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Lost leg :( please help

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
I opened up Celeritatem's enclosure to feed, she suddenly ran out and I panicked - I put the catch cup down too fast and her leg came off :( She is a Psalmopoeus pulcher sling about 3cm leg-span. I have read that legs can re-generate with a moult but I am worried what if she is bleeding? She is so small I would be scared to make things worse by operating on her with glue. I have included a picture of the leg - I think it looks like it came clean off with no blood but I wanted to check? I feel so bad I'm still shaking, I really shouldn't have panicked.

She crawled back into her enclosure when I poked her out of the catch cup lightly with a paint brush, and now she is understandably hiding, so I can't tell if she is okay :/
 

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Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
It's easily done when you panic. She be fine and yes the leg will regrow in a moult or 2. Just keep an eye open for any seeping from the wound, if you see any just add a little cornflour.

Thanks so much for the quick reply, I don't have any cornflour and the shops are closed but I will get some in tomorrow just in case.
 

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
Here is Celeritatem currently. I am now worried about her back leg (circled). This back leg doesn't move when she walks - it just drags behind, so it looks like this one was caught in the accident too :( I am worried when she moults that she won't be able to pull that leg out. What is the best thing to do? I have heard of people amputating the damaged leg, but do I wait first to see if she can get out of the moult on her own?

Celeri.JPG
 

Enn49

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3 Year Member
Tarantula Club Member
Messages
10,891
Location
Malton, UK
The chances are if that leg is injured she will get rid of it herself. She will manage fine with just 6 legs and it too will grow back.
 

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
Just an update on this:

I am overjoyed to announce that for Christmas Celeritatem got 2 new legs after one moult :') I thought they would be small stubs at first, so to see them so long despite skinny is wonderful; the new ones are the back two. After I let her down I am so proud of her for fixing the damage. She was always so confident and active before the accident, so I was heart broken I'd maybe ruined that for her. But now she seems to have all of her original confidence back :) Trooper <3

@ Enn49 - She did drop the other damaged leg as you predicted, indeed she knew what she was doing :)

New legs - Copy.JPG


New legs 2 - Copy.JPG
 
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