Sick Emerald "Skeleton tarantula" in ICU - emergency spider care for "sick tarantula"
Like 1 Dislike 0 Published on 7 Nov 2013
[follow up: She is fine and enjoying her never-going-to-be-dry-again home]
Just a little neglect and your spider can become ill. What you can do if you eff up as a parent. This is basic spider ICU. It also works for scorpions and solifugi. Message me at chasingcars@comcast.net if you have questions about spider care or emergency care.
To be clear, do not microwave your tarantula please.
I was not clear in the video so here is the time frame for the ICU:
2 days in the first ICU. Some web sites will tell you to change ICU containers every day. DO NOT DO THIS! Your spider is critical (consider it critical) the first 2 days. DO NOT MOVE IT if you can help it. Please.
The 3rd morning, change ICU containers. TWO more days in the ICU.
If your spider is still unresponsive to hydration after the first day please continue reading. You can tell if your spider is critically dehydrated if the legs and abdomen seem withered. It may be necessary to forcibly hydrate the spider at this point, after day one (ON day one if your spider is dehydrated to the point of imminent death). If your spider is resting on its feet, meaning it is not standing on its tiptoes, this is one sign that recovery is too slow. Youtube a video on picking up a tarantula. You will turn it upside down and, using a dropper or syringe that you bought at a drug store or pet store, drop a drop of bottled water into its mouth.
There are many many emergency care videos about forcing hydration. I encourage you to view several and be aware of life saving techniques.