# tarantula spasm



## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

I noticed my emerald skeleton tarantula was on it's back a few hours ago and assumed it was going into moult, although it didn't stop taking food beforehand. However, It keeps flipping back upright and walking about in a really "spazzy" way. Jerky movements and lifting legs really high when taking a step. All of this is being done quite eraticly. Is this normal for a moult or is something wrong with it? I only got it last friday and it's been very fast in how it moves but apart from that no different to my others.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Have you been leaving it alone? Not lifting up the tub or opening the lid or anything?


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

Lifted the lid a few times to check on it as the tub isn't that transparent but other than that it hasn't been disturbed


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## cbmark (Feb 23, 2008)

dont sound good could be dks although im no expert


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

TeamCockroach said:


> Lifted the lid a few times to check on it as the tub isn't that transparent but other than that it hasn't been disturbed


If it is trying to moult you should just leave it be. It might explain why it keeps flipping back up, I moved a tub by accident once and my T flipped back up. I don't know anything about the strange spasm though.


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

oh well, thanks for the advice but whats dts?


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

One last thought, might it help putting it's tub in a drawer very gently, as it's in my room so I'll be moving around it all night.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

TeamCockroach said:


> oh well, thanks for the advice but whats dts?


I think maybe he means dks, it's a disease? Ts can get which makes them have spasms and ultimately leads on death, I think there might be a topic in the sticky section on it, if not use the search button and you'll be able to find out more. I don't know a lot about it personally.


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

I'm not gonna start screaming DKS, because we don't even know if it's a real thing.

However, tarantulas in ill health commonly display symptoms akin to what you're describing before dying... let us hope it's just planning on moulting.

How dry/humid is the tub? That can also be a syptom of dehydration. Does it have a water bowl of plain water?


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

TeamCockroach said:


> One last thought, might it help putting it's tub in a drawer very gently, as it's in my room so I'll be moving around it all night.


Why would you be moving it around all night? But it might be a good idea, just leave it somewhere so it can be undisturbed and check again tomorrow or even in a few days.


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## cbmark (Feb 23, 2008)

speed type fail :blush: i meant dks


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## DRAGONLOVER1981 (Jul 7, 2009)

I think he means he will be moving aound his room not the tub.


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## cbmark (Feb 23, 2008)

Hedgewitch said:


> I'm not gonna start screaming DKS, because we don't even know if it's a real thing.
> 
> However, tarantulas in ill health commonly display symptoms akin to what you're describing before dying... let us hope it's just planning on moulting.
> 
> How dry/humid is the tub? That can also be a syptom of dehydration. Does it have a water bowl of plain water?


i simply said it because what was described is what also apears on all dks posts as stated before im NO expert


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

DRAGONLOVER1981 said:


> I think he means he will be moving aound his room not the tub.


Ah right yeah, read it again and it makes sense.  

If I'm honest mine have never had problems moulting in my room, I got the TV on and I'm always peering in.  As long as you;re not actually disturbing the T then it should be fine.


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

cbmark said:


> i simply said it because what was described is what also apears on all dks posts as stated before im NO expert


No worries mate, it wasn't aimed at anyone, it's just that it's not really clear if DKS is a condition, several conditions or just a syptom of a number of things.

But yeah, ignoring that, it sounds kinda like DKS, let's hope we're wrong.


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

I mean I'LL be moving about around it. It's plenty humid in there, the sides are partially misted up. It's water bowl isn't in at the moment as I was taking it out to change it when I noticed the odd behaviour.


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Sounds like its trying to moult but keeps being disturbed.


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

Well I've covered its tub up with clothing now so it can't see me or be disturbed by anything going on around it.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

No more picking it up and checking on it. :lol2:


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

how long till it should be safe to check? tomorrow morning?


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

TeamCockroach said:


> how long till it should be safe to check? tomorrow morning?


I'd say tomorrow evening. Give it 24 hours as it might take longer to settle back down to moult now. The longer the better really...


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

thanks


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## spicewwfc (Aug 26, 2009)

TeamCockroach said:


> Well I've covered its tub up with clothing now so it can't see me or be disturbed by anything going on around it.


It cant see you anyway when its on its back, it is the vibrations of opening the lid that will disturb it, walking round the room shouldn't bother a moulting T.
From what I have read, a T that was disturbed during a moult can show signs of diskinetic syndrome, and it should pass if it manages to flip again.
DKS is a symptom of many different factors, like abdominal pain, or blurred vision would be for us. 
I have had tarantulas have slightly uncoordinated movements in the hours leading up to a moult.


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

that sounds alot like mine


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

checked on it an hour ago and sadly it appears to be in a death curl. I touched it gently a few times but got no responce. Is this definately the end or could it be a confused attempt at moulting the right way up?


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## Josh R (Jan 14, 2008)

Is it in a Tarantula ICU? if not go make one (food container, slightly damp tissue and some holes in the top) then go take it to the bathroom and run a hot shower

Hope it pulls through!


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## aaronsweeting (Feb 3, 2011)

If it legs are curled under its body, and there is completely no responce from proding or poking it may be dead, im sorry for your loss.


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

aaronsweeting got it in one, legs curled up and no responce. It's been like that for a good 8-9 hours and is starting to smell a bit funny. I've prodded it a bit and it's completley limp and no signs that it may have tried to moult. I think this ones a goner.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

TeamCockroach said:


> aaronsweeting got it in one, legs curled up and no responce. It's been like that for a good 8-9 hours and is starting to smell a bit funny. I've prodded it a bit and it's completley limp and no signs that it may have tried to moult. I think this ones a goner.


That's a shame, really sorry to hear that.  It could have been DKS, have you been using any aerosols (spray on deodorant or perfume), fly sprays or anything like that in the same room?


