Tarantula having trouble eating after bad molt

[Fred Draven]

My 5'' female OBT lost both her pedipalps after a molt. Then for 4 times after I've been giving prekilled food to her(she can't catch living food) I found her eating pattern quite odd. She took 2x time to digest a super worm for more than 10 hrs, then after she finished eating I found the food wasn't in bolus form as they had always been before. The leftover food's exoskeleton remained 90% intact but in distorted form. The inside of the leftover worm contained a half juices. Before this molt, she always ate a whole worm at a time with little leftovers. I checked her molt and found her sucking stomach successfully molted. She also had a pretty plump abdomen after molt. All signs are normal except the eating pattern. Her temperature and humidity was kept the same as pre-molt. Is the loss of pedipalps the cause of the problem or something else? Has she caught a disease that led to this? I'm afraid she might not be able to make it to the next molt.

 

[emartinm28]

I’m not entirely sure, but I think the pedipalps are actually used to help form the bolus into the neat ball shape you’re used to, so that would explain the weird leftovers. Pics would help though. All in all I’d say that if her abdomen is big and she’s eating at least part of her food then she will be fine for the next molt and start regrowing her pedipalps.

 

[Fred Draven]

I’m not entirely sure, but I think the pedipalps are actually used to help form the bolus into the neat ball shape you’re used to, so that would explain the weird leftovers. Pics would help though. All in all I’d say that if her abdomen is big and she’s eating at least part of her food then she will be fine for the next molt and start regrowing her pedipalps.

This is my T after eating. I don't think her abdomen is getting much bigger since she just ate four meals after molting. Anyways thank you for this info!

 

[BoyFromLA]

In your case it’s both pedipalps, but it was both fangs in my case. Which is more critical.

Hurray!

When my 2” unsexed Acanthoscurria geniculata molted on May 20, 2020, somehow both fangs were missing. I did not realize at first, but when I tried to feed it, it kept fail to get a hold of it’s prey. That’s when I noticed it’s both fangs are missing. Luckily it’s abdomen was still maintaining...

arachnoboards.com

As long as it can eat, you do not need to worry. Sooner or later, it will molt again.

 

[RoachCoach]

I have a L. Reclusa with no pedipalps that can still eat well. I think they just use them to manipulate and taste. But true spider ≠ T. So pretty much anecdotal at best. Just hoping for a good outcome. Keep doing what you are doing if it is working.

 

[viper69]

No palms - OK
No fangs - Not good at all IME

 

[draconisj4]

As long as it's eating it should be fine. I had a sling lose both pedipalps in a bad molt and fed him the same way and he did great, has molted several times since with no issues. If you watch a T eat it looks like they do use their pedipalps to help manipulate the prey as they eat which is probably why the leftovers aren't in bolus form.

 

[Fred Draven]

Thank you guys for replying. I fed her again and found the prey's exoskeleton was left in half with juicy remains in it. Though leftover was significant at least she was eating. I found her situation fit quite well with explanations of pedipalps lost.