How to Know if a Pet Spider is Sick

It's important to know the signs that your pet spider is sick so you can get veterinary care. Likewise, it's critical to know when to leave it alone if it's molting, as disturbing it could kill it. Fortunately, spiders are pretty clear about how they're feeling, and they express it in only a couple of ways that are easy to recognize. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Watch if your pet spider is curling his legs underneath him; it's a sign he's not feeling well. Take him to your veterinarian. If you don't have one, look one up under "exotic animals" or "exotic veterinarian" in the Yellow Pages. Exotic pet stores would also be able to give you a referral.

2. See if your spider is lying on his back with his legs in the air; you should leave him alone. He is molting, and disturbing him during this time could injure or kill him because his new skin needs time to harden. Molting is the process of shedding skin, revealing a new, better-fitting one underneath. Molting may be preceded by a few days of relative lethargy and poor appetite. After molting, which usually takes a few days, your spider will flip over and resume eating in about a week. Don't feed your tarantula during the molt and for a week after to allow the new skin time to harden.

3. Observe if your spider is lethargic, is pacing his enclosure, or has a poor appetite for longer than a few days during a period in which he is not expected to be molting, he is probably ill. Take him to your veterinarian.

Tips & Warnings

• Sometimes a spider may not be acting normally because something is wrong with its environment. The temperature, humidity, depth of soil, or another environmental factor is to blame. Examine the spider's enclosure and make adjustments as necessary to keep the environment as consistent as possible over time. If this does not cause the spider to return to normal activities, take him to a veterinarian for an examination.
• Sick spiders can be aggressive if prodded or suddenly approached. Take extra care when attempting to handle them--or better yet, let your veterinarian, who is skilled in handling spiders, take care of him.

Resources

• This website has a good section on first-aid for tarantulas.