Sick/Injured Crab Recovery Status & Care Tips

[Laurie]

Thanks Crabbleapple for your idea!

Crabbleapple wrote:

It might be nice to have a thread where everyone listed any ill or injured or molting crabbies they are currently nursing, and kept everyone posted. I see a lot of mentions of "Oh, by the way, so and so's fine" or "so and so passed" I'd kind of like to see it organized. Any seconds? Should this be in General?

My list: Legolas, bought one week ago minus two legs and BP, currently buried under. Has tiny gel bp.

Deuce: abruptly dropped lp and 2 legs all in 24 hours two weeks after we got him. In hermie ICU, still alive after five days, seems to be eating a tiny bit but is not moving. From same store as Legolas, btw.

Buckaroo: came home minus a leg, lost a shell fight badly and was really stressed, been buried for two weeks now (molting?) in ISO.

Daethian and Bloodberry also suggested that members with sick crabs could also post what has been done to aid in the crab's recovery. To update the information/status of your crab's health, you can go back in and edit your original post. Let's try it this way for a few days, then we can decide whether it's working or if we need to organize the thread differently.

Laurie

[Guest]

5/16/05 -- Sigh. I was cleaning in the tank today and accidentally collapsed a tunnel. Being a good mom, I carefully unearthed the little guy to move him so I wouldn't bury him completely.

He was all lose and limp in my fingers and stringy mucus-strands were all that was attatching him to his shell.
Fortunantly for me, I've conditioned myself to think "Molt" not "Death". So instead of panicking, I flipped the shell over and saw Java in all his soft-naked glory.
Immediately prepped the ISO tank and placed him inside with his exo under a coco-hut.
Will be checking the conditions in about an hour after it gets warmed up and the humidity settles to ensure proper conditions. This is my first interrupted molt so we'll see how it goes.
Will keep you posted here.

5/18 I have the coco-hut opening turned to the back of the tank. I wanted to peek on Java to see if he was ok so I dangled a mirror in front of the opening to check on him. He chirped at me in a very "Go away" tone so I guess he was all right! Today I lifted the hut, just for a quick peek since there were exo pieces scattered outside of it. Nothing but leg tips and a little mound of sand. He's dug under to finish resting I suppose.

***
12/15/04 --Squishy, my Rug has been weak and lethargic for the last couple weeks.

He is showing no PMS symptoms and the other crabs are all doing well.
average humidity in tank is 78
Temp reads 70 to 75. (UTH on one end and Heat lamp on the other. Sand is far warmer than the air) Hate the low temps but they're best I can do.

I ISO'd him for about 3 days, thinking the moist sand might encourage him to bury and destress or whatever... nada. I returned him back to the main tank.

12/29- Gave him a bath today, since he hasn't been visiting the water pool as often as he usually does. Also fed him some honey and peanut butter with a toothpick. He ate it which I consider a good sign.
1/3- He's perked up a bit and has been moving around. Only fed him honey 2 days since he rejected my offering on the 3rd day. He was in the salt water dish yesterday on his own and managed to dig himself a burrow next to the water dish. All hopeful signs since he seemed too weak to do those things before.
1/7- Not looking good again. He's been hiding in the moss for the last 3 days. Hanging out of the shell a bit and eyes drooping. His color is fading too. Tried to feed him today and he refused. Got a bath with the others and hardly perked up at all. Returned him to his moss refuge..
1/10- /sigh. Chip, one of our new ones, stole Squishy's shell. I found squishy yesterday in the moss in Chip's shell. I made a new moss shelter for him and put him in ISO. He would not eat the applesauce I gave him today. He's so pathetic with his little eyestalks drooping. I have a horrible feeling that it's only a matter of time for my little friend.
1/12- Last night I brought him out of the moss and held him near the IO pool. He stretched towards it so I let him get in and have a good long soak.
1/24- No real improvements for Squishy. I was having trouble with the temp in the ISO tank so returned him to the main tank in a mini-ISO. We've been having long soaks in the saltwater pool, he's not quite so withdrawn and moves an inch or two now when I'm not looking but he's still not eating. Temp is 75 with 80 humidity.
1/27 Squishy decided to go naked today.
1/28 After a month-long decline, Squishy has passed away today.

