Something wrong with my stirmi juvenile?

[SpiderDad61]

My 3-4" stirmi eats....a ton. Never turned a meal down. Huge abdomen. Past week it hasn't eaten. Bald patch. I assumed pre molt. Ok, no prob, BUT yesterday I noticed wet "droplets" in the area around the book lungs on both sides of the abdomen. Never seen it before from any T's in pre molt. Can anyone tell me what's going on here? Is my baby sick? Wtf?

 

[SpiderDad61]

Rear view

 

[SpiderDad61]

I'm hoping the clear liquid is the liquid that oozes before a molt, that forms between the new and old exo. I'm gonna soak the substrate and close up some enclosure holes, to get some more humidity in there for it

 

[MassExodus]

I'm hoping the clear liquid is the liquid that oozes before a molt, that forms between the new and old exo. I'm gonna soak the substrate and close up some enclosure holes, to get some more humidity in there for it

I don't know, that bald patch looks pretty pale, or maybe it's just the flash, but she doesn't look like she's in premolt yet..I've never encountered the droplets before..are you sure it's not moisture from too much water in the substrate? Theraphosa are a worrying genus..I'd search it on ab, there may be a helpful thread there SpiderDad.

 

[SpiderDad61]

I don't know, that bald patch looks pretty pale, or maybe it's just the flash, but she doesn't look like she's in premolt yet..I've never encountered the droplets before..are you sure it's not moisture from too much water in the substrate? Theraphosa are a worrying genus..I'd search it on ab, there may be a helpful thread there SpiderDad.

Id think it's the substrate moisture, IF it were in more places than around the book lungs. It's weird. Not sure if I should take it out, ICU it for a day, while cleaning out the enclosure and putting new everything in it. Just worried. Never seen anything like it with either stirmi before. Right, the abdomens bald patch isn't real dark, but I don't know what it could be. I posted over there.....no replies

 

[MassExodus]

My search turned up nothing..is she a climber? Any chance its a rupture? Or maybe she crawled through the water dish?

 

[Thistles]

Does not look like premolt to me, but I also can't see the droplets you're talking about. Do you mean that little string of white things that look like poo?

 

[MassExodus]

Is she manageable at all? Maybe catch cup her and try to scrape some off? Probably a bad idea, its what I would do though.

 

[Scoolman]

Theraphosa are notorious for bad molts, and over feeding is currently believed to be the primary culprit. Cut her feedings way back, don't let her abdomen get much larger than the diameter of her carapace.
Don't not use an ICU, it is not necessary. Just keep an eye on her, and stop feeding for a few weeks.
The pre-molt process for stirmi is a long one, 3 to 4 months for an adult.

 

[Scoolman]

Is she manageable at all? Maybe catch cup her and try to scrape some off? Probably a bad idea, its what I would do though.

Not a good idea. Juste her be, and just be vigilant.

 

[SpiderDad61]

Yea...not cupping her, lol. IVe picked her up, but but for a short time, and not to flip her over n check her. Not chancing that. I'd say it was poo, or regular water droplets, but it's on both sides, same exact place. No way for a rupture. Literally no height in there to even fully stand and get hurt/rupture. I'll just stop feeding, and keep plenty of water and humidity. My large adult female is fed at the same time, but more of course, but not a single problem.
Just the waiting game I guess. Thx all

 

[SpiderDad61]

Theraphosa are notorious for bad molts, and over feeding is currently believed to be the primary culprit. Cut her feedings way back, don't let her abdomen get much larger than the diameter of her carapace.
Don't not use an ICU, it is not necessary. Just keep an eye on her, and stop feeding for a few weeks.
The pre-molt process for stirmi is a long one, 3 to 4 months for an adult.

Her abdomen was larger than her carapace even when I first got her. Never a problem. It's a lil bigger than then, and I feed her a lil more than other slings, of course. I'll sliw it down for a while tho. Thx S

 

[micheldied]

I can't really tell from the picture, but they kinda look like mites. However, mites would usually be right around the booklungs and chelicerae. If you could get a clearer side picture, it would help a lot.

 

[SpiderDad61]

Its never been this fat. It's not moving well. It seems like it's swelling. It's def not mites, I took it out and looked over it. It's a clear liquid, droplets. It looked like it's swollen so much it's starting to rupture, and clear liquid coming out. Don't kno if it's possible, but I'm trying to explain what I'm seeing

 

[micheldied]

I've never seen that before. The spider looks to be in very early premolt, though.

 

[SpiderDad61]

I don't kno. I'll keep an eye on it. Water, warmth, offer food, and see what happens

 

[Scoolman]

If she is noticeably growing, it could be a parasite; I hope not.
Swelling prior to a molt is normal, which is why over feeding is can be problematic, especially for this species.

 

[SpiderDad61]

If she is noticeably growing, it could be a parasite; I hope not.
Swelling prior to a molt is normal, which is why over feeding is can be problematic, especially for this species.

Ahhhh ok. Has to b molt. I didn't think I was over feeding, since I feed all my T's the same day every week, but she does get bigger prey.
I'm gonna just give water, wait a while to feed and keep an eye out. Thx a lot

 

[Chubbs]

Honestly putting a tarantula in ICU a lot of times only stresses them out more and tends to make things worse.

 

[MassExodus]

Any updates are appreciated, man she is really bald..she kicked off nearly everything..