To intervene during a molt

OldFlash

OldFlash

Formerly 'Dppires'
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Hey guys, how are you?

Ok so this just happened like 3 minutes ago and I feel it would be interesting topic to discuss.

My biggest A. geniculata female has been in pre molt for quite a while and today is finally the day. Of all the places she has to turn, she chose the worst.
She got stuck. Not too stuck, but stuck, as seen here:

IMG_1186.jpeg

IMG_1188.jpeg

View attachment geni.mp4

















I've kept tarantulas for more then 25 years, I've had all kinds of situations happen and, luckily, death by bad molts on adult females isn't one of them. So I decide to wait a bit to see if I had a real problem or if she would manage to molt with no issue. !5 minutes went by and I noticed some unusual movement, clearly as if trying to reach for something, but I could tell she had entered that molt state, you know, kind of like a transe.
Oh well, I had three options in mind: leave her alone and hope for the best; carefully re-positioning her before she started to leave the old exoskeleton, risking the possibility she would turn back up and damage something internal; wait to do the same thing after she started leaving the exoskeleton so she wouldn't be able to turn back up and would, hopefully, continue with the process.

Going against the "never touch a molting spider" rule, I went and positioned her one her back, as carefully as possible.
I would never recommend it to anyone but it's way easier said than done. And, of course, the risk is not gone and I'm very aware that, maybe, my action is what made things worst.
If it was a smaller T I wouldn't interfere at all. But a big T like her I decided to take the chance.

IMG_1196.jpg

Now all that's left is to hope for the best.

Has any of you ever had to deal with something like this?
 
OldFlash

OldFlash

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AphonopelmaTX said:
Yes, I have and I have done the exact same thing you did. It is tricky business because you don't know what is happening on the inside of the tarantula, but it is a risk worth taking sometimes.
Click to expand...
I’m afraid to ask but.. did it make it?
 
A

AphonopelmaTX

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OldFlash said:
I’m afraid to ask but.. did it make it?
Click to expand...
Sorry, I forgot to add that part! Yes, the tarantulas I have had to move after flipping over, or even during the process of ecdysis, have made it. I have had to intervene several times throughout my years of tarantula keeping. The way I figure, a tarantula's new cuticle is rubbery so careful and gentile movement doesn't really affect it too much. The only truly dangerous aspects of intervening with a tarantula in the process of molting are puncture wounds, pressure to the body, and sudden jolts to the body. Each time I have had to move a molting tarantula I have done it with my bare hands and kind of cradled it to support as much of the body as possible. It is hard to describe, but for a visual I'm sliding my hands around and under the tarantula's body as if my hands were a gurney.
 
OldFlash

OldFlash

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AphonopelmaTX said:
Sorry, I forgot to add that part! Yes, the tarantulas I have had to move after flipping over, or even during the process of ecdysis, have made it. I have had to intervene several times throughout my years of tarantula keeping. The way I figure, a tarantula's new cuticle is rubbery so careful and gentile movement doesn't really affect it too much. The only truly dangerous aspects of intervening with a tarantula in the process of molting are puncture wounds, pressure to the body, and sudden jolts to the body. Each time I have had to move a molting tarantula I have done it with my bare hands and kind of cradled it to support as much of the body as possible. It is hard to describe, but for a visual I'm sliding my hands around and under the tarantula's body as if my hands were a gurney.
Click to expand...
Great to know they all made it. I too believe that, in certain situations, it can be done if you know what you’re doing. We’ve all seen comunal balfouris sucessfuly molting against all odds, right? That said, and as you said, the risk is always there since we don’t know what’s happening on the inside.
Thanks for the reply, I’m hoping I’ll come back with good news.
 
Charliemum

Charliemum

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I have actually had a moulting problem with a genic , my 5th t was a male genic called Mint Humbug, he came with clear neuro issues could hardly move legs flailed when he did he couldn't even hold his weight up properly. He eventually moulted but couldn't flip bk over I waited about 10 hours then I intervened, I used a spoon to gently lift him over. He did survive and did moult 4x on his own after that but unfortunately I was fighting a loosing battle and he did eventually pass away but from whatever he came with was nothing to do with the moult.

I also had the same problem as you but with Augacephalus ezendami juvie, khrysos, he chose to moult at the top of the hill he made rolled down half way through the moult and got stuck in the bottom entrance to his burrow, he had dug a full half of the dirt out, placed it all up one side and made quite a steep hill . I laid the viv on its side again used a spoon to go under him through the sub so I didn't touch him n placed him on the now lvl sub to finish the job. I honestly thought he would die due to what had happened but no he moulted out fine and after about 20 mins went bk in his burrow. He is now a further 2 moults in no issues at all. Hard little floofer even at 2inches dls.
Don't worry your beautiful Lady should be fine, sometimes you just have to intervene idc what ppl say, and as long as your careful which I know you are your t should be no worse for wear. Just keep your eye on her but I feel like you just saved her not made things worse. Please keep us informed on her progress. I wish you both the best of luck at this stressful time.
 
