Agb foot rot

darkfyre

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 20, 2015
Messages
24
Hi everyone. My Agb, which was shipped last month, came with something else - leg rot. The majority of her legs are okay, but some end in short black stubs. Some complete legs are also showing signs of. A blackened edge. If it is just these legs, she should have no trouble walking or gripping. However, will it spread?
 

wastedwoodsman

Arachnosquire
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
145
Hi everyone. My Agb, which was shipped last month, came with something else - leg rot. The majority of her legs are okay, but some end in short black stubs. Some complete legs are also showing signs of. A blackened edge. If it is just these legs, she should have no trouble walking or gripping. However, will it spread?
I don't think its leg contagious meaning it can go from limb to limb but it can be from keeping your setup to moist/wet. I usually judge it by the sides of the enclosure. IF my gauges read 80% humidity and no water forms on the sides and the substrate is damp then everything should be fine! if you're leaves always have water droplets on them and the sides always have condensation on them then most likely your set up is to wet. When Nessie (my female agb) got leg rot I misted less and it stopped! Granted you don't want to dry her out completely either!
 

Leonie

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Messages
34
Foot rot is caused by a bacteria right? So isn't it maybe wise to change the substrate also? I don't know if some of those bacteria could have been shipped with your pede.
 
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SDCPs

Arachnolord
Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
659
I don't think damaged feet in millipedes has any relation to moisture.
Surely you jest. Millipedes kept in overly moist environments seem (I have both read this and experienced it) susceptible to "foot rot" which I've read is a bacterial infection of the limbs. Decreasing the moisture levels is supposed to make it more difficult for the bacteria to survive. I know you don't think much of the author but Shura Singling states this in her book, from what I remember, just to give you at least one source for this information.
 

Leonie

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Messages
34
If the bacteria is present in the substrate then it will most likely thrive more in moist conditions. However, if the bacteria is not present, the level of moisture has nothing to do with foot rot.
 

SDCPs

Arachnolord
Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
659
If the bacteria is present in the substrate then it will most likely thrive more in moist conditions. However, if the bacteria is not present, the level of moisture has nothing to do with foot rot.
I wouldn't be so confident about that. Multiple species of opportunistic bacteria (meaning no problem unless conditions are right for them) may contribute to the ailment. Furthermore, how would I know if my substrate contained the bacteria or not? Either way your statement doesn't help me at all.
 

Leonie

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Messages
34
You're right, it doesn't help. You can't know for sure if the bacteria is present or not and you'll only find out once your millipede has foot rot. With my statement I wanted to make clear what the relation is between moisture and that bacteria (probably an anaerobe one) since some claimed that moisture had nothing to do with it and others claimed that it had everything to do with it.

I've read that foot rot is quite common, so the bacteria is probably common also. Logically the chances of that bacteria being present in the substrate are higher than the chances of it not being in the substrate. That's my guess.
 
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SDCPs

Arachnolord
Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
659
Which leads back to my advice: keep millipede's substrate a bit drier. Why? Because as you said the bacteria are most likely commonly present, and a drier environment is probably less favorable then a wet one for these bacteria :). To play it safe one could consider placing a small bit of water for the millipede since they can drink...or making sure they have fruit (high water content).

Since you obtained the millipede with foot rot I personally would just do standard care and see if it gets worse. If so then the drier environ?
 

CrawlinChaos

Arachnosquire
Joined
Mar 21, 2014
Messages
100
So, here's a question in regards to foot rot: do you guys think that the commensal mites that live on most millipedes in the wild help protect them from foot rot? I was just thinking about that the other day. Like, the mites eat bacteria and fungus that start growing on the millipedes legs.
 

SDCPs

Arachnolord
Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
659
So, here's a question in regards to foot rot: do you guys think that the commensal mites that live on most millipedes in the wild help protect them from foot rot? I was just thinking about that the other day. Like, the mites eat bacteria and fungus that start growing on the millipedes legs.
I certainly don't think so. In fact my first AGB with mites had foot rot when I bought it from Petco. But you know since I just purchased it I kept it (improperly on the super dry side most of the time) without worrying about it much. I even kept it outside in winter because my parents wouldn't allow it in the house LOL. Look up San Diego average monthly temperatures to see how that's possible. We almost get frost at some points though!
 

SDCPs

Arachnolord
Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
659
And it survived all that? Wow!
Yeah, until it got out of the cage when it was in the garage (was a small cage and the lid was not very good). I found it a few years later in a box. Was very upset when it escaped (after having sortof lost interest as kids do).
 
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