[Guest]

Mazda is in ISO, probably molting. He went down, oh, about a week and a half ago.
New guy I got yesterday isn't doing so well--he still hasn't been out to see me and actually hasn't moved at all. I hope I didn't buy a dead crab, but he's not looking too healthy--hasn't moved since I got him.
Another new kid, Jinxie, is probably destressing--buried under my terra cotta pot--accidently discovered her tunnel while looking for Simon to measure his shell.
ktm

[Guest]

Jose has recently molted in the main tank without any problems, and is now up and walking around!

[Guest]

Fupi came up from it's last molt missing a leg, now, a few days ago while I was cleaning the shell pile (my crabs just LOVE to burry their shells) I found a freshly molted Fupi in the pile She was completly white and I quickly ISO'd her. She is quite active now and ate her exo, all her legs are back into a healthy shape.

Amon came up from his molt somewhere during the week that I visited family in Illinois, he was waiting in ISO for me when we returned. I didn't put food in the ISO when we left, so he ate like a pig when I fed him. He's a very large E and I was nervous about his molt, since I heard a bunch about jumbo's E's and bad molts. He's really fuzzy now, bathed and joined the main group (which has a lot of crabs he didn't know yet) He climbs a lot and seems very happy

Gracie, the PP I bought the day before thanksgiving, also surfaced last week, she's molted and has changed shells. She came in a completly shattered shell, from a store with 30% humidity and temperatures around 90F I'm very happy and surprised she's doing so good!

Asmoday the jumbo PP is lethargic and has molt sacs, same goes for Zilla the large PP and jumbo PP Bhaal has been dug in for several weeks now. Bashee the Rug has been digging a lot, so perhaps she'll molt soon too.

My newest two PP's, from the same store as Gracie seem healthy and active, although they still don't have names! They're absolutly tiny, my smallest crabs ever. I hope these three crabs will keep going as strong as they do now, their previous conditions were awful.

[Guest]

Deuce has dropped several legs and his LP, but is still alive and seems to have moved under his own power. He's in a KK with a tiny bit of food, dechlor and salt water, and powdered cuttlebone, covered with a sweater, and I only peek twice a week when I change the water.
*edit* 1/03 Changed water. He was trying to walk around! He drank about three shells full of water and ate some honey. His antennae look tangled and his eyes are dull so maybe he's about to molt.
*edit* 1/04 Just got home and he's gone. He, Legolas and Skooter were all from the same store-NEVER going back there!

Legolas is still buried, as is Buckaroo. Legs is in a Tupperware; Bux is in ISO with a couple buried newbies. *edit* Legs appears to have molted! At least, he's moving, and one leg is at an impossible angle.
*edit* 1/22 Legs had a cave in a few days ago, haven't seen him move so I got nervous and dug. He promptly cursed me out with all four antennae *AND* his new BP! I covered his hole with a scallop and left him alone.

*edit* Skooter has passed. Accidentally dug him up during a molt. I put him in ISO under a cocohut but I guess it was too much shock. He was a large Indo.

Fluffy, a Jumbo PP, seems to be molting! He buried right after we got him home and hasn't been up since. I picked up the tank to peek and I *think* he's molted!

[Guest]

Sulley is in ISO. I found him naked in the food dish with two dropped legs. He is very weak, I thought he had passed until he latched onto my nail when I checked his BP. Rinsed his shell and he let me put him back in and eventually wiggled in a little.

*edit* Sulley has passed away [smilie=crybaby.gif]

[Guest]

Day 1: Noticed Bambam lost a leg and BP. Put in ISO. Humidity 78%. Temp 76*F.

Day 2: Didn't think he was alive. No smell. Left alone.

Day 3: Went to check on him and noticed another leg poking out from under his shell. Very scared to find him dead. Told to leave him be but couldn't resist. Pulled the leg out and found it to be small pincher and two other legs also. He peeked at me. Changed his water and put honey in with him. Put the hermie hut over him. Checked on him in the afternoon and he was hanging out of his shell, lifeless. Will check in morning.

Day 4: Went to check on him this morning. As soon as I uncovered the tank he came out to say hi like he usually does. He dropped his last leg. I figured I would give a shot at handfeeding. I have a 9 month old so I tried some chicken with apples babyfood. He didn't want it. Sat him in the water dish and his mouth pincers were scooping water into his mouth. Put him back in hermiehut. I was eating a piece of mango and decided what the heck. WOW! He went nuts! Ate like he hasn't eaten in a week. I smooshed it up with some cuttle bone and fed it to him on a dulled toothpick... So far so good.