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## Lucybug (May 10, 2011)

vivalabam said:


> That's a shame, really sorry to hear that.  It could have been DKS, have you been using any aerosols (spray on deodorant or perfume), fly sprays or anything like that in the same room?


 
Im not so sure if that may be the case in DKS, same as other animals but good question non the less 

My opinion on DKS, if it was related to all these theorys thrown in the air, deodrants, dodgy food items (locusts), and cats and dogs, then surely, all spiders in that spider room would be exposed to these dangers, and all spiders would surely come down with DKS, from a simple spray, and so on.

You spray pesticides in a room, it doesnt just kill 1 invert, and the rest live on, it kills all of them.

To me DKS is like cancer, and when i say cancer, i mean natural occuring, and not encoraged by smoking and so on. Some people just get it, theres nothing that can be done, other than treatments which (sadly) fails many 

But DKS to me is the same, not cancer no, but somthing. What i would like to see, is an x-ray of a spider that has DKS, to see if it is infact an anomaly/anomalies within the spider.

My point being here, that if a spray was used in the same room, surely more than one spider would show symptons. Even if the OP has just the one spider, it is in many cases were one of the 25 spiders the person has comes down with it.

just a thought :2thumb:


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Lucybug said:


> Im not so sure if that may be the case in DKS, same as other animals but good question non the less
> 
> My opinion on DKS, if it was related to all these theorys thrown in the air, deodrants, dodgy food items (locusts), and cats and dogs, then surely, all spiders in that spider room would be exposed to these dangers, and all spiders would surely come down with DKS, from a simple spray, and so on.
> 
> ...


I'm many cases I've seen people have had a few Ts suffer from the same thing, it's not just 1. One starts off with the symptoms then more follow. Maybe some are more immune than others to these things? I'm not saying it was DKS, I was just trying to see if anything could have caused it.


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

I personally think "DKS" is a sign that conditions in the room are unsuitable. 

I've never had a single case of DKS, neither have many others, whilst some people tend to get several cases. To me that suggets unfavourable environmental conditions.


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## aaronsweeting (Feb 3, 2011)

Wow that was a good explanation lucy, I think DKS is to do with something just going wrong for no reason maybe with there brain, just like you said with cancer, some people just get it, every dog has its day.


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## Lucybug (May 10, 2011)

vivalabam said:


> I'm many cases I've seen people have had a few Ts suffer from the same thing, it's not just 1. One starts off with the symptoms then more follow. Maybe some are more immune than others to these things? I'm not saying it was DKS, I was just trying to see if anything could have caused it.


 
Yes some (many cases) have follow ups, but i just dont see it being the case. DKS can be put to many things, such as sprays and so forth, and i am in no sence saying you are incorrect or any other for that matter. But as far as the whole community goes, we all have our opinions on the matter, and sprays just does not seem logical to me, i do appoligise for that 

What im meerly saying is, is that sprays such as deodrants, pestisides, and so forth, all will have a diffrent affect im sure, pestersides could cause spazms (as it is put) to inverts, spray a fly, it will twitch and spazm for a while, but surely pestersides cannot be conected to DKS, as the spider would "spazm" and wrigle for a while, taking less then a couple of hours for the pestersides to take affect and kill the animal, even at that, small ammounts would not allow a spider to live as long as they do, in many cases many have moulted out of it, so it cant possibly be a pesterside ?

As for deodrants, purfumes and so forth, none of us can clearly state it is to do with that, unless it is taken under scientists to research the effects, if you spray a large ammount of deodrant, in an enclosed space, the spider in the corner has little to no effect but may die. There is no spazms and so forth comming from that spider, but only a sudden death, if not slow and painful (in a manner of speaking), but no twitching as far as i have seen.

I personally think pointing at a food source also abit OTT, many still use locusts today, with no ill effects, if the food item is exposed to pestersides, it is very noticable, as they will either A) be dead, or B) be twitching, and having constant spazms until they drop, in a matter of hours, not days/weeks or months.

To me it is a gessing game to say the least, i will continue to go with my gut thought, or as GRB has said. Nothing as such, like pestersides, and sprays or even live food for that matter, to me seems logical in any sence. In respect when i say logical, i mean in a matter of truth, to what that item or spray was simply desighned to do. Pestersides are desighned to kill as quick as possible. Deodrants and other smellys, are simply desighned to make us smell nice, but again show no ill effects to spiders that i have seen Other than death.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

GRB said:


> I personally think "DKS" is a sign that conditions in the room are unsuitable.
> 
> I've never had a single case of DKS, neither have many others, whilst some people tend to get several cases. To me that suggets unfavourable environmental conditions.


I agree totally, I have never experienced this and never use anything in my room, all sprays and everything are used downstairs, we use roll on and I do my nails and hair in the bathroom with the door shut. 

My room is a bit dry because we have so many electronics, but I do extra misting to make up for it. :lol2:


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## TeamCockroach (Nov 22, 2010)

I never spray anything in my room apart from reptile disinfectant but havent used any since a got the T. As far as I'm aware the conditions were fine, it was on eco earth and was kept humid and it had a hide and a few bits to climb/web on. I'll kepp an eye on my others but they all seem fine as of now.


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## Stelios (Aug 28, 2009)

I don't believe in that sprays and perfume thing.
I have T's in the kitchen our bedroom frontroom etc, and my missus does my nut in as she always over kills every thing.
Like she will put 4/6 sprays of perfume on each wrist and the same on each side of her neck then a couple on her body so she smells like a C**T.
I have told her many times that it is over powering and is not attractive but she still does it.
She is the same with every thing, be it spray polish, airfreshener etc, she just sprays way to much.
We have a cat who we use frontline spot on and I used to smoke and I had never had a case of DKS.


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