My Chaco Golden Knee lost a leg and is now walking really funny.

I had put a real treated croc skull in my tank thinking it would look alot better than these cheesey skulls you buy in the shops. All was good for about 5 months then there was little mites running around every where. So i then put my T into a her old tank for the day while i cleaned up her tank. I noticed a funny chemical smell when i took her out of her old tank. A week after that she has moulted but lost a leg in the process. Now she has a leg missing which i know she will grow back over time, i am just worried about the way she is walking. She was dragging herself around. Is this a norm for a T to get used to a missing limb? Or is there something else that could be the problem?

Thanks Matthew

If she lost a lot of fluids (hemolymph), that might explain her walking weird. Tarantulas use hydraulics to extend their legs, and if they're low on hydraulic fluid (hemolymph) it could be difficult to walk. Does she have access to a water bowl? Also, the chemical smell you spoke of (from treating the skull?) may be playing a part here.
Best of luck!

Depending on her size she may take longer to harden up. The larger the T, the longer it takes, and the large ones may try and move around and look quite rubbery for a week or even longer.

I had a 6+" LP without a leg... she moved just fine. She molted a couple of months ago, new leg and all, and you'd never know she had lost one. I also had a T that lost both palps AND both L1/L2 legs in a molt. He heaved himself around on his fangs and remaining four legs. He molted recently, all of his legs back again, and if I didn't have photos, I don't think you could tell he'd been severely crippled.

Make sure she has good clean water, and a plain hide.. nothing fancy is really needed.

Marga