Cutting legs after a bad molt?

[TheFredricus]

Hey guys,

My 17-year old B. Hamorii has had two consecutive bad molts. During the first bad molt in august 2019, two of her middle legs on her left side got stuck which ended with me having to interfere. I got one of the legs out, but it got heavily deformed from the knee down. The other leg could not be saved at all and was removed.
She has lived a normal life since then, and about 10 days ago she molted again. This time, she couldn’t get any of her legs out on her left side, and after awhile I decided to help her out again. This time, all of the legs on her left side got deformed, including her new tiny limb (pedipalps are fine though).
See attached images.

This made me wonder if she will ever molt normally again, IF I don’t remove or partially remove pieces of her legs that are deformed and of no use to her. Also, since 4 years back, she has molted the right side up (not upside down like she should) and I’m not sure if this is affecting her molting...?

Now to the actual question - Should I cut her bad legs off? I’ve heard people saying that you should, while others heavily take distance from it. I’m just worried that she won’t be able to pull her new limbs out the next time she molts, or that her legs will be deformed over and over again. What should I do? Any experienced T owners out there that had this problem? I’m grateful for all the help, I’ve had this girl for almost 17 years and I want to do what is best for her.

As a side note, she seems to be just fine, she acts normal and is very energetic (she loves to climb)!

 

[Rs50matt]

I understand your situation but personally I’d leave her be, she’s alive and going around as normal so even thou she doesn’t look too good she’s doing ok. The stress of being pulled around might be enough to finish her. Next time she goes into premolt you could consider upping the humidity to help her but this is just my opinion and I can assure you there are much more experienced keepers that will reply

 

[TheFredricus]

I understand your situation but personally I’d leave her be, she’s alive and going around as normal so even thou she doesn’t look too good she’s doing ok. The stress of being pulled around might be enough to finish her. Next time she goes into premolt you could consider upping the humidity to help her but this is just my opinion and I can assure you there are much more experienced keepers that will reply

Thanks for your reply! I did up the humidity when she was in premolt, like I always do. Problem is, her bad legs are tucked under her when she molts, which I think is what gets them stuck. That's why I'm concerned for future molts. :/ But yeah, I hope someone with experience of this will write!

 

[ilovebrachys]

@Arachnoclown maybe able to help hopefully he sees this post

 

[WolfSpider]

I am certainly not in Clownie's league, but I have an opinion:. Consider gently flipping you future molting T on its back early in the process and occasionally misting above the T..

 

[TheFredricus]

I am certainly not in Clownie's league, but I have an opinion:. Consider gently flipping you future molting T on its back early in the process and occasionally misting above the T..

Thanks for your reply! I've been considering this as well. I'm just afraid to disturb her molting process.

 

[ilovebrachys]

@Arachnoclown can you help with advice for the OPs T?

 

[Arachnoclown]

Every tarantula that I've had with this problem in the past has got worse with each molt eventually killing it.
Because she had a crooked limb after the first bad molt it made it harder for her to molt again. Kinda like Scar tissue build up.

Personally I would remove each crooked limb to aid in the next molt.
Grab the femur and pull and twist. Should pop right off. A little corn starch on the bleed will stop it.
If its too much for you to do, you may be able to find a veterinarian that can give the spider a little Co2 and do it for you...it will be expensive though.
Here's a photo of a removed limb...this is what you want it to look like. Good luck

 

[TheFredricus]

Every tarantula that I've had with this problem in the past has got worse with each molt eventually killing it.
Because she had a crooked limb after the first bad molt it made it harder for her to molt again. Kinda like Scar tissue build up.

Personally I would remove each crooked limb to aid in the next molt.
Grab the femur and pull and twist. Should pop right off. A little corn starch on the bleed will stop it.
If its too much for you to do, you may be able to find a veterinarian that can give the spider a little Co2 and do it for you...it will be expensive though.
Here's a photo of a removed limb...this is what you want it to look like. Good luckView attachment 48867View attachment 48868

Every tarantula that I've had with this problem in the past has got worse with each molt eventually killing it.
Because she had a crooked limb after the first bad molt it made it harder for her to molt again. Kinda like Scar tissue build up.

