HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I have been treating Violet, one of my new Indos, for an infected BP for a week now. Today, I spotted what I think is a good sign....a spot of her blue BP shining through the center of the infection. It also looks like it is drying around the edges, and is actually sunken, rather than protruding like it was in the beginning...what do you think?

See what you think~~~~~~~~~~

Day #1:



Day #2:



Day #4:



Day #7:



Now.....I have been treating her for the recommended 7 days. Should I continue to treat her, or has the medicinal bath run it's course?

Oh...by the way, here she is in her salt water dip, prior to her treatment. Not a very happy camper!!!

I'd go ahead and treat her for another day or so, especially if you still have some bath left. It starts to lose its strength on day 4, which is why you are instructed to make a fresh batch on/after that day, why let the fresh batch go to waste after day 7? I'd do her for one more day since you still have some potent bath left, just to be sure.

starmaiden wrote:I'd go ahead and treat her for another day or so, especially if you still have some bath left. It starts to lose its strength on day 4, which is why you are instructed to make a fresh batch on/after that day, why let the fresh batch go to waste after day 7? I'd do her for one more day since you still have some potent bath left, just to be sure.

Do you think the infection is looking better? Or am I giving myself false hope?

It's definately looking better Kathy! In the 7th pic it's sunken and hasn't spread! I'd keep saying my prayers until she molts though, because you wont know if she's free and clear until she molts. But from what I can see, it looks really positive!

Looks somewhat like my E's infection is looking, I think they look better. But I think my E had something different, the exo looked eaten away. I'd show after pics, but my before pics weren't that great, so it's kind of pointless.

It's nice and dark with clear edges, a sure sign that a scab is forming. Honestly, I think if it was infected to begin with that it wasn't a particularly bad one, serious enough to need treatment, but not as bad as some of the infections people have posted about here. By the looks of it a chunk got knocked out of her claw and you caught it while it was still very fresh.

I would just use what bath you have and then decide what to do based on how she's acting. Keep up any special diet you're giving her in addition to her normal food since she'll know when she's fully healed. Making sure she has honey might also be a good idea to help keep her happy. If she seems more comfortable she's probably well on her way to recovery. Animals of all sorts have an amazing ability to tell when they're going to get better, you just have to trust them.

blaze88 wrote:Oh she looks so much better. It is scabbing, which is good and with the honey and salt your crab puts on the would I would hold off on treatment for a little bit.

The reason it IS looking better, is because I have been treating it with the medicinal bath for a week now. I totally attribute the progress to the bath, which contains a natural antibiotic, a slime coat, and healing agents. The salt water & honey I witnessed her using that one night may help in speeding the healing, but they are not totally responsible for it!

I was just going to ask about antennae activity and if she's still moving about too.

I think the wound itself does look better though. I'm not really experienced with infections though....

She has not been an active crab from the start. She isn't at all happy with her baths, but she tolerates them.

It seems as though she wants to molt again, even though she had just come up from molting for Tammy in early December. She is a larger-sized medium. Isn't it too soon for her to molt again so soon? She is digging, and hanging out at the water bowls....and she seems lethargic when in the tank. (She becomes quite strong & active during the baths!)

Also, since she is showing premolt symptoms, should I move her back to the main tank now that her therapy is complete, so that she can molt there? I really don't wnat her molting in the ISO tank. I really rather all of my crabs molt in the main tanks. Plus, the substrate in the ISO isn't deep enough for her. (I didn't want her digging down while she was being treated.)

You need her to molt in ISO before you put her in the main tank, that is how she gets rid of the rest of the infection. Waldo came up from molting with the infection, was treated for a week, then dug back down and molted again to get rid of it. That's what they do to heal themselves.

I say put more substrate in your ISO and let that crabby molt and finish healing!

Thanks, Star!

I guess I'll set that up tonight. Now that the treatments are over, I will leave her to her own devices. I am still worried about her molting so soon, but I understand that she needs to do so to heal. The claw looks even more indented today.....no spreading at all with clear lines.

Violet is the only crab I know that has a 29-gallon deluxe ISO/molting tank all to herself....spoiled little brat! At least I don't have to worry about anyone disturbing her during this molt. Guess I'll be holding my breath for the next few months.

According to what Chestersmom told me: They go down to molt again real quick after the treatment. If all goes well, they come up with no infection and can then be put in the main tank.

I was surprised at how quickly Waldo went down for a molt after his treatment, especially since he had just come up from a molt the week before. He came up from molting with the infection, was treated for a week, then dug down about 3 or four days after that. He emerged about 2 weeks later looking 100%. He's a small too.

Violet is the only crab I know that has a 29-gallon deluxe ISO/molting tank all to herself....spoiled little brat! At least I don't have to worry about anyone disturbing her during this molt. Guess I'll be holding my breath for the next few months.

Lucky crab!