Something bad happened and I don’t know why?

[T-Baby]

I noticed my AF G. Pulchra was being lethargic, ok nothing unusual they can be lazy but she hadn’t moved for about 3 days. I brushed her legs and nothing.
So yes, I picked her up to examine and I noticed her right spinneret was swollen, as with her abdomen; I have inserted pictures as best as I can but she has now passed.

I’m not quite sure what’s happened, has anyone seen or come across this before?

Please no nasty comments, hopefully someone can give me some insight.
Thanks.

RIP my beautiful Bertha.

 

[Nunua]

Sorry for your loss
The only thing I can think of is a thing called (fecal) impaction, during which a tarantula can't excrete normally due the injury / blockage in the anus / misshapen anus. Swollen spinneret and abdomen are quite normal signs of impaction, and I'm not sure if I can see a plug-like shape between the spinnerets?

Did you see any weird behavior from her? Dragging the abdomen but not webbing, drinking more, scratching the abdomen more?
Unfortunately there is quite little you could've done to save her - Some people have been able to use wet cotton swab to soften the blockage, after which the trapped feces have flowed out, but even after removing the feces several impacted tarantulas have died later.

I haven't encountered impaction myself, so I can't say if this was the case but it was the first thing to pop in my mind.

 

[T-Baby]

I’ve heard of this impaction but I haven’t noticed anything unusual other then she seemed more lethargic..

And her abdomen was soft when I picked her up. She had some life in her but after a few short minutes she had already gone.

 

[Tortoise Tom]

I have no insight, but wanted to offer condolences.

 

[MassExodus]

First, thats a big gorgeous spider, sorry you lost her..
My first thought was maybe she had a piece of old molt stuck on her butt..I've seen that kill them a few times, it blocks the anus and they cant poop.(in other threads, not in my own collection)..but, when did she molt last? Roughly. And has she been eating regularly, or normally for her since the molt? She's been kicking hair too, is that common for this particular spider?

 

[Solsurfer]

That sucks I'm sorry that happened. Very strange I've never heard of anything quite like that. Cancer?

 

[PanzoN88]

Perhaps @KezyGLA could help you with better information.

 

[T-Baby]

She was eating just fine, no moult stuck that I could see because believe me I was checking everything!
She wasn’t a hair flicker, in fact she was an absolute angel in every aspect.

Now she’s passed her spinneret that was swollen in the picture is now normal looking again if that’s any help? Probably not... her anus doesn’t look blocked, there’s no liquid excreting and her abdomen was soft to the touch.

Thank you everyone for your help and sympathy.

 

[KezyGLA]

Swellinng around the anus. I would assume impaction.

Sorry to see this

 

[Phil]

She was eating just fine, no moult stuck that I could see because believe me I was checking everything!
She wasn’t a hair flicker, in fact she was an absolute angel in every aspect.

Now she’s passed her spinneret that was swollen in the picture is now normal looking again if that’s any help? Probably not... her anus doesn’t look blocked, there’s no liquid excreting and her abdomen was soft to the touch.

Thank you everyone for your help and sympathy.

really sorry for your loss. She was gorgeous and rest assured, looking at her, she was obviously well loved.

 

[T-Baby]

Thanks everyone for trying to help and for your kind words. It seems if the cause was fecal impaction that I would have lost her regardless.

RIP Bertha

 

[MassExodus]

One last question, sorry. What temperature did you keep her at?

 

[Luvmytarantula]

I am so sorry for your loss!! What a gorgeous Spidy she was.

 

[Whitelightning777]

I lost one to impaction myself. The prospects for them are grim.

My condolences.

 

[RonC]

Sorry for your loss. She was beautiful.