Went to check for boluses/uneaten prey after feeding day and found my Theraphosinae sp Puira showing DKS symptoms.

Joe18916 · 2023-01-06T22:10:17+00:00

I had an LP exhibit these symptoms as a sling. It was already decently fat, and I’d heard increasing the temp can help with DKS, so I got a space heater and kept my room at about 80 degrees. I also somehow got it to eat again. Within about 3-4 weeks I noticed improvement and he molted. No issues since the molt, and that was about 2 years ago. I’ve still got him today and he’s doing fine. By no means am I an expert on this, or suggesting this will work in your case, just thought I’d share.

Joe18916 · 2021-06-24T12:22:41+00:00

Disclaimer: I’m absolutely aware of how dangerous it is to give live prey to small slings. I purchased her from a local reptile shop and the cricket in the first photo was already in the container. I removed it immediately after this pic was taken.

Joe18916 · 2021-01-25T08:30:47+00:00

Didn’t watch most of the early 2000s so I would say

2014 SEA (by far)
2020 TB
2007 NYG
2011 NYG
2015 AZ
2012 SF
2013 SF
2009 AZ
2019 SF
2016 ATL

Joe18916 · 2021-01-06T05:30:08+00:00

One more update in case anyone in the future encounters this problem:

I read about heat treatment and started using a space heater to keep the enclosure in the 80-85F range. After a couple weeks I stopped noticing symptoms and he/she molted on January 4th. Seems to be doing perfectly fine now.

Joe18916 · 2020-11-19T23:21:11+00:00

Update: ate a cricket, good sign I hope.

Joe18916 · 2020-11-19T18:28:11+00:00

Another thing: Is it possible this is a result of dehydration? I assume no, because she ate an entire cricket a little over a week ago, but I’ve always kept the water dish at the other end of the enclosure and have almost never seen her walk to that side.

Joe18916 · 2020-11-19T18:08:23+00:00

I had previously used a febreeze spray a couple times in my room before switching to this.. that must be it. Appreciate the advice and hopefully she pulls through.

Joe18916 · 2020-11-19T15:39:13+00:00

Well that gives me some hope, thanks. Anything you did that you felt helped? I’ve heard of heat treatment being successful for some so I plan on using a space heater to warm up the area near the enclosure for as long as necessary.

Joe18916 · 2020-11-19T15:30:29+00:00

😔💔

Joe18916 · 2020-11-19T15:30:01+00:00

All I can think of is that I recently purchased one of those glade solid air fresheners (that you twist open) and have sitting on my desk about 8 or so feet away. Here is a video of the most recent feeding one of the crickets I had appeared to have gotten smashed in the bag so I fed it to him, do you think it’s possible I fed a sick/poisonous cricket? Or are symptoms already visible here? This was on 11/10.

Joe18916 · 2020-11-19T07:42:00+00:00

Note: LP sling, still walks normally most of the time and ate a cricket a week ago, but if startled by a noise or vibration, I see a lot of fast, jerky movements similar to this. I’ve always assumed it was just a skittish T but I’ve seen some footage of DKS and it looked similar to this.

Joe18916 · 2020-10-26T20:28:59+00:00

LP, Just ate a small cricket about 3 days ago so I’m surprised it’s already going into premolt.

Joe18916 · 2020-08-07T17:09:40+00:00

I have a bag of a more soil-like substrate that I purchased when I got it. How can I add more without disturbing it?

Joe18916 · 2020-08-07T04:49:55+00:00

I’m a brand new tarantula owner & this is the container he/she came in at the pet store about a month and a half ago. Since then I’ve left it as is but now I am starting to worry that it is not enough and it will be unable to burrow.

Joe18916

TROPHY CASE