GBB problem

[Brauratum]

Hi all.
After keeping T's for 5 years I've run into something I've no idea what it is.
I've had my C. cyaneopubescens for about 4 years, never had a problem with her.
However for the past 7 or so months she hasn't eaten or webbed at all, and her abdomen has gotten really small.
Today I noticed that she had something dry and white around her mouth.
She still kills crickets but will just sit with them without feeding, eventually just leaving them.
The temperature in her enclosure is ~24.5°C and humidity around 60, she has a waterdish.
I'm at a loss as to what has happened to her, nothing has changed in her environment that I can think of.

 

[MassExodus]

Can you get me a better pic of the white stuff around her mouth. Also, please search "nematodes" on the web and take a look. Nematodes are another good reason, in my mind, not to feed crickets. I'm not saying that's what it is, I need a closer look, but white stuff around the mouth makes me think nematodes... I would isolate the gbb until you figure it out. Sorry to hear of your troubles, I love that species.

 

[Chubbs]

Humidity shouldn't be a concern regardless, as they come from arid regions and like it dry.

If it's dried it could just be poop. Gross, but it does happen. If it appears to be wet and moving, then it's likely nematodes. Either way I'd move it away from the rest just in case until you can confirm. Try getting a picture and posting it here so we can help.

 

[Entity]

Am i seeing white all over the spider? is there any possibility that it is mold?

 

[Brauratum]

Thanks for the replies.
She's not keeping her palps under her mouth and the white stuff is bone dry, and she is still catching the prey just not eating it, which is why I didn't think of nematodes. I isolated her as soon as I saw the white and I'll try and get a clearer picture when I'm home. Poo might be the answer.
The white all over the spider is just substrate + ****ty camera, no mold.
I'd get the whole "I'm not going to eat/web" if it was a male, however I should see some tibial hooks on a 4 yo male.
I'll get more pics, thanks for the help, hate not knowing what's wrong with her.

 

[MassExodus]

Well, the killing of prey and not eating it was an indicator for me I've seen it a few times with nematodes reports. I have to crash, gotta go to work tomorrow, but I'll try to dig up some links for you while I'm at work if it gets slow.. I'm hoping you're right and it's not..but she looks pretty rough, either way...good luck, I'll post tomorrow, please keep us updated.

 

[Brauratum]

These pics are probably the clearest I can get with my cam. The white is still bone dry (the long thing in her mouth is just a piece of cocofibre from the substrate) and there's no white in the centre of the mouth, just above her fangs and the two white lines on the side.
I'll keep watching her when I can and update, really appreciate the help!

 

[Fuzzball79]

I see lots of little white spots on her. Are they moving, as in could it be mites? Doesn't look like nematodes to me personally.

 

[Brauratum]

It's small grains of sand from the substrate, she's pretty weak and won't clean her self. I've checked the spots under a loupe and thoroughly checked the enclosure. The spots appear whiter than they are because of the light, so no mites.

 

[Fuzzball79]

Ahh ok, like my B Boehmei and L. Parahybana then, they're messy beggars. Have you considered putting her into ICU (although I'd consult one of the more experienced keepers on here maybe considering GBB is a "dry" species)?

 

[Brauratum]

I've considered it but not acted on it yet, since she doesn't seem dehydrated; the abdomen is just small, not wrinkled, and she doesn't seem thirsty when I've put her right by her waterdish with front legs and palps in it. She actually moves away from the dish when placed next to it, which is why I don't think it's dehydration. :/

 

[Fuzzball79]

Mmh, strange. I hope someone can advise you what could be wrong with her. That's the downside of keeping inverts, often we can only watch helplessly while they're sick even so we keep them right .

 

[Brauratum]

Yeah it's kinda heartbreaking not being able to help her I'm writing my observations down though for future reference, just wish I'd kept notes on her while she was doing fine so I could look back now if there were any abnormalies I didn't think of at the time.

 

[MassExodus]

Yeah it's kinda heartbreaking not being able to help her I'm writing my observations down though for future reference, just wish I'd kept notes on her while she was doing fine so I could look back now if there were any abnormalies I didn't think of at the time.

