

 

[14pokies]

I would candle her..When the light is shined on her from the side on the opposite side you will either see pink wich is good, yellow if she has eggs and I'm assuming a black/dark mass if she has some type of impaction or whatever parasite toxoderidae was talking about..

Incase your not familiar with candeling a tarantula I'm going to search for a thread and drop the link here in a minute.

*Edit*

Here is a link that shows the concept http://arachnoboards.com/threads/gravid-female.193443/#post-1758740

 

[z32upgrader]

I want to say she looks yellow when candled but she is yellow/orange anyway. When I first saw her getting plump I thought she was going to drop a phantom sac.

 

[14pokies]

I want to say she looks yellow when candled but she is yellow/orange anyway. When I first saw her getting plump I thought she was going to drop a phantom sac.

My guess would be that she is gravid. Has she improved at all or is she still acting lethargic?

 

[z32upgrader]

My guess would be that she is gravid. Has she improved at all or is she still acting lethargic?

No, she's still on death's door in a heavy curl.

 

[Toxoderidae]

Sorry, went to sleep. Those crickets may be the cause. I recently had a parasite take out one of my spiders from crickets. Similar thing happened.

 

[14pokies]

Sorry, went to sleep. Those crickets may be the cause. I recently had a parasite take out one of my spiders from crickets. Similar thing happened.

What sp. of parasite are you talking about? Never heard of one that makes the abdomen swell. So far I have been lucky as far as having healthy parasite free Ts..

 

[Toxoderidae]

What sp. of parasite are you talking about? Never heard of one that makes the abdomen swell. So far I have been lucky as far as having healthy parasite free Ts..

I don't know the exact name of it, it's a long black worm that causes bloating. I've seen it in mantids usually, and it does pretty much this.

 

[z32upgrader]

I expect her to pass soon. When she does I'll perform an autopsy. We'll see in a week or so.

 

[darkness975]

I don't know the exact name of it, it's a long black worm that causes bloating. I've seen it in mantids usually, and it does pretty much this.

Horsehair worm

 

[darkness975]

I use crickets and have not had an issue. They have to eat, if I started being paranoid about every feeding they'd starve to death after a few years ...