I Think My GBB is Very Sick - Please Share Your Respected Opinions

AjaxSmith

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Messages
2
Hi all.

I was hoping my first post here would be a pleasant one - unfortunately it's not.

For about 8 months ago, my GBB, Cruella, has been acting dull, and she's been getting awfully thin and bald lately. She's approximately 4 years old, and I've had her for 3. She seems to have stopped webbing altogether (she used to web everything), and she climbs the walls of the tank at night, sometimes. Also, for the first time ever, today when I moved her tank to feed her, I saw her standing right-side-up still, but with her sort of "knees" almost covering her torso (see in photo).

She eats 3-5 crickets on irregular intervals (never more than 2 weeks), always make clean water available, ensure that temperature's always between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The only issue I could think of, is that there's been construction going on next door for a long time, and that maybe during the day (when I'm not home) the house shakes a bit or something.

She used to look meaty, colorful, and was active - webbing everything. Please help me get her back to health.
 

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RussoTuristo

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
Messages
11
Let's get this out of the way first: are you sure "she" is not a mature male? Does the spider have bulbs ("boxing gloves") on the pedipalps or hooks on the front legs?

EDIT: Wait, four years might be the clue that it's not the case.
 

Curious jay

Arachnodemon
Joined
Jan 23, 2012
Messages
730
Damn, doesn't even look like a GBB from the bottom picture, how long has it been since it last molted? What were you feeding it? what were you gutloading feeders with?
Do you handle at all? is the enclosure near any chemicals? is the enclosure near a window or another area that could lead to exposure from outside the room its currently in?

Any other pets that have had some treatments? flea/tick etc?

Hard to give an answer based on the pics, I would of leaned to premolt due to the drab colours but if shes loosing weight then that isn't a good sign.

Do you by any chance feed wild caught prey? any possible way you could of gave her a feeder with a parasite of some sort?
 

Beary Strange

Arachnodemon
Joined
Aug 30, 2013
Messages
670
To get another question out of the way, you say she's about 4 years old and you've had her for 3 of those. How big was she when you got her? If she came to you at her present size, then it's entirely possible she's much older than you realize. Pet shops have a tendency to say that full grown tarantulas are a year old when really, they're often going on something closer to 5-10 years in a lot of cases.
She does look very unhealthy but that shiny dark rump looks like pre-molt.
 

awiec

Arachnoprince
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Messages
1,325
Could be pre-molt but you did not say if she has ever molted in your care, how big she is, or if its even a she. Though its very possible that you got an old spider and now its her time to go; even if she was several years old when you bought her, GBBs are not the most long lived species out there. Another factor could be poisoning as she is losing weight and is very sluggish, a spider in pre-molt would not be losing weight but would be very sluggish. As for what to do, I don't think there is much you can do, you could try an ICU but I really don't think that will help; the best you can do is provide clean water and leave her be until she passes or molts.
 

Hobo

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Staff member
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
2,208
Looks like it might be a mature male to me. Can we get some better shots of the palps from different angles?

Mature males typically don't last too long after their maturing molt (When was the last molt?) and only last about a year with a few exceptions.
 

AjaxSmith

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Messages
2
***Firstly, I'm so grateful for all the feedback that y'all have provided - so thank you all so, so much. Allow me to address each comment here (in order received):***


@RussoTuristo - Oh my goodness... It's embarrassing that I never associated "his" front hooks w/ his final molt process :-(. I "adopted" "him" from someone who needed to give "him" away, and when I picked "him" up, I was told "he" was a "1 1/2 y/o female". "He" has only grown about %20 or so since I've owned, so perhaps you are right, and maybe it's just a male getting old :-/.

@Curious Jay - It's been a very long time since the last molt, actually... which may further enforce RussTuristo's point that "she" is probably a "he". I've always fed my tarantulas store-bought crickets, and I feed the crickets those Fluker's cubes as well as fresh fruit. I've only handled this T twice in the few years I've owned. As for "outside influence", the tank is a few feet from a window, w/ a construction site outside - so it's, I suppose, totally possible that if a window's open, that some dust from the site could make it's way in - but no other contact w/ chemicals or anything of that nature.

@Belle Fury - Yeah; I'm starting to think "she" is a "he" who's on his way out... And all of your points are totally valid. The bald spot on the rump, now that I think about it, has been there since the last molt - which was about a year or so ago... even more indication that it's probably in it's final stages.

@Awiec - I actually think I'll take your advice, offer clean water and such, and just try and have this T live out the remainder of it's life in comfort.

@Hobo - I can provide some more photos when I'm home on Friday; out of town at the moment. But as I'd said to RussoTuristo, there are definitely hooks on the front legs, so again, it's probably actually an older male.

@Tcks123 - Yeah... haha :-/.
 
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