Are you a Tarantula hobbyist? If so, we invite you to join our community! Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your pets and enclosures and chat with other Tarantula enthusiasts. Sign up today!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Casey K." data-source="post: 154620" data-attributes="member: 1090"><p>Well.  This has been interesting.  <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />  I have experienced symptoms of DKS in a couple of my tarantulas.  One was not so fortunate to make it.  The other (Aphonopelma seemani) made it just fine.  The main thing I did was to encourage eating....sometimes force feeding when necessary.  I know this seems a bit odd but I'm only giving advice based on MY personal experience with this.  I also think I recall a friend of mine ([USER=5088]@Austin S.[/USER]) mentioning a tarantula being able to molt successfully out of these symptoms....but it's been a while so my memory is vague....needless to say, that's exactly what happened with my seemani.  It looked like she was having seizures (literally).  She had issues hunting so I started pre-killing her food and placing it in her enclosure.  She was about 2.5" at the time she started showing signs and it was as you stated....not long after molting....maybe within a week or so.  She wasn't taking the pre-killed after offering several times and started to lose weight (abdomen was getting smaller).  I removed her water dish and replaced it with tarantula soup that consisted of gut loaded crickets and dubia feeder roaches crushed up mixed with sugar water.  Yes, I said sugar water.  Removing her water dish made her go to the soup, instead for hydration.  So I didn't take from her initially.....i only added to it.  She was still getting her hydration (as most T's do from their meals) but now she had nutrients to go with it.  If the tarantula is in such bad shape that it can't hold itself over a water dish or soup dish to consume anything, there are ways to force feed them.  I usually do the pinch and grab method but some feel that's bad for a tarantula.  You can sedate your tarantula, as well....but I've never done any of those methods so I wont offer advice on how to do it.  Anyway....my seemani started to improve after trying everything I could....her weight started to increase and I was optimistic.  Eventually, she ended up molting and now she is a full grown adult female seemani with no issues.  I'm not sure exactly what causes DKS but she was never around any chemicals....aerosols....etc.  Not even possible.  DKS is something very tragic for tarantulas and most don't make it....when all else fails and there is no hope...and you see your spider suffering to no end....perhaps the best thing to do is to humanely put it to sleep.  I have had to do this.  Place your tarantula (wrapped in soft paper towels in a container) inside your refrigerator for at least 24 hours....other people say only a few hours but i dont take any chances on any suffering....this slows the tarantulas metabolism down...kinda like going into hibernation so to speak....afterwards, remove the tarantula from the fridge and place it in the freezer for a few hours.  This may seem harsh and I hope you dont have to do this but I find this to be a humane way to allow them to pass peacefully without pain because the tarantula is already suffering.  I hope it doesn't come to this and anything you do...any amount of effort you put into your tarantula is better than not trying at all.  Only take the last steps if you feel there is no hope for your critter.  I wish you the best of luck and my fingers are crossed for your T to make it and be healthy again.</p></blockquote><p></p>

Verification