Personally I would remove each crooked limb to aid in the next molt.
Grab the femur and pull and twist. Should pop right off. A little corn starch on the bleed will stop it.
If its too much for you to do, you may be able to find a veterinarian that can give the spider a little Co2 and do it for you...it will be expensive though.
Here's a photo of a removed limb...this is what you want it to look like. Good luckView attachment 48867View attachment 48868

Thank you so much for your advice! Can I bother you with a couple more questions?

I've heard that super glue is effective to close open wounds on a T but should I go with corn starch/flour only? Any experience with that?

Also - I'm planning on removing leg 2 and 3 completely since they're horrendously deformed, but what should I do with the other legs? As you can see on the picture, leg 4 is bent and broken about halfways, but she seems to be able to move it pretty well despite all. And leg 1 is weirdly bent by the knee, but she can use it to move around and climb, albeit not able to bend it like she should. I'm thinking it might be too much to remove all 4 legs on one side at once?

Thank you again for your help, it means alot! Also - lovely T you got there, looks like a true Smithi?

 

[Arachnoclown]

Yes you can use superglue...

You need to know before doing this there is a risk of death. Huge risk of bleedout. The risk of death would however be sooner then later when molting again. Personally as gruesome as it sounds if it were my prize Brachypelma smithi I'd remove all the legs. Bent and damaged legs are going to grow scar tissue on the inside again...trapping the spider. If its just a tip or already broken limb it should fall off on its own. Im not sure about snipping it off...it may work. Anything bent or twisted is going to be a problem again. When they struggle to get out molting they create new problems because their exoskeleton skeleton is soft. It will end up a constant reoccurring problem. Its better to set her up for future success now. She has you to care for her so she doesn't really need her legs. It will be a long road to recovery...till she molts again.

 

[TheFredricus]

Yes you can use superglue...

You need to know before doing this there is a risk of death. Huge risk of bleedout. The risk of death would however be sooner then later when molting again. Personally as gruesome as it sounds if it were my prize Brachypelma smithi I'd remove all the legs. Bent and damaged legs are going to grow scar tissue on the inside again...trapping the spider. If its just a tip or already broken limb it should fall off on its own. Im not sure about snipping it off...it may work. Anything bent or twisted is going to be a problem again. When they struggle to get out molting they create new problems because their exoskeleton skeleton is soft. It will end up a constant reoccurring problem. Its better to set her up for future success now. She has you to care for her so she doesn't really need her legs. It will be a long road to recovery...till she molts again.

Thank you so much for the advice! Funny enough, she pulled off one of her legs by herself today. I managed to stop the bleeding fast, and she seems just fine now. I will probably remove the other legs in the next few days, I'm in the middle of moving now so I don't want to stress her out too much at once.

 

[Gizalba]

Good luck to your Hamorii! I am glad you are looking after her so well, sounds scary to have to amputate I really hope she pulls through.

 

[TheFredricus]

Good luck to your Hamorii! I am glad you are looking after her so well, sounds scary to have to amputate I really hope she pulls through.

Thank you! I'd do anything for her, she's been with me since I was a kid. And she has such a lovely temper!
As an update, she pulled off another one of her bad limbs today (while I was driving to my new apartment). She sure know how to time things, haha. But she seems okay and I'm keeping a close eye on her now.

 

[TheFredricus]

@Arachnoclown

So, a little update. Like I wrote before, my Hamorii ripped off two of her legs and I stopped the bleeding fast and the wounds look alright as does the T. But now I've noticed that she's acting more lethargic than usual for the last couple of days. Just now, I could pick her up with no problem at all. Sometimes she's just lying on her side or on her back for hours. She's responsive, but very slow and sluggish. Should I be worried? Is there anything I could do for her? I gave her water and sprayed her gently, I even gave her a heat mat to up the temperature a bit.
I'm so afraid of losing her...

 

[ilovebrachys]

@Arachnoclown

So, a little update. Like I wrote before, my Hamorii ripped off two of her legs and I stopped the bleeding fast and the wounds look alright as does the T. But now I've noticed that she's acting more lethargic than usual for the last couple of days. Just now, I could pick her up with no problem at all. Sometimes she's just lying on her side or on her back for hours. She's responsive, but very slow and sluggish. Should I be worried? Is there anything I could do for her? I gave her water and sprayed her gently, I even gave her a heat mat to up the temperature a bit.
I'm so afraid of losing her...

