Help!!!!!

[j d caisey]

Hi all,i have a pamphobeteous 'ecuador2' which had a disastrous molt on Sunday night. I checked on her on Monday morning before i went to work and i thought she was just sitting upright on top of the shed skin.When i got home last night i had a closer look and she had 2 legs and a pedipalp stuck in the old skin. I put a couple of drops of dish washing detergent in some water and applied it with a cotton bud to the stuck limbs and added a second water dish to increase humidity. I checked on her this morning and there was no change so i applied some more weak detergent/water mix to the joints and went to work. I've just checked on her again on returning from work and she's no better. I've been keeping tarantulas for 2 years now and i've never experienced this before and i really need some advice on what to do. It's really distressing to see her this way,i feel so powerless. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[Peter Roach]

Have you tried cutting away the parts of the moult that are not stuck to her and just leaving the stuck parts ?

[j d caisey]

Thanks for replying Peter. I haven't yet as i wanted to get some advice on here first.The trouble is the 2 legs that are stuck have only shed about half way down the femurs.

[DJKelly]

Sorry to hear that, JD.I've had partial success with glycerin applied in the same way - one leg was extracted but the other remained stuck in the exuvium. I got her to shed the affected limb by grasping the femur firmly and suddenly with a pair of forceps and giving a tug. (Think small rodent grasping at food).Not a pleasant experience and one I hope I won't have to repeat.Two successful moults later and the leg's regrowing nicely.Good luck, mate.Dave

[j d caisey]

Hi Dave and thanks for the good luck wishes i think i need it! I've had a nightmare this evening,I tried to trim away some of the old skin so that she could move a bit more freely and i accidently cut the trapped pedipalp! I had a panic look through my spider books and decided that i needed to force her to autonomise it to stop her bleeding to death. It was as you say 'not pleasant' and i hope i've done the right thing. I don't think i could do it again with the legs i just hope she decides to remove them herself if she finds them troublesome.

[Ray Hale]

Hi it sounds as if you did the right thing. She may have pulled the skin of herself . I have know them sit for days with skin still attached. Forcing her to shed a leg is never pleasant but she should be ok. I had a Chile Rose drop a leg last week when she got it caught in the lid she was trying to push off.

Try not to worry Im sure she will be OK

Ray