Day 4 afternoon: Raised humidity to 79% and temp to 78. Still alive.

Day 4 8pm est: Still alive. Put him a dish of brackish water, didn't drink any that I saw. Put him in fresh water, again nothing. He did come out to say hi though. I am so afraid he is going to come right out of it . I then gave him honey with powdered baby shrimp in it. He took two good swipes and was done. At least it was something. *Put him back in fresh water just now and he scooped some up one time. Then he retracted, so I put him back.

Day 5 9am: Changed water sources. Temp same and humidity now 80%. Left him alone. No fishy smell.

Day 5 8pm: Brought him out. Handfed him a little bit of Baby Barley cereal, made with salt water and applesauce. He ate three swipes off the toothpick. Set him in the salt water dish and fresh water and nothing. Put a drop of fresh water in his shell. Put the salt water dish very close to him with his shell kinda sitting upright so he can get out of it. Put hidey hut back over him to the point where I can see him through the door. Covered the ISO. Went in to check on him 5 minutes later and he is drinking from the dish, hanging wayyyyyyyy out of his shell. **His waved his antennae at me tonight which he hasn't done since the first day I put him in ISO!

Day 6: Gave him fresh water and fresh salt water. He didn't want to eat so I left him by the food dish in the semi upright position so he could get out of his shell. He did come out to say hi!

Day 7: Went to feed him and he didn't want anything. Didn't take any water either. Stayed in the opening in the shell. Didn't come out to say hi.
Set him by the water dish. Cover with hideyhut.

Day 8: He isn't moving at all. There is a slight fishey smell but not overwhelming. I don't know what is going on. I don't know if he is molting or gone. I think gone under the circumstances but...

My heart is breaking. [smilie=cry.gif] I'm just going to let him be til tonight.

[Guest]

o mindymouse, I hope he makes it for you. I understand, I had a reall jumbo crab die on me not to long agao. he did not do a thing. did not eat nothing. so he finally choose a way to small shell for himself and died. he also had like yellow liquid in the shell. he and one other were bought from the same place, a kiosk, with them in very poor conditions. well I now have three happy healthy crabs. hope that I can have more soon. mabye from that place just to save them. poor guys. *crys*

[Guest]

Troublez, who went down 12/12/04 came up to the surface this morning and brought her remaining exo, all legs and pinchers, with her. I have moved her to ISO even though she looks hardened and I can see toe nails, she is not active at all. I crushed up the remaining exo for her too. I consider a molt successful after they are up and active for about a week.

*Update 1/15/05 - Troublez is still working on her exo and still a little shy but coming along pretty good. She still hides out all day, only see her late at night. Hopefully her activity level will pick up some. She is not eating any of the food I put in there for her, only interested in the exo.

*Update 1/17/05 - Troublez has finished her exo and was reintroduced to all in the main tank yesterday. She hid most of the day but came out and did some shell shopping and didn't seem to mind who was watching. I got to see her switch in and out of three shells. She ended up in her old one, I don't know where to find any more like the one she is in but hopefully she will find one in the MANY that are in the tank for them.

[Guest]

OK.. had to move recently so several of my guys are suffering..

Spiderman has completly vanished... i hope he turns up somewhere...

Captain Jack attacked Topa and killed him... Shell fight in the middle of the night and seeing as Topa was an E .. you know how E's would rather die than loose their shell... =(

Dave.. Jumbo PP was in the middle of molting.. left him in ISO for a week hes back in main tank but very sluggish for Dave standards..

Found Bruno molting and dug up.. they ate his exo so hes in Daves old ISO finishing of Daves exo and some baby shrimp...