Well, it doesn't look like nematodes, I agree with you on that. I've been looking today, and found some threads on bacterial infections..there's a semi detailed one on arachnoboards I'm on my phone can't post a link..search nematodes and tarantulas, the op thought that's what it was to begin with I guess. They lost a few T Blondie's but a few others fought it off and got healthy again. They also suspected crickets were the source. Theory though...I think I would just keep her isolated and on dry substrate, with a water dish with clean water. I'm not sold on icu's..but it might help. Or the humidity may make it worse..I just don't know. I wish you luck though..gbbs are pretty tough, maybe she'll pull through..there was a post I found about water with a ten percent alcohol solution for killing bacteria, swabbing it on with a q tip...that coud be something to try, but would require you to pinch grab her, if you're comfortable doing it. Maybe swab around her mouth? I've never had to do anything like that though, and can't say if it will help.

 

[Brauratum]

I'll search arachnoboards for the thread when I'm home (exams, perfect timing). Really appreciate the help.
I put her in a new much dryer enclosure when I isolated her and she seems to be moving around a bit more so fingers crossed.
I'd swab her mouthparts if she wasn't such an angry little thing, and she's been so weak I don't want to stress her to death.
I'll post an update when I'm home again.

 

[MassExodus]

I'll search arachnoboards for the thread when I'm home (exams, perfect timing). Really appreciate the help.
I put her in a new much dryer enclosure when I isolated her and she seems to be moving around a bit more so fingers crossed.
I'd swab her mouthparts if she wasn't such an angry little thing, and she's been so weak I don't want to stress her to death.
I'll post an update when I'm home again.

Good luck with her. And yeah, please do update us on this...this could apparently happen to any of us. Freaking bacteria? Now we have to worry about bacteria? If you're in the position to do it, and haven't yet, I highly recommend a roach colony, or even starting your own cricket colony (not half as easy, but at least you can control their environment)...the more I read, the more I hate the little aliens, and all the misery they bring keepers and their spiders. It's not fact, just theory, but I know you said you keep her appropriately dry, and dry enclosures shouldn't support bacteria. Crickets. When so many people smell smoke, there's usually a fire..again, good luck.

 

[Brauratum]

Good luck with her. And yeah, please do update us on this...this could apparently happen to any of us. Freaking bacteria? Now we have to worry about bacteria? If you're in the position to do it, and haven't yet, I highly recommend a roach colony, or even starting your own cricket colony (not half as easy, but at least you can control their environment)...the more I read, the more I hate the little aliens, and all the misery they bring keepers and their spiders. It's not fact, just theory, but I know you said you keep her appropriately dry, and dry enclosures shouldn't support bacteria. Crickets. When so many people smell smoke, there's usually a fire..again, good luck.

I'm starting to think crickets as well. I've kept a roach colony before, but with only 3 T's at the moment I found it more work than it's worth. This is the last drop though so I'm starting one up again, I owe the extra work to the T's if what's happening is because of crickets, and I'm not taking that risk again!

 

[RedCapTrio]

Been researching on GBBs and stumbled on this thread. This is so heart-breaking, makes us helpless in a way. Hoping for the best for your T @Brauratum !

 

[Chubbs]

I'm starting to think crickets as well. I've kept a roach colony before, but with only 3 T's at the moment I found it more work than it's worth. This is the last drop though so I'm starting one up again, I owe the extra work to the T's if what's happening is because of crickets, and I'm not taking that risk again!

Just a heads up, not all tarantulas will accept roaches. There's a reason why crickets are still the most popular and reliable feeder still.

 

[timc]

Just a heads up, not all tarantulas will accept roaches. There's a reason why crickets are still the most popular and reliable feeder still.

Agreed. My Avic won't touch a worm and roaches are hard to come by where I live so crickets are really the only thing available to me. There is no keeping roaches with the women in my life, they only tolerate my spiders so a thousand roaches is kinda out of the question. Nasty crickets it must be.