What is an ICU?

[TalonAWD]

Like the title says... I keep reading about putting a tarantula in ICU (Intensive care unit?)
What is this?

 

[radicaldementia]

Basically a deli cup with some damp paper towels. It's mainly for dehydrated T's, you put them in it and keep them a bit warmer and hopefully after several hours they recover. It's a last resort if you find a T in a death curl.

I've had to put 2 T's in an ICU, a little 1/4" A waconum who recovered fully (and has molted twice since then), and a 1" P. regalis who unfortunately did not survive.

 

[saminthemiddle]

There are two different kinds of ICU: a dry and a wet one.

A dry ICU is sometimes used to treat mites and consists of dry paper towels and a water dish. The idea is to dessicate the mites on the spider and kill them.

A wet ICU is the same as a dry ICU without the water dish and with wet paper towels all around. This ICU is usually used to treat dehydration although some people use it to treat mites as well. The idea of the mite treatment with wet ICU is that the mites go down to the substrate because they like dampness and you toss out the towel before they climb back on the spider. Either way, a wet ICU must have it's towels changed almost constantly.

Sometimes an ICU can just be damp and is used if you need to isolate a sick T from an unknown problem that is suspected to be linked so something in the tank.

 

[TalonAWD]

There are two different kinds of ICU: a dry and a wet one.

A dry ICU is sometimes used to treat mites and consists of dry paper towels and a water dish. The idea is to dessicate the mites on the spider and kill them.

A wet ICU is the same as a dry ICU without the water dish and with wet paper towels all around. This ICU is usually used to treat dehydration although some people use it to treat mites as well. The idea of the mite treatment with wet ICU is that the mites go down to the substrate because they like dampness and you toss out the towel before they climb back on the spider. Either way, a wet ICU must have it's towels changed almost constantly.

Sometimes an ICU can just be damp and is used if you need to isolate a sick T from an unknown problem that is suspected to be linked so something in the tank.

Excellent explanation!!:worship:
Thank you.

 

[SandyMuffinCakes94]

What about t's that live on dry substrate? is there a ICU procedure for them as well that is different?

Thanks for the explanations!

 

[7mary3]

If you'll re-read the post from saminthemiddle it should become clear that the purpose of an ICU is most commonly to re-hydrate a T. This means that it must be damp, therefore negating the issue of dry substrate. The ICU is the closest thing to a hospital most of us can come up with for our Ts.

Think of it this way, if you were dying, and you lived in a trailer park, would you go to the hospital? Yes. Now, if you were dying, and you lived in a brand new 2 story home, would you go to the hospital? Yes again.

At such a point in time as that an ICU becomes necessary, the type of substrate that is normally preffered for the T becomes irrelevant.

 

[SandyMuffinCakes94]

I was only asking because i read someplace else in either here or venomlist that someone had a icu setup for dry t's , wanted other opinions on why someone would need a dry icu .. i guess if someone accidentally put a desert species in a humid setup? dunno thats why i was asking.

Thanks dude

 

[Talkenlate04]

A dry ICU is sometimes used to treat mites and consists of dry paper towels and a water dish. The idea is to dessicate the mites on the spider and kill them.

I do the opposite actually. A wet setup draws the mites off the T (changing the paper towels a few times a day). A dry setup will cause the mites to congregate in the moist places they can find on the T like the mouth parts and they will continue on living.

But for the most part unless the mites are really really bad I don't even bother messing with them and never have a problem.