Peg molted and got all her limbs back.. I named her Peg, as in peg leg.. cause she was missing several legs and her feeder claw...she back in main tank now as well..

a few others are very sluggish and sullen.. they arent happy about having to be moved in the freezing cold..

my main concern now is Peanut.. a Rug i bought a few months ago...

for the past 5 days he has been doing the upsidedown "cricket" thing...
I have placed him in an ISO... in a shallow in some FB and covered him with a patch of damp moss... hes hanging in... so far.. i check on him every day.. he keeps flipping himself.. and i re-right him and cover him back up.. i figure as long as im fightin.. and he's fighting we hopefully can beat this...

for those that have had that back flip cricketing thing.. tell me how long afterwards did they die.. he started on Sunday...but hes still fighting it... gunna attempt to give him some fruitn flower mix tonight or maybe some honey to give him a boost... this soooo looks to me like what happens with fish when their swim bladder malfunctions... and i am going to find out how to help Peanut beat this...

hopefully...
=/

[Guest]

Good luck with that, RedWolf. I've had a couple do the cricket thing (RIP, Ghost, Gimp and Zoidberg), and it usually happened over the course of a couple weeks. It would escalate and become worse and worse until they weren't moving at all, and then a day or two later they were gone.
Keep us posted,
ktm

[NaRnAR]

oh Red *HUGS*

Heres Strudels dilema:
Day 1: Found her running frantically naked in the main tank. Took her out and put her in a tuperware with a bit of IO (shes a straw) and three shells. An hour later she hopped in a shell. I put her in the dark ISO with a molter.

Day 2: The stress from running naked has taken its toll. She is now weak and not moving. She is still drinking a bit, making it to the IO dish herself and staying there for a couple days. Gave her some brine shrimp.

Day 4: SHe finally ate some brine shrimp. yeay! still weak tho.

Day 7: Moved ISO tank to kitchen. With the storm that is heading in the livng room has gotten cold and the tank temp was 72 degrees F when I got home from work. Now its 80 degrees in the kitchen. Bought TropicAir Humidifier online. *waits* Gave her some Crab Island. She ate a little.

Day 10: My mom found her upside down, weak. She had a chat with Strudle laying down the no dying line. Put Strudel back down so the shell opening was down.

Day 11: She is still in the correct position. Strudel is moving around the tank to and from the water dishes and food dishes. She is eating now...apples, pears.

Day 13: Humidifier is here!! Hooks it up to tank. By later that night the humidity was 85% and the temp was 80. Strudel is given two smaller water dishes so that she doesnt have to move all over the tank to get water. She is given scrambled eggs.

Day 14: She has emptied her IO dish, and has eaten 1/4 of her eggs. She is very responsive and moving.

Day 16 (today): She is still moving, responsive, eating and drinking. Not very active but she is doing better.

[Guest]

Great ideafor this thread. Well lets see my recent experiences have been: 1/12 found Jakie had molted overnight without burying himself, so Celina was trying to dig him out of his shell and he looked lifeless. I sprung into action, got Celina off him, scooped him up & put him in iso. Poor guy was almost competely out of his shell and not moving, I figured he was a goner. I talked to him and told him to hang on, misted the tank and covered to make it dark. I went ahead and bought a new crab, thinking that Jakie woudl probably be gone when I got home. I was pleasantly surprised when I did get home, he had pulled himself into his shell and was lying on his side, so I left him alone.
1/13 I placed our new crab Sean into the main tank and he immediately went after Clyde for a shell fight, this was the first fight I have seen and it scared the bejesus out of me, this poor crab was naked crawling around on the substrate, this is when my son and I noticed that he had no legs, just his pinchers. I calmed down and remembered what I had read on the main web site and put him in iso, cleaned him off and offered him several shells, which I put right around him. Once he picked a shell I gave hime some fresh water and put food for him. He is still in iso and seems to be doing well. Sean didn't take Clydes shell after all, so I cleaned it off and offered it back to Clyde who after awhile switched back to his oal shell and seems happy. We still have him in iso, hoping that he is able to molt again and regrow his legs. He has been eating and drinking,so there is hope. Update on Jakie, he has moved hiself and seems to have eaten some of his exoskeleton, so I think he might make it through this molt and subsequent attack. I still have to get this molting sign s down so I can avoid this again. I have lost one crab to this fate by not recognizing the signs earlier.

[Guest]

1/18 update on Jakie and Clyde
Well Jake is up and out of hiding, still looks like his exo needs to harden a little more so he will stay in iso for a few more days. Clyde on the other hand, seemed to be doing fine until last night when my son found him on his back, we turned him over but found the same way later in the evening and again this morning. Is this behavior really a bad sign, or is it maybe because he only has his two claws and no other legs to turn himself back over?

Still holding out hope for Clyde