I know you wrote this in response to @Arachnoclown but I just wanted to jump in there and say don't use a heat pad-if you continue to do so it will cause her to dehydrate so please remove it... It must be hard to watch her struggle - I gather she hasn't been leaking anymore since dropping those legs?
You given her water and there's little else you can do as far as I'm aware - @Arachnoclown will be able to advise you more

 

[TheFredricus]

I know you wrote this in response to @Arachnoclown but I just wanted to jump in there and say don't use a heat pad-if you continue to do so it will cause her to dehydrate so please remove it... It must be hard to watch her struggle - I gather she hasn't been leaking anymore since dropping those legs?
You given her water and there's little else you can do as far as I'm aware - @Arachnoclown will be able to advise you more

I'm happy to get all the advice I can get, so thank you!

I only had the heat mat on a couple of times since the weather changed drastically here overnight (from very hot to cold and rainy). I put her in front of her water dish now and filled it to the brim so I can't imagine that she couldn't drink if she wanted to. It's just her lethargic behaviour that scares me, she seems so weak. Also, I noticed that her abdomen looks a bit unusual - it's kind of "flat" on the top instead of evenly rounded. Not sure if it's because she hasn't eaten in a while, but I doubt she will take any food now.

Also - I have been keeping a close eye on her wounds and they look dry to me.

 

[Casey K.]

I'm happy to get all the advice I can get, so thank you!

I only had the heat mat on a couple of times since the weather changed drastically here overnight (from very hot to cold and rainy). I put her in front of her water dish now and filled it to the brim so I can't imagine that she couldn't drink if she wanted to. It's just her lethargic behaviour that scares me, she seems so weak. Also, I noticed that her abdomen looks a bit unusual - it's kind of "flat" on the top instead of evenly rounded. Not sure if it's because she hasn't eaten in a while, but I doubt she will take any food now.

Also - I have been keeping a close eye on her wounds and they look dry to me.

Her abdomen being flat/deflated looking at the top is a sign of dehydration. Remove the heat pad. If she isn't eating but isn't in premolt, perhaps it's time to help her out. I would crush some crickets/mealworms and make a gut soup for her. Sounds gross but it will nourish her. Also, a little sugar mixed in her water will help. If she will allow you to pick her up, you can use a dropper to put the water directly into her fangs/mouth. Start with that and then move on to the gut soup. Post a pic of her of you get the chance. Is she in a death curl?

 

[TheFredricus]

Her abdomen being flat/deflated looking at the top is a sign of dehydration. Remove the heat pad. If she isn't eating but isn't in premolt, perhaps it's time to help her out. I would crush some crickets/mealworms and make a gut soup for her. Sounds gross but it will nourish her. Also, a little sugar mixed in her water will help. If she will allow you to pick her up, you can use a dropper to put the water directly into her fangs/mouth. Start with that and then move on to the gut soup. Post a pic of her of you get the chance. Is she in a death curl?

Thank you for your advice and concern!
Today I gave her water through a pippette twice, she took about 3 drops each time and her abdomen looks slightly more rounded now! However, I still havn't removed her 2 bad limbs but one of them is definetly starting to come off. If she doesn't pull it off herself during the next couple of days I will help her, but I'm waiting for her to recover from the stress and I'm afraid of her dehydrating if I remove both of her limbs at the same time. She's currently patched up with corn starch which seems to cover the wounds well. She's moving around a little but still acts very lethargic, I have no problems of shoveling her up in my hands, although I prefer to avoid to interfere with her as much as I can.
If she still won't eat, I will help her with that as well. I'm just so worried about her, it feels like all her strenght is gone.

Also - she hasn't been in a death curl, luckily. It's her abdomen I'm worried about. But like I wrote, it's fine at the moment. Fingers crossed she recovers.

 

[TheFredricus]

I am heartbroken to announce that my girl passed away today. We had to pull out one of her legs last Friday, since it was bleeding from the root but not coming off by itself. I closed the wound with super glue and she has been pipette fed since, but she quickly lost her vitality over the weekend.

Thank you everyone who came with advice and support.

Rest in peace Zelma, 2003 - 2020.

 

[Enn49]

I am heartbroken to announce that my girl passed away today. We had to pull out one of her legs last Friday, since it was bleeding from the root but not coming off by itself. I closed the wound with super glue and she has been pipette fed since, but she quickly lost her vitality over the weekend.

Thank you everyone who came with advice and support.

Rest in peace Zelma, 2003 - 2020.

I'm so sorry but you did your best for her and she'd had a good long life.
RIP Zelma