G. pulchripes impaction/premolt?

[KatyAnn]

I just got my adult female G. pulchripes last month from an exotic pet shop. She was my first T ( now I have 3 more) the shop had only housed her for a week, so they didnt get to observe her much. All they told me was that she wouldn't eat for them, which is normal. I couldn't pass her up, she's beautiful. The moment I got her home she ate two, fat super worms. 4 days after that she ate 3 wax worms & I would catch her getting drinks of water. She was pretty active the first 2 weeks, but for the last 2 she has changed. She hardly moves (only will after about 5 soft strokes on her bum with paint brush) hides her eyes with her front legs, wont eat, and never touches her water. I know she hasnt been drinking because there used to be substrate in her dish. She also hasnt pooped since I got her. No white stuff anywhere (I even lifted up the foliage and checked her hide, which she never uses) I'm thinking she may be suffering from impaction. I see no caked feces or swelling though? Could she also be in premolt? Do they stop pooping during this time? I didnt think so. Her abdomen is big with some hair missing but it doesn't look "premolt big" to me. I'm devestated. I haven't had enough time with her yet I'll upload pics of her current state when I get off work.

 

[Oursapoil]

Looking forward to the pictures KatyAnn. Where hair is missing on her belly, is the skin underneath darker than the rest of her body or lighter? How's the room temperature? If she has water available and considering the short time you have her, the humidity should not be an issue. It is good to keep in mind that an adult from a pet store is likely wild caught and might be diseased or suffering from parasites that might not be directly visible although I do not believe you should be alarmed as she was eating and drinking recently. Some of my Ts have a tendency to eat a lot during short period of time, get quite fat then stop eating for quite some time without any problem. Some start eating again only after molting. If her abdomen looks good and you do not see her curling her legs under her she might just need a little break.
Please send us the pictures, crossing my fingers everything will be fine.
P.S: you have too many amazing breeders on this forum to justify purchasing from a pet store

 

[KatyAnn]

Looking forward to the pictures KatyAnn. Where hair is missing on her belly, is the skin underneath darker than the rest of her body or lighter? How's the room temperature? If she has water available and considering the short time you have her, the humidity should not be an issue. It is good to keep in mind that an adult from a pet store is likely wild caught and might be diseased or suffering from parasites that might not be directly visible although I do not believe you should be alarmed as she was eating and drinking recently. Some of my Ts have a tendency to eat a lot during short period of time, get quite fat then stop eating for quite some time without any problem. Some start eating again only after molting. If her abdomen looks good and you do not see her curling her legs under her she might just need a little break.
Please send us the pictures, crossing my fingers everything will be fine.
P.S: you have too many amazing breeders on this forum to justify purchasing from a pet store

The skin on her abdomen is very dark, almost black. It's a bit darker than the rest of her body. It doesn't look shiny though, so I just assumed it was how her abdomen was suppose to look underneathe the courser, long hairs that are missing . She also looks a bit faded in colorin IMO. Her yellow knees are very drab. The lady at the shop told me she was a surrender from a couple who had her since she was a sling and that they were very hesitant about letting her go, but had to for reasons unknown. The not pooping part is what concerns me the most. I know their metabolism is slow, but you'd think she would have expelled those worms by now. She is kept in my bedroom which is usually around 74 degrees. Thank you for the response, I appreciate it. I'm just hoping "she" is actually a she & not a MM in his last weeks of life Oh, and now that I'm apart of this forum & seeing all the wonderful Ts for sale, I'll never return to a pet shop!

 

[Casey K.]

