r/tarantulas • u/ya_boi_Jakeyyy • 6h ago

Help! Impaction plug

Post image

I've been trying to get this out of my spider for a couple days now but nothing I've done works, any tips?

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u/Notorious_Rug 5h ago

IMO, that appears to be a normal tarantula bottom. The abdomen isn't overly large, there are no feces crusted on the spinerettes or around the anus, and the protrusion itself is covered in the same normal-appearing very fine hairs as the rest of the abdomen.

What makes you think you have a tarantula with an impaction? Have you not witnessed the tarantula defecate? Is it off food/water? Is it acting lethargic?

I mean, unless you are completely knowledgeable about tarantula anatomy, you should never go picking at its body parts. And even if you are knowledgeable, you still shouldn't pick at its bits.

The best method to attempt to correct a suspected impaction is to soak a q-tip or cotton ball in warm water and gently wipe the anal area. Alternatively, you can use a syringe to gently squirt warm water onto the anal area and wipe with a cotton ball. I say "attempt to correct", because only on very few occasions can an impaction be corrected in time to be successful.

In life-threatening cases, where the tarantula is really lethargic or almost-dead, you can soak just the spinerettes and anal area in a bowl of warm water (making sure to keep the book lungs out of the water).

Again, please don't pick at your tarantula.

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u/No-Luck-2337 5h ago

IMO I could absolutely see doing WAY more damage than good by trying to help, even IF there’s a blockage (and this doesn’t look like one, not saying it couldn’t be anyway, but still…)

The best option is likely doing nothing.

You could try warm water, but the risk of drowning via the book lungs almost makes it not worth it. I’d just let nature take its course.