Tarantula Anesthesia?

[babiephish]

Slings molt often, maybe it is possible he could molt it off. I wouldn't euthanize him just yet, unless he is refusing food. Try purchasing a solvent, despite the chemical danger to the T. If your sure it's not possible to save it, and it will just suffer, the swiftest death is the best...crushing the head, I'm sorry, I know this is hard for you

I’m not trying to euthanize him! The way it’s tied around him he will not be able to molt it off. I just need to be able to flip him over and snip it and it’ll be easy to get off.

 

[Stardust1986]

I’m not trying to euthanize him! The way it’s tied around him he will not be able to molt it off. I just need to be able to flip him over and snip it and it’ll be easy to get off.

If you feel that would be best, trust yourself, this is just advise. I'm sorry tour in 5his situation, I hope the advise you've had has helped

If you feel that would be best, trust yourself, this is just advise. I'm sorry tour in 5his situation, I hope the advise you've had has helped

By the way, you could consult a veterinarian on this, maybe they would know best about what to do

By the way, you could consult a veterinarian on this, maybe they would know best about what to do

I know vets are expensive, I just wanted to make the right suggestion, do what you feel is right

 

[babiephish]

I know vets are expensive, I just wanted to make the right suggestion, do what you feel is right

Yeah as a 19 year old working part time I couldn’t afford a vet, let alone one specialized in tarantulas. I’m not even sure one exists near me. This would be so easy if I could just get the anesthesia right next time. Srsly

 

[Jess S]

Yeah as a 19 year old working part time I couldn’t afford a vet, let alone one specialized in tarantulas. I’m not even sure one exists near me. This would be so easy if I could just get the anesthesia right next time. Srsly

I wouldn't use a vet either, unless I had lots of money and access to one with experience in exotics and arachnids.

When I was young I trained as a vet's nurse, while working full time in a veterinary practice, but dropped out after the first year (disillusionment had set in!).

I remember someone bringing in a canary to have a metal tagging ring removed from its leg, as they felt that would be kinder for the bird.

The vet, who'd never done this before, took advice from a more experienced colleague. It was decided to try to cut it off with a small pair of snips. The bird started making distress calls and I noticed blood, so I alerted the oblivious vet, who swore and rushed out. Turned out he'd accidentally broken the leg so badly, the solution was amputation. I wouldn't like to have been the one to explain that to the owners.

So mistakes with bad consequences can definitely happen in these places, leaving you with a big bill that you're very angry about having to pay....

 

[DaveM]

Pardon me for commenting late, but I have concerns about your CO2 chamber as pictured.
As the gas is produced it will sink to the bottom of the chamber, with a thick blanket of fresh air above. The chamber isn't pressure sealed (not that it should be), but the gas will be escaping from around the bottom edge of that glass dome, and it will be the CO2 that is escaping (pressed out by the fresh air above, leaving the spider with the fresh air under the dome.
It's better just to put your CO2 source and spider container in a trash can or plastic bin, so the opening is at the top, and the fresh air will be escaping from the top while the CO2 is filling from the bottom.
This really will work if you get it right. No spider can stay conscious for very long without oxygen.

CO2 is a dense fluid. Visualize the CO2 source as pumping out some other dense fluid, like water. Will that glass dome fill with water? No. The water will run out from underneath the bottom edges of the dome. Can a trash can fill with water? Yes, no problem.

 

[aprilmayjunebugs]

I know vets are expensive, I just wanted to make the right suggestion, do what you feel is right

I highly doubt any vet, even ones who specialize in exotics, has even 1/8 of the knowledge this boards members have. And crush it's head? Really???

 

[spideyspinneret78]

Honestly, I think it would just be safer and easier to place the tarantula in the refrigerator for just a few minutes, enough to slow it down so that you can quickly cut the strands of dried glue.

 

[Stardust1986]

I wouldn't use a vet either, unless I had lots of money and access to one with experience in exotics and arachnids.

When I was young I trained as a vet's nurse, while working full time in a veterinary practice, but dropped out after the first year (disillusionment had set in!).

I remember someone bringing in a canary to have a metal tagging ring removed from its leg, as they felt that would be kinder for the bird.

The vet, who'd never done this before, took advice from a more experienced colleague. It was decided to try to cut it off with a small pair of snips. The bird started making distress calls and I noticed blood, so I alerted the oblivious vet, who swore and rushed out. Turned out he'd accidentally broken the leg so badly, the solution was amputation. I wouldn't like to have been the one to explain that to the owners.

