Super weak tarantula refusing food

[bluebird-azurite]

My nephew bought a tarantula without his mother's permission and long story short, he got caught and my sister gave the spider to me because she can't stand them. I have some experience with exotics, but I've never cared for a tarantula before, however I do have the disposable income to set up a good enclosure for her. The problem is I don't believe my nephew was feeding them as often as he said he was. It looks small and malnourished, moves very sluggishly and just sits around curled in on itself. I've made several attempts to feed them, but they won't eat, I think it might not have the energy to. I've offered it mealworms, roaches, and crickets but it just won't try, it just slowly crawls away. I know you can't really force feed spiders, but I think if I don't get it to eat soon it could die. What can I do?

 

[Enn49]

Can you post a photo of the tarantula and it's container, it will help folk give you advice.
One suggestion I would make is to dribble a small amount of water on the substrate directly in front of it as water is more important than food right now.
Also it may be stressed from being moved.

 

[Heretic]

It is very common for stressed Tarantulas to refuse food. There is another thread I just saw where the owner says the T is just sitting in a corner with its legs covering its body. This is a shielding tactic stressed Ts use to protect themselves.

Water is very important as said.

The T could be in pre-molt and may not eat for a long time and no one is going to be able to tell you how long that will be. I've heard stories of Ts refusing to eat for a year. Its hard to believe but that is the extreme case of it.

Some Ts will stop eating and die as well. The enclosure may be so far off from what it needs the stress might keep it in defensive mode and it will never eat if it feels always threatened.

If you cant post a pic of it please describe it as much as possible. We need to know exact coloration and that should give people a clue as to what it needs.

This could also be a male at the end of its normal life. Depending on where the kid got it many people will sell old males that only live for a few years to make a quick buck knowing its gonna die in a few months.

 

[lorienita]

Thank you for wanting to do right by this animal. Good luck to you.

 

[bluebird-azurite]

Thank you to everyone who responded, but I have made the decision to humanely euthanize, I tried to get her as hydrated as I could, but I think she's too far gone and I don't want her suffering to go on longer than it has to. From what I could gather, my nephew bought her from a chain pet store advertized as a juvenile and thought to be a female due to have a false eggsac in her container. My nephew is not getting off lightly for this, but he is also a dumb kid and we've all done insanely dumb things when we were younger. Once again, thank you to everyone who replied.

 

[Aracnoenthusiast]

Is the abdomen roughly the size of the carapace? If so it is not necessarily under fed

 

[Aracnoenthusiast]

As others have said it could be in premolt. Must become quite sluggish when in premolt. And will refuse food

 

[Atar]

Sad to see that was the decision made. Everyone here made it really quite clear that far more information is required to even start the care process...
Looked small, for a supposed juvenile?
So many unanswered questions....trying really really hard to convince myself this was not a tarantula in a pre molt (molting is how they get bigger and is completely normal)...
If you havent carried out the task I really would like ask that you do more research or reach out to someone local who can observe the tarantula or take care of it properly...
Suggestions on how to improve the care would have been significantly more specific and helpful with the aid of photographs as previously mentioned..

 

[bluebird-azurite]

Sad to see that was the decision made. Everyone here made it really quite clear that far more information is required to even start the care process...
Looked small, for a supposed juvenile?
So many unanswered questions....trying really really hard to convince myself this was not a tarantula in a pre molt (molting is how they get bigger and is completely normal)...
If you havent carried out the task I really would like ask that you do more research or reach out to someone local who can observe the tarantula or take care of it properly...
Suggestions on how to improve the care would have been significantly more specific and helpful with the aid of photographs as previously mentioned..

She actually ended up passing before I could, I was gonna see if she could pull through the night but was completely unresponsive and curled in on herself the next day. She could barely walk when she was given to me and was crawling around on her knees instead of her feet. I think she was both extremely dehydrated and malnourished due to my nephews neglect. I looked up the signs of premolt and I really don't think that's what this was. She drank the water droplets that I offered her and I placed her in a container with warm wet paper towels but I just think it was too late.

 

[Atar]

She actually ended up passing before I could, I was gonna see if she could pull through the night but was completely unresponsive and curled in on herself the next day. She could barely walk when she was given to me and was crawling around on her knees instead of her feet. I think she was both extremely dehydrated and malnourished due to my nephews neglect. I looked up the signs of premolt and I really don't think that's what this was. She drank the water droplets that I offered her and I placed her in a container with warm wet paper towels but I just think it was too late.

That is unfortunate, she sounds like she certainly had the will. Being on her knees definitely does not come close to normal or premolt (like I was worried about).
I really appreciate you coming back to provide some closure anyway. I thank you for doing what you could for her in the limited time that you had.