Tarantula Palsy

[Code Monkey]

Got back from yet-another-visit-with-the-in-laws this evening and everyone was alive but my B. emilia sling is afflicted with something I can only describe as cerebral palsy for tarantulas. In so far as it can sit still when it wants and move when it wants, that's about the end of its voluntary coordination and control. When it goes to move none of the limbs behave with any coordination - the little T's legs flail about with hardly any rhyme or reason. It looks very, very pathetic

Anyone seen anything similar and what was the outcome (I'm planning on dead sling but still holding out what hope I can)?

 

[MrDeranged]

Hard to say what it is, but from what it sounds like it could be exposure to pesticides. The palsy like symptoms are what are most commonly reported with pesticide exposure. Any possibility of that? I would suggest putting your sling in an ICU and check for symptoms in your other t's. Sorry I couldn't be of more help and I hope your emilia pulls through

Scott

 

[Code Monkey]

Doesn't seem likely that it's pesticides. One, there's not the completely involuntary movements you usually see in that situation - the spider is trying to go about its normal business but can't. Two, no one else is in any ways affected and all are in the same physical area and feeding from the same lots of crickets. I'm not ruling out some sort of toxic poisoning - just not quite ready to put it on the top of the list either.

Thanks for the good wishes - I liked this little sling. I lost one of the teeny Flagstaff Oranges a few weeks ago to totally unknown causes. That was disappointing. This one is going to tug at the spider heart strings if it dies.

 

[MrDeranged]

Hey Code,

I was just thinking. Does the T have a source of water to drink from? The symptoms you're reporting are also sometimes attributed to dehydration. Since they use hydraulic pressure to move, if they're dehydrated, they move kinda freaky. Just another thought. What kind of container is the T in? Is it big enough for a water dish or for you to spray the substrate so that you can have a little pool of standing water? What I've been doing recently with my slightly larger slings is moving them into horizontal beanie baby containers. They give more floor space than a mini pet pal, and are much better at holding in humidity as you drill the amout of holes that you want for ventilation. I spray a bunch of water onto the substrate so that there is a little bit of standing water for them to drink from until the substrate absorbs it. It works good for slings that are too small for a water dish IMHO.

Scott

 

[krystal]

come on! this is co_mo you're talking about! *of course* his tarantulas aren't dehydrated due to negligence on his part. because if they were, i would have to kick his arse. and then take all of his tarantulas away from him. and then kick his arse on the way out. and then, i'd pierce his nose and attach it to a chain that is attached to his ear a la jane child, circa 1989-90.



(whoa-did i just mention _jane child_?!? yikes!)

 

[King_Looey]

Krystal. where were you born? Ive only heard brits and aussies use arse.

 

[krystal]

k_l: if i told you, i'd have to kill you... : )

i was born in the u.s.—but i'm often accused of being irish (what is it about red hair and green/hazel eyes that automatically turns everyone into an anthropologist?) although i am totally not.

i forget exactly _where_ i first heard "arse." maybe it was in an austin powers movie, or maybe i read it in oliver twist (the cliff notes version). perhaps steve urwin blurted it out while manhandling a 12-foot croc, or eric idle sang about it while praising that which is the opposite of arse (on a guy). or, better yet, maybe i got it from *YOU*, king looey, pinnacle of all that is naughty and gutter-mouthy!! : )


(it's in my webster's dictionary)

 

[Code Monkey]

It gets misted every few days, substrate is moist, and there's even still some visible droplets on the vial sides. Plus, I realise the gap of written descriptions, but the behaviour isn't consistent with what I would expect from a dehydrated spider.

It is somewhat similar (or at least sounds similar ) to Frontline poisoning but I'm not sure how I would have contaminated only one spider.

 

[Mendi]

I would do what Scott suggests and put her in the ICU where there is plenty humidity and a bit of extra warmth. I had to keep one of my P.cambridgei in ICU for near 3 weeks a couple months ago from some unknown agent or trauma it experienced. It wasn't but 1"in size and really didn't look like it would make it when I found it not moving in it's vial. It didn't even feel well enough to hardly move when I put it in. I checked for anything ruptured with a magnifying and found nothing. Buy the second day she was starting to make some progress. The second week it was starting to feed and move even more. It fine now and scares me when I feed and clean it as it's always ready to jump out as soon as thinks it sees freedom. It had some of the same type symptoms when I found it that you are describing about not being able to control the legs.

I still don't know what caused the problem it had but is did take it some time to recover from it. I'm thinking it fell on it's little head and got a bad concussion or an internal injury that messed up it's spider sense. I sure hope yours gets better!