What is this white stuff coming out of my A avic?

[user 666]

One of my avics dropped to the bottom of its enclosure this morning, and that's when I noticed a white fluid.

Can someone tell me what is going on here?

 

[user 666]

It's in a death curl now, so now the question is:

Why did it die, and what can i do to prevent it happening again?

 

[Paiige]

Whoa. Can you get a better picture? Is it WC? Did it eat recently? Has it been acting strangely? We need details to get you a better answer.

 

[user 666]

What's "WC"?

And yes, I can take more photos. I didn't want to disturb the T before when I didn't know what was going on, but now it doesn't matter.

Edit: According to my calendar, I fed this T on Monday. It was somewhat active and has shifted its position several times a day (this is the one that likes to hang upside down).

Edit: I got it on 23 February from a member of this forum. (I forget the name, and see now that I somehow deleted the conversation with that member.)

Edit: the temp was always between 70 and 80 degrees, ventilation was good, and humidity was always higher than 75%.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Wild caught.

 

[Paiige]

What's "WC"?

And yes, i can take more photos. I didn't want to disturb the T before when i didn't know what was going on, but now it doesn't matter.

I'm sorry for your loss. Give it some time though, it may not be gone yet, though that is terrifying.

As @Ratmosphere said, WC means "wild caught." CB means "captive bred." WC Ts can have parasites so it's possible that may have been the cause.

 

[Andrea82]

It is possibly not dead!
Found info in thread below:
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/foaming-mouth.32130/
There are more threads, search white foam tarantula mouth

 

[user 666]

Just got Kenneth (my C. Cyaneopubescens) some new digs! Lets see your enclosures/terrariums!

Wild caught.

thanks.

It is possibly not dead!
Found info in thread below:
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/foaming-mouth.32130/
There are more threads, search white foam tarantula mouth

In that case I'll give it a few hours, but based on the curled up legs I think it's really dead.

P.S. I have also updated an earlier post with more details.

 

[Paiige]

thanks. In that case I'll give it a few hours, but based on the curled up legs I think it's really dead.
P.S. I have also updated an earlier post with more details.

Good luck. How moist do you keep its enclosure? Based on that thread it seems like it's common with Avics and possibly due to dehydration, though who knows if that's accurate. It's at least something.

 

[viper69]

It's in a death curl now, so now the question is:

Why did it die, and what can i do to prevent it happening again?

No one can tell you what that white stuff is from a picture with 100% accuracy. If you want to know what happened, bring your T and the white stuff in to a vet for a necropsy.

 

[basin79]

Well that was gutting. So the title and expected a brand new keeper and their T dropping the kids off at the pool. Instead I see/read a very ill T.


Poor little bugger.

 

[user 666]

Good luck. How moist do you keep its enclosure? Based on that thread it seems like it's common with Avics and possibly due to dehydration, though who knows if that's accurate. It's at least something.

Here's the enclosure, and yes it still had the water dish.
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/enclosure-terrarium-pictures.48951/page-79#post-2588352

I had tested the enclosure for humidity when I started using it; the relative humidity stayed above 75%.

 

[Paiige]

Here's the enclosure, and yes it still had the water dish.
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/enclosure-terrarium-pictures.48951/page-79#post-2588352

I had tested the enclosure for humidity when I started using it; the relative humidity stayed above 75%.

At this point we can really only speculate...I'm sorry.

 

[Andrea82]

You realize you don't have to have specific humidity numbers right? I'm a bit worried that, while chasing the correct percentage, the conditions were not ideal anymore. Humidity readers are generally not really accurate.
How is she doing?

Edit:
You posted that ventilation was ojay, but i only see four ventilation holes (if they are that) in the picture of your enclosure. Have you added ventilation later? If not, then i get even more worried, because that would mean your enclosure was an Avicularia death trap....high humidity+stagnant air=bad for this genus.

 

[basin79]

You realize you don't have to have specific humidity numbers right? I'm a bit worried that, while chasing the correct percentage, the conditions were not ideal anymore. Humidity readers are generally not really accurate.
How is she doing?

Edit:
You posted that ventilation was ojay, but i only see four ventilation holes (if they are that) in the picture of your enclosure. Have you added ventilation later? If not, then i get even more worried, because that would mean your enclosure was an Avicularia death trap....high humidity+stagnant air=bad for this genus.

I'm seeing 10 but think there's 12 holes. Still no where near enough from the information I've read.

 

[user 666]

You realize you don't have to have specific humidity numbers right? I'm a bit worried that, while chasing the correct percentage, the conditions were not ideal anymore. Humidity readers are generally not really accurate.
How is she doing?

Edit:
You posted that ventilation was ojay, but i only see four ventilation holes (if they are that) in the picture of your enclosure. Have you added ventilation later? If not, then i get even more worried, because that would mean your enclosure was an Avicularia death trap....high humidity+stagnant air=bad for this genus.

There are 4 vent holes on each of the four sides and top. four x five = twenty

And there's a trick to calibrating humidity gauges involving salt, a few drops of water, and a sealed container. I will post an explanation in a new thread.

 

[Andrea82]

For Avicularia it would have been better if you had ten holes in opposite sides. It is not preference, they NEED it. Four holes on each side is not enough, especially with all the greenery and bark, blocking the few holes.
I am not saying this is the cause of your spider being sick, but it could have made matters worse rapidly, especially if it concerns slings. They are fragile.

 

[viper69]

I had tested the enclosure for humidity when I started using it; the relative humidity stayed above 75%.

The day I stopped worrying about humidity, was the day I kept Avics successfully many years ago. Sounds counter-intuitive I know, but it's true.

Stop reading caresheets. Caresheets kills tarantulas.

 

[Spidermolt]

There are 4 vent holes on each of the four sides and top. four x five = twenty

And there's a trick to calibrating humidity gauges involving salt, a few drops of water, and a sealed container. I will post an explanation in a new thread.

Are you saying that you had salt in the cage???

If so then that's an extremely bad idea and possibly why she's sick.

 

[user 666]

Are you saying that you had salt in the cage???

If so then that's an extremely bad idea and possibly why she's sick.

No.