CtryLuv's Crabbie Cove Illness Care
Sometimes hermies get ill or stressed out. Unfortunately we dont know enough about them to know how to cure an ill hermie. There are some symptoms and some things you can do however that might make them feel better and pull them through. I will try to cover a few of these here.
Symptoms
There are many symptoms that can tell you that your hermie is not feeling well. Being lethargic, not eating or drinking, just "laying" around, spending alot of time in the water pools, lowered eyestalks, dropped limbs and going naked. However, some of these symptoms are also symptoms of pre-molt so its hard to tell whether you really have a sick hermie or not. A few sure signs though are dropped limbs, and going naked. A hermie will not go naked to molt, nor will they drop limbs. A hermie usually "fills" up before a molt also, so not eating or drinking usually is not a sign of pre-molt.
There is also a syndrome known as PPS or Post Purchase Stress. This is the stress a hermie goes through from being harvested, shipped, shipeed again, and kept in less than ideal conditions before they are bought by their final owners. Some are also forced into painted shells which of course makes the stress that much worse. Crabs can and will die from this.
Treatment
Unfortunately, there is not alot you can do to treat an ill or stressed hermie. The best thing to do with a ill hermie is to leave him alone, keep it dark humid and warm for him, and if hes having trouble moving, keep food and water within easy reach. Draping a towel over the tat to keep shadows from spooking him is a good idea. Do not keep picking up or checking on him. This will only stress them more.
If you have a naked hermie, rinse out plenty of shells his size and put them close to him so that maybe he will move into a shell. You can also try the glass cup method. Put the hermie and a few shells into a glass cup and see if he will move into one. This puts him in close quarters with the shells and he cant move away from them, possibly tempting him to move in. If he doesnt move into a shell, just keep plenty of shells available for him and keep it humid, more humid than normal, so that his little abdomen doesnt dry out. You will notice that naked hermies will spend lots of time in the water dishes for this reason.
A few ways to tell if your hermie has crossed the rainbow bridge is a strong fishy smell, falling out of the shell, and lowered antennae and eyestalks. A very strong, nasty, fishy smell is a pretty good indication that the hermie has passed. You can also try the pincher test. Put a piece of paper in the big pincher and see if you get a reaction. Usually you will. It is my general opinion however, that you wait for the "death" smell before deciding the hermie has passed. Newly molted crabbies and very stressed crabbies sometimes dont have the strength to pinch or move, and a pre-molt crabbie can have the lowered eyestalks and antennae.
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