Strange symptoms in GBB

[Alumentum]

My female GBB molted back in early february but, soon after began displaying odd symptoms. She couldn't coordinate her legs and seemed to flail about. I decided to try heat treatment per another keepers suggestion and his luck with using it on heat loving species. She seemed to do ok for a few weeks but, I found her a few nights ago in a death curl. I removed the heat, placed her mouth in a water dish and left with my fingers crossed. When I checked on her yesterday I noticed she was still alive. This time however, her legs seem to be stuck in a splayed position. She twitches and moves just barely with stimulus. Any ideas on what might be going on?

 

[Poonjab]

What was the heat treatment? I have this hunch she was just in that awkward post molt stage, you freaked, then inadvertently cooked your T when all you had to do was leave her be.

 

[Alumentum]

It's a method of raising the ambient heat to 85-90 degrees. Her behaviors didn't pop up until about 2-3 weeks after her molt. I can post a video of the way she moved in just a bit

 

[Poonjab]

You can if you prefer. How did you raise the heat though?

 

[Alumentum]

I used a chick brooder with a thermostat.

 

[quirinus]

is this the so called dyskinetic syndrome?

 

[Asgiliath]

Unfortunately, I agree with @Poonjab -- about cooking the spider. I'm surprised it lasted that long with the heating method you used. I wouldn't take that keepers advice again. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Jess S]

is this the so called dyskinetic syndrome?

Yes, thats exactly what dks looks like unfortunately

 

[viper69]

is this the so called dyskinetic syndrome?

We attribute DKS to toxins in the air affecting a T- anecdotal evidence certainly suggests this. In truth no one actually knows what causes this because no one sends their T for a necropsy.

 

[Jess S]

We attribute DKS to toxins in the air affecting a T- anecdotal evidence certainly suggests this. In truth no one actually knows what causes this because no one sends their T for a necropsy.

Also seems to be a lot of tarantulas exhibiting dks signs following a moult. So dehydration must be a cause also, but I am also wondering now could a freshly moulted tarantula be somehow more susceptible to toxin poisoning? And by what route? Softer exoskeleton perhaps increasing absorption or something to do with the book lungs?

 

[viper69]

Also seems to be a lot of tarantulas exhibiting dks signs following a moult.

I've not observed this in the decades of owning Ts nor on the forum.

 

[Alumentum]

Well, she's passed away I'm heartbroken and super concerned as my A. avic is showing similar symptoms. I'm not real sure what to do anymore. I suppose the universe has deemed me unworthy of tarantulas. Does anyone know of a place that would want the specimen for necropsy or study?

 

[Alumentum]

Glad that's funny :/ I know necropsies prolly don't exist much for arachnids or inverts but, perhaps an arachnologist is trying to study this syndrome. It's hard to learn about diseases without study material.

 

[Jess S]

Glad that's funny :/ I know necropsies prolly don't exist much for arachnids or inverts but, perhaps an arachnologist is trying to study this syndrome. It's hard to learn about diseases without study material.

Sorry for your loss

I've not observed this in the decades of owning Ts nor on the forum.

Probably cos you keep them right + don't allow them to get dehydrated in the first place.

Apologies as I had poorly worded my last post. I didn't mean lots of tarantulas moult and exhibit dks. What I meant is that lots of accounts I've heard of dks, it started after the tarantula moulted.

I've read no end of dks threads like that, which is why I suspect dehydration in those cases, though it could be something else, such as possibly increased susceptibility to toxins in the environment? What do you guys think?

 

[viper69]

I see now...I don't know what causes DKS, but Im inclined to think it's toxins. Of course it could be another agent/s as well.

 

[Colorado Ts]

I honestly believe that DKS is from exposure to modern pesticides. Some of the new formulations attack the nervous system of insects...they are intended to target insects, but it’s indiscriminate...they just seem to kill invertebrates.

And the symptoms that people attribute to DKS, sounds like a failure of the nervous system.

 

[RezonantVoid]

If its happening to more of your T's im definitely beginning to think this is a case of airborn toxins. Have any other household pets (if you have any) recently received tick/flea treatment, and do you know if any nearby households have been "roach bombed" (had insecticides or other pest control measures) recently?

 

[The Grym Reaper]

It's just dyskinesia, there's no such thing as "Dyskinetic Syndrome" (I think people just like to make up fancy sounding syndromes with catchy acronyms for the hell of it, SADS is another one). There are numerous things that cause dyskinesia in tarantulas ranging from extreme dehydration to poisoning, we don't know them all but I did try to compile as much info as I could in one thread.

Dyskinesia in tarantulas

I've kinda toyed with the idea of making this thread for a while as I've gotten sick of typing the same things out every time someone has a tarantula that shows the slightest hint of jerky movements so I thought I'd try to consolidate everything into a single thread that I/others can just...

arachnoboards.com

Unfortunately, I agree with @Poonjab -- about cooking the spider. I'm surprised it lasted that long with the heating method you used. I wouldn't take that keepers advice again. I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm assuming the OP is referencing the heat treatment that @boina experimented with when a few of her tarantulas started to exhibit dyskinesia in a short space of time. The treatment worked for species from hotter climates.

Treatment for DKS

DKS - dyskinetic syndrome - is a catch all term used to describe jerky, uncoordinated and often hyperkinetic movement in spiders. A cause has not been determined yet, but poisoning through pesticides can lead to these symptoms as well as a bacterial infection. More often than not the affected...

arachnoboards.com

 

[Alumentum]

Yes, the heat treatment came from Boina. Its possible it was from the flea treatment on the cats. Either way, not much I can do now for now, my sole remaining sling is outside in a shop building. I'm gonna be depressed for a while over her.

 

[ArachniMarc]

Did your cat receive the flea treatment right around the same time the issues started popping up?