So mistakes with bad consequences can definitely happen in these places, leaving you with a big bill that you're very angry about having to pay....

That is a good point, you go to a ver expecting trained professionals, who know how to treat a variety of pets in a variety of situations. That's what people pay for, but like hospitals for people, healthcare can be too expensive

I highly doubt any vet, even ones who specialize in exotics, has even 1/8 of the knowledge this boards members have. And crush it's head? Really???

We do that to roaches to be humane, if death is inevitable, I believe it should be as quick as possib

I highly doubt any vet, even ones who specialize in exotics, has even 1/8 of the knowledge this boards members have. And crush it's head? Really???

We crush roaches heads to be humane, so it doesnt suffer. If death is inevitable, the fastest death is best in my opinion, no death is "pretty" what is the most humane way to dispatch an animal is debatable I suppose

 

[babiephish]

Pardon me for commenting late, but I have concerns about your CO2 chamber as pictured.
As the gas is produced it will sink to the bottom of the chamber, with a thick blanket of fresh air above. The chamber isn't pressure sealed (not that it should be), but the gas will be escaping from around the bottom edge of that glass dome, and it will be the CO2 that is escaping (pressed out by the fresh air above, leaving the spider with the fresh air under the dome.
It's better just to put your CO2 source and spider container in a trash can or plastic bin, so the opening is at the top, and the fresh air will be escaping from the top while the CO2 is filling from the bottom.
This really will work if you get it right. No spider can stay conscious for very long without oxygen.

CO2 is a dense fluid. Visualize the CO2 source as pumping out some other dense fluid, like water. Will that glass dome fill with water? No. The water will run out from underneath the bottom edges of the dome. Can a trash can fill with water? Yes, no problem.

Thank you so much for this advice! I’ll try to find a suitable container.

 

[Jess S]

That is a good point, you go to a ver expecting trained professionals, who know how to treat a variety of pets in a variety of situations. That's what people pay for, but like hospitals for people, healthcare can be too expensive

We do that to roaches to be humane, if death is inevitable, I believe it should be as quick as possib

We crush roaches heads to be humane, so it doesnt suffer. If death is inevitable, the fastest death is best in my opinion, no death is "pretty" what is the most humane way to dispatch an animal is debatable I suppose

The crushing method is probably the quickest and most effective method of destroying an invertebrate.i couldn't bring myself to do it though, except to a mealworm or roach. Although (because their bodies are designed differently to tarantulas) it doesn't outright kill them. Just prevents them from burrowing.

However, I don't think we need to be discussing euthanasia as this spider isn't about to die and can survive this with assistance. The OP just needed some advice on immobilising the sling enough to allow them to cut off the hot glue thread.

 

[MrTwister]

Why even talk of killing the spider???? Put in the the fridge to slow it down and remove the glue strand.

 

[starlight_kitsune]

Slings molt often, maybe it is possible he could molt it off. I wouldn't euthanize him just yet, unless he is refusing food. Try purchasing a solvent, despite the chemical danger to the T. If your sure it's not possible to save it, and it will just suffer, the swiftest death is the best...crushing the head, I'm sorry, I know this is hard for you

Why even talk of killing the spider???? Put in the the fridge to slow it down and remove the glue strand.

I think you're both mixing up anesthesia with euthanasia. OP doesn't want to kill the spider. They simply want to knock them out for a minute or two, so they can gently snip off the glue strings. Also, @Stardust1986, Solvent would likely be a horrible idea.

Thank you so much for this advice! I’ll try to find a suitable container.

Any updates @babiephish? Did you find a better container to try it with?

 

[babiephish]

I think you're both mixing up anesthesia with euthanasia. OP doesn't want to kill the spider. They simply want to knock them out for a minute or two, so they can gently snip off the glue strings. Also, @Stardust1986, Solvent would likely be a horrible idea.



Any updates @babiephish? Did you find a better container to try it with?

I’m so sorry I totally forgot to update here- me and my partner ended up putting him in the fridge and we got him free! He’s doing well and is I’m premolt right now!!

 

[starlight_kitsune]

I’m so sorry I totally forgot to update here- me and my partner ended up putting him in the fridge and we got him free! He’s doing well and is I’m premolt right now!!

No worries! I'm just glad to hear he's doing great!!