OldFlash

OldFlash

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Charliemum said:
I have actually had a moulting problem with a genic , my 5th t was a male genic called Mint Humbug, he came with clear neuro issues could hardly move legs flailed when he did he couldn't even hold his weight up properly. He eventually moulted but couldn't flip bk over I waited about 10 hours then I intervened, I used a spoon to gently lift him over. He did survive and did moult 4x on his own after that but unfortunately I was fighting a loosing battle and he did eventually pass away but from whatever he came with was nothing to do with the moult.

I also had the same problem as you but with Augacephalus ezendami juvie, khrysos, he chose to moult at the top of the hill he made rolled down half way through the moult and got stuck in the bottom entrance to his burrow, he had dug a full half of the dirt out, placed it all up one side and made quite a steep hill . I laid the viv on its side again used a spoon to go under him through the sub so I didn't touch him n placed him on the now lvl sub to finish the job. I honestly thought he would die due to what had happened but no he moulted out fine and after about 20 mins went bk in his burrow. He is now a further 2 moults in no issues at all. Hard little floofer even at 2inches dls.
Don't worry your beautiful Lady should be fine, sometimes you just have to intervene idc what ppl say, and as long as your careful which I know you are your t should be no worse for wear. Just keep your eye on her but I feel like you just saved her not made things worse. Please keep us informed on her progress. I wish you both the best of luck at this stressful time.
Click to expand...
Good to read other people's stories and how each one decided to menage it 🤘
I'm keeping both eyes on her and so far so good.

I'll update you guys soon.
 
WolfieKate

WolfieKate

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Sep 16, 2024
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OldFlash said:
Hey guys, how are you?

Ok so this just happened like 3 minutes ago and I feel it would be interesting topic to discuss.

My biggest A. geniculata female has been in pre molt for quite a while and today is finally the day. Of all the places she has to turn, she chose the worst.
She got stuck. Not too stuck, but stuck, as seen here:

View attachment 491642

View attachment 491643

View attachment 491646

















I've kept tarantulas for more then 25 years, I've had all kinds of situations happen and, luckily, death by bad molts on adult females isn't one of them. So I decide to wait a bit to see if I had a real problem or if she would manage to molt with no issue. !5 minutes went by and I noticed some unusual movement, clearly as if trying to reach for something, but I could tell she had entered that molt state, you know, kind of like a transe.
Oh well, I had three options in mind: leave her alone and hope for the best; carefully re-positioning her before she started to leave the old exoskeleton, risking the possibility she would turn back up and damage something internal; wait to do the same thing after she started leaving the exoskeleton so she wouldn't be able to turn back up and would, hopefully, continue with the process.

Going against the "never touch a molting spider" rule, I went and positioned her one her back, as carefully as possible.
I would never recommend it to anyone but it's way easier said than done. And, of course, the risk is not gone and I'm very aware that, maybe, my action is what made things worst.
If it was a smaller T I wouldn't interfere at all. But a big T like her I decided to take the chance.



Now all that's left is to hope for the best.

Has any of you ever had to deal with something like this?
Click to expand...
Yes.. my very first moult. My Davus Pentaloris got up off her back mid molt, climbed a piece of cork bark and got wedged between the bark and the tank wall. Her new exoskeleton was showing so I had to intervene. I removed everything from the enclosure except the water dish and very gently lay her on her side on the substrate. She was tiny. Yes she made the molt but lost a spinnaret but has been fine. I had only just got her but I now know she’s a very anxious skittish spider.
 
spideyspinneret78

spideyspinneret78

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Jul 19, 2019
Messages
1,379
I tried to help an A. juruensis sling that got stuck in a molt. I painstaking used a magnifying glass, wet q tips, and a pair of thin tipped tweezers to get the sling out of the stuck molt. It lost a leg in the process, but did survive for a while afterwards. Unfortunately I didn't see that there was a tiny piece of old exoskeleton obstructing the spider's anus. It stopped eating and eventually died from impaction about 2 months later. If it had been a larger specimen, it probably would've survived since I could've seen the stuck piece on its abdomen. It's a risk, certainly, but if your spider is facing death anyway, may as well at least attempt to save it since there's nothing to lose. However, if the issues are really severe, then it may be best to euthanize.
 
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