The skin on her abdomen is very dark, almost black. It's a bit darker than the rest of her body. It doesn't look shiny though, so I just assumed it was how her abdomen was suppose to look underneathe the courser, long hairs that are missing . She also looks a bit faded in colorin IMO. Her yellow knees are very drab. The lady at the shop told me she was a surrender from a couple who had her since she was a sling and that they were very hesitant about letting her go, but had to for reasons unknown. The not pooping part is what concerns me the most. I know their metabolism is slow, but you'd think she would have expelled those worms by now. She is kept in my bedroom which is usually around 74 degrees. Thank you for the response, I appreciate it. I'm just hoping "she" is actually a she & not a MM in his last weeks of life Oh, and now that I'm apart of this forum & seeing all the wonderful Ts for sale, I'll never return to a pet shop!

If her exoskeleton is black she is in heavy premolt. Do not offer her anymore food. Overflow the water dish. Keep her warm and increase humidity. This will trigger a molt.

 

[KatyAnn]

If her exoskeleton is black she is in heavy premolt. Do not offer her anymore food. Overflow the water dish. Keep her warm and increase humidity. This will trigger a molt.

Thank you very much

 

[KatyAnn]

My girl ended up pooping for the first time yesterday! It was a small amount (size of a dime) and I'm still thinking there might be some blockage, but at least something was expelled. Hopefully she will molt soon and everything will be alright.

 

[Casey K.]

My girl ended up pooping for the first time yesterday! It was a small amount (size of a dime) and I'm still thinking there might be some blockage, but at least something was expelled. Hopefully she will molt soon and everything will be alright.

If you expect impaction just take a qtip with warm water and gently rub it around the area. This may help if she appears to be impacted.

 

[ilovebrachys]

I think you are over thinking about her being impacted.. She has pooped and that's a good sign - we can't compair them to humans or other animals who need to poop on a regular basis lol

 

[Casey K.]

I think you are over thinking about her being impacted.. She has pooped and that's a good sign - we can't compair them to humans or other animals who need to poop on a regular basis lol

Tarantula suppository!!!!! I'm gonna patent that!!!!

 

[timc]

From the amount you fed her after getting her it just sounds like she’s full. I wouldn’t worry about impaction. If she pooped things are probably fine. It’s a scary thing that I find myself worrying about too but generally speaking, it’s far less than common in the hobby. Happy keeping!

 

[KatyAnn]

I think you are over thinking about her being impacted.. She has pooped and that's a good sign - we can't compair them to humans or other animals who need to poop on a regular basis lol

You're completely right lol I get SO concerned about her well being. I guess being overly paranoid comes with the "new tarantula owner" territory?

 

[KatyAnn]

From the amount you fed her after getting her it just sounds like she’s full. I wouldn’t worry about impaction. If she pooped things are probably fine. It’s a scary thing that I find myself worrying about too but generally speaking, it’s far less than common in the hobby. Happy keeping!

Yeah, I did feed her quite a bit. I figured if she kept taking food, she must be really hungry? I did read recently that this species tends to overeat even though they are Grammastolas, soooooo....she is most likely stuffed. Thank you

 

[WolfSpider]

There is no need to feed an adult female, unless the abdomen is thinner than the carapace, any more than once every 2 weeks. I have some new world's that get plump easily and I feed them no more than once a month. In general, us yankees to end to overfeed.

 

[timc]

Exactly what @WolfSpider said. Depending on the size of the prey item, there really isn’t a reason to feed a lot at once. I’ve (and i’m sure many others) found that not “gorge feeding” leads to a more active, and often, hungrier spider. For my adults i’ve gotten on a “hmm, I haven’t fed these guys in a while” schedule. I very rarely have a tarantula fast.

 

[Nunua]

Yeah, I did feed her quite a bit. I figured if she kept taking food, she must be really hungry? I did read recently that this species tends to overeat even though they are Grammastolas, soooooo....she is most likely stuffed. Thank you

Tarantulas are opportunistic eaters. They keep eating until they're fat.. It's most likely because in the wild they never know when the next feeder insect goes by. They don't know that food is getting tossed into their enclosure in relatively regular manner.. People easily make the mistake of trying to feed their Ts like dogs, cats, fishes etc: way too regularly. Tarantulas are dependent on fresh water, no regular feeding rhythm is needed