Help! My Chilean Rose is dying and I don’t know why!

[SpearOfJustice]

Hi everyone, my name is nick and I’ve been keeping tarantulas and any insects for as long as I can remember and when I turned 10 I bought my very first tarantula which was a Chilean Rose tarantula. I’ve had for 5 years now and just recently noticed that it started to deny any food I gave it and it’s abdomen began to shrivel up. I thought she was just fasting or was about to molt, since she hadn’t molted since last year which is pretty unusual. Today I found her upside down. I thought she was about to molt. Turns out she fell on her back and was struggling to get up. I was extremely worried about her and realized that I haven’t fed her in months and her water bowl was almost empty. Rn I fed her a spider (about one inch) and refilled her bowl and drop water into her mouth. I’m really worried about her right now and I don’t know if she’s dying from old age since I bought her five years ago when she was already an adult. I have some pictures of her so hopefully you guys can help me abit, even if she dies.

 

[T-Baby]

Her abdomen is very shrivelled which indicates dehydration however it looks as though she has some white/yellow stuff coming from her mouth.
Is she moving?

 

[SpearOfJustice]

Her abdomen is very shrivelled which indicates dehydration however it looks as though she has some white/yellow stuff coming from her mouth.
Is she moving?

She was moving very slowly and started to curl her legs in when I held her. That white/yellow stuff is the just her substrate which admittedly I should have changed by now. I tried to drop some water into her mouth and refilled her water dish and placed her very close to it. I haven’t checked on her since. I’ll check again tomorrow morning because I need to sleep for school right now.

 

[SpearOfJustice]

Her abdomen is very shrivelled which indicates dehydration however it looks as though she has some white/yellow stuff coming from her mouth.
Is she moving?

I washed the substrate off her mouth btw

 

[T-Baby]

I honestly think it’s too late, could try Increasing humidity slightly.

 

[SpearOfJustice]

I honestly think it’s too late, could try Increasing humidity slightly.

I think you’re right but I checked on her the day before and I didn’t see anything wrong with her. She was in her usual position and she didn’t act like how she was yesterday. I did increase the humidity and hopefully she gets a bit better. I have no idea what happened or if she’s just dying from old age cause she must be around 15 years old now considering a bought her when she was an adult. Thanks so much anyways

 

[T-Baby]

It could very well be old age, perhaps no energy to reach the water dish. There isn’t much you can do other then leaving her hovering over the dish or damping the substrate.
Hopefully she pulls through for you

 

[SpearOfJustice]

It could very well be old age, perhaps no energy to reach the water dish. There isn’t much you can do other then leaving her hovering over the dish or damping the substrate.
Hopefully she pulls through for you

Alright abit of an update, she’s very very slightly better now but all she does is huddle in a corner and tuck her legs in (not in the death curl form). I made her eat a cricket but she just spat it out right after so I don’t think it’s hunger. Whenever I drop water into her mouth she opens her fangs outwards and start to “try to rub it in” her mouth. I don’t know if she’s doing it because she’s thirsty or for another reason. Also, I was wondering if maybe a piece of the substrate got stuck in her mouth and that’s why she isn’t eating or something? I added a heating mat about an hour ago because I noticed that her tank was rather cold and she is kept in the garage but it’s quite warm there so I don’t really know. Do you know any symptoms of tarantula aging?

 

[T-Baby]

Ah! The cold!!!
Cold will make them lethargic which means she wouldn’t have been able to reach water, could explain the shrivelled abdomen.
Some Tarantulas go darker but as it’s a Rose Hair I don’t think there’s any symptoms as such.
Let’s see if the extra heat helps, I’m betting it does. Fingers crossed

 

[Hemolymph]

Why would you flip her? You fed her a spider? That’s the best you could do for her?

 

[Nunua]

Why would you flip her? You fed her a spider? That’s the best you could do for her? Maybe she’s dying because your not even old enough to care for yourself?

Oij, drop that tone....
I understand if people get annoyed or angry if a keeper have made mistakes or so, but there is no need to be rude... I know it takes few more minutes to ask questions and/or explain some stuff but in the end it's a much better option and keepers might learn something.

@SpearOfJustice - You said she's being held in the garage? Do your family store chemicals, a car, lawn mower or anything like that in there? Tarantulas are sensitive to chemicals as several of them are pesticides.

 

[Hemolymph]

Oij, drop that tone....
I understand if people get annoyed or angry when a keeper (might) have made mistakes, but there is no need to be rude... I know it takes few more minutes to ask questions and/or explain some stuff but in the end it's a much better option and keepers might learn something.

Sweetheart , you have no idea what tone I was using.
Instead of reading my response in a hostile voice read it back in a calm and caring voice, big difference huh?

 

[Nunua]

read it back in a calm and caring voice, big difference huh?

Well, thanks to the choice of your words, nope

 

[Arachnoclown]

@Hemolymph I read it in a provocative voice....it was very nice.

 

[Konstantin]

Alright abit of an update, she’s very very slightly better now but all she does is huddle in a corner and tuck her legs in (not in the death curl form). I made her eat a cricket but she just spat it out right after so I don’t think it’s hunger. Whenever I drop water into her mouth she opens her fangs outwards and start to “try to rub it in” her mouth. I don’t know if she’s doing it because she’s thirsty or for another reason. Also, I was wondering if maybe a piece of the substrate got stuck in her mouth and that’s why she isn’t eating or something? I added a heating mat about an hour ago because I noticed that her tank was rather cold and she is kept in the garage but it’s quite warm there so I don’t really know. Do you know any symptoms of tarantula aging?

Hi hope U haven't put the mat underneath the enclosure. It could easily dehydrate her even more.U can also try to squash some crickets and drop feed her some cricket soup on her mouth parts if U are are able to flip her over.Although I will be more concern about getting some water into her atm.
Hope she gets better.
Regards Konstantin