My Spiny has been vomiting

[Lono]

Hey i'm worried about my spiny flower mantis, she's an adult and layed her first ootheca a couple weeks ago. the past 2 days she's vommited a whole lot of dark brown fluid. She doesn't seem sick she appears totally normal other then the vomit. I'm suspecting that it may have been the last thing she ate but not sure. Since winter food has a been a little hard to come by, i have a hard time justifying spending 15 dollars shipping for 3 dollars worth of flies, if anyone has better options please let me know. So i've been just been feeding her superworms from petco. I've also been feeding my adult ghost the same worms and no problems with her. The last worm i fed my spiny was a little iffy though, there were 2 left and one was dark brown and looked dying or pupating so i threw that one out the other looked fine but it was defiantly lethargic wasn't moving a whole lot but seemed ok to feed at the time so i did. Could she just be throwing up a bad worm? or is this something to worry about?  

 

[MrGhostMantis]

I would say the worm probably was bad. Honey could help. Good luck!  

 

[hysteresis]

i have a hard time justifying spending 15 dollars shipping for 3 dollars worth of flies

Tell me about it. No BBF, GBF or HF to be found up here in Canada. I import 1250 BBF spikes each time ($30USD) at a shipping cost that often exceeds $45USD (overnight is mandatory).

$75USD for 1250 spikes. **faints every time**

We have BSFL available, but they cost as much as these imported BBFs.

Having said that, I also feed mealworm, superworm, occasional waxworm, and dubia roach.

Mealies and supers are sooo inexpensive.

I would never recommend feed a sickly looking prey item to a mantis. They can wait a day for fresh stuff.

Keep your spiny watered but kept on the dryer side. Hopefully it passes soon!

 

[Mantis Lady]

When I read the prizes of shipping I am happy to have a pet store closeby (another part of the city) to get my feeders.

You could give your spiny honey water.

 

[Lono]

Thanks for the advice, she's still been throwing up but only small amounts not as much as before. She also won't eat or drink water, i have given her some honey but even honey she only eats a little bit and then pushes it away. Despite this she still seems healthy and has been active walking around and stuff. Hopefully just needs some more time to feel better. 

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Yeah, lets hope she doesn't die on us! Feel better spiny!

 

[Lono]

So just to keep you guys updated, all seems to be good...looks like it was a bad worm. She's eating and drinking again and seems to have stopped throwing up. 

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Yay!

 

[hysteresis]

So just to keep you guys updated, all seems to be good...looks like it was a bad worm. She's eating and drinking again and seems to have stopped throwing up. 

Nice when this works out.

 

[Mantis Lady]

Good to read your spiny is doing ok now.

 

[Lono]

So it's been a month now, and unfortunately she's not doing so good. I was a little premature in saying she was all good. She did eat and drink again and things looked good for a week or so, but since then she hardly eats at all, only the bare minimum which is odd because she used to have a never ending appetite. She does drink water though sometimes a whole lot, but still won't eat much and i notice today that she is still vomiting, it's just clear liquid now(guessing mostly water) so i probably didn't notice it before. She also looks a little weird, her movements and stuff like she's groggy or something and she's very quick to attack anything that comes near her. Seems like she's ok if she stays still for a long time, but any time she moves or i move her she starts vomiting. I did switch her food to dubai's after that worm but it didn't seem to help, in the past month she's only really eaten 2 and a half fairly small dubais. She took a little honey at one point but even honey she wont eat.    

 

[hysteresis]

So it's been a month now, and unfortunately she's not doing so good.

Can we please see a photo of her enclosure? Please include shots of what ventilation is provided.

 

[Lono]

well i don't think shes going to make it, her health just took a nose dive right after i posted that, she's not moving much at all she fell over and rolled on her back with no attempt to move, she has her head tucked down. She's still alive but barely it's so sad. 

 

[Lono]

Can we please see a photo of her enclosure? Please include shots of what ventilation is provided.

I can't take a picture atm, but it's just a 32 oz cup with fabric lid, i poked holes in the fabric for more ventilation, i had coco bark fiber on the bottom and a plastic flower in there, but she spent most her time outside of the enclosure, on a houseplant or lampshade. 

 

[hysteresis]

I can't take a picture atm, but it's just a 32 oz cup with fabric lid, i poked holes in the fabric for more ventilation, i had coco bark fiber on the bottom and a plastic flower in there, but she spent most her time outside of the enclosure, on a houseplant or lampshade. 

Ah okay. I know spinys are susceptible to high humidity problems. That's why I was asking.

Regardless, I'm sorry for your loss.

I say to people, for every one you lose, get two more.

 

[mantis_monk]

They might have trouble digesting food if temp falls below 76F. Honey as anti-bacterial seems to help too.