Help for the Clawless..

[Carrie]

I have a little PP who lost both claws in his molt (naturally named Claude). I've been feeding him FMR Treat, Tetra BabyShrimp, and powdered cuttlebone. Hand-feeding method went from desperation (baby food on a toothpick) to practice (tiny paintbrush dipped in spring water) applied directly to his mouthparts (with a pause by his antennae so that he knwos he's being fed). He's actually learned to smell the food w/ his antennae and then come further out of his shell b/c he knows he's about to get food. As to the cuttlebone, he's learned to drink a 'paste' made from powdered cuttlebone and water--off off all 4 legs, out of a milk cap. I switch the Treat and the Shrimp every few days and he chooses what he wants also by just hanging onto it (cuttlebone or food dish) until I feed him some.

He's also drawn to a sea sponge in the same manner but I have NO idea how to hand feed him this, as it can't be powdered. Don't like the idea of toothpicks b/c they're pointy, of course (Claude 'licks' the food off off of the paintbrush w/ his mouthparts).

Does anyone know where you could obtain powdered sea sponge, or the equivalent nutrients? If anyone can sell me something I could use I'd be more than happy to pay for it...

Thanks -

Dr. Kyrie

[Jedi_Sena]

Thanks for telling us that amazing story. I had a sick crab a while back who I observed eating with a hind foot. He had two healthy pincers but was repeatedly dipping a leg into the dish and cleaning off the clinging particles with his mouth parts. I took a video of it, but haven't gotten it off the camera yet.

You ought to be able to blend up anything for the little guy in a blender or coffee grinder, including sea sponge. I'd make sure he gets plenty of protein for the healing process.

[krabby_katie]

I hope everything goes good.

[Carrie]

Thanks for the suggestion! I have a coffee grinder. I have to save this little guy. He's survived so much... and thanks also for the kind wishes. Odd about the little one who ate w/ his back leg. Claude just cings to anything he wants b/c I think he kind of gets stuck on trying to use his claws but they're not there, so he just holds on.

What are some foods w/ protein that could be given in powder form? He's been alive since April. I think the Tetra BabyShrimp has been good for him. I could revert to a high protein baby food, perhaps. Right after the molt he was so hunrgy for cuttlebone and that was the first challenge but that's as close as he's come to eating from his legs.

I don't know how much time I have b/c the gel-limbs are coming along pretty fast. Arwen, who grew two legs back in one molt was the other main experience I've had with gel-limbs, b/c they were so easy to see. You can sort of guage how the molting cycle is going by the gel-limbs.

I got some iguana food at the pet store b/c they don't have the moist hermit crab food. And I don't trust that very much. I think it's better than the regular 'pellet' kind you can find. They have NO interest in that when I put it in the food dish. They love FMR Treat and the BabyShrimp... and fried chicken (I leave some meat on the bones--that's the only 'people food' they get, besides apples and grapes).

Can you name something protein that I can powder up? I'm kind of wishing somebody on here who was into making the organic foods could either recommend something I could buy or mix something up for him special that I could buy, b/c he's a one-of-a-kind crab. You wouldn't find him existijng in nature, w/ no claws, living long... but it's something that might come up w/ other owners every now and again. I don't know how long I have until he molts--he's a bit less active and the gel-limbs are getting bigger and he's not too big, so I'm looking for all the suggestions i can find.

Thanks again for the crab-who-thought-he-was-clawless story (any idea why he did that?) and the best wishes! At least he will finally get to eat the sea sponge!!

Dr. Kyrie

[vckums]

Proteins can be eggs, fish, shrimp,meats etc. You can make a paste out of all of them. Blender and some dechlor water. Add a tiny bit of water at a time to get the correct consistency. I'd also suggest adding some honey to the mixture.

Hope he pulls through!

[Jedi_Sena]

bloodworms and nuts have good protein. These are easily crushed as well. I like walnuts best. If you're comfortable serving raw egg, that would be a nice protein. Cooked egg is fine too, but the protein molecules are different in raw and cooked. Raw egg will work better on the paintbrush anyway.

A friend of ours had a very difficult surgery and the doctors told her to eat all the eggs she wanted since it would help her heal. She loves eggs and thought she was really indulging to have 3 eggs at breakfast. During her checkup, they expressed disappointment in her slow healing and asked whether she was eating a lot of eggs as she'd promised. Then she found out that they were thinking more like 8-10 eggs per day. Of course, that is for humans, but still shows the value of egg for protein.

[Carrie]

THANK YOU!! Will feed Claude some raw eggs every day. I know he's got a lot of calcium... I think he's going pre-molt but it'll probably be at least a few weeks before he molts. Those gel-limbs keep growing. Time to work in this protein. Claude has actually gotten darker than he was originally. The others are getting a little paler. What do I need to give the rest of the family more of? I remember back in the days I was here before... I think that was being figured out. They all eat Tetra BabyShrimp, FMR Treat, oak leaves, and apples, grapes, and the fried chicken (well, the remnants on the bone I don't eat, so that's just regular chicken meat). Perhaps the way they LOVE the chicken means they need extra protein?

Thanks again - Kyrie

[HermieLove19]

oh that poor little crab. i hope he molts soon and it's successful.

[Carrie]

I think he actually has a good chance of making it. He's gotten along reasonably well since 3/30. He's gotten into the habit of walking really low to the ground b/c there's no claws. He's otherwise very healthy and active, tho of course he has to have his own tank. I don't think he's suffering in the least... I make sure he gets fed several times a week... and he's got two gel-limbs growing bigger and bigger. He's gotten darker and he has a lot of maroon around the joints (way back when I called FMR and talked to Kathy--don't know if anybody remembers Kathy--and they said the healthy guys in captivity have a lot of maroon around their joints if their nutrition is good.. and from experience these are the guys who have the best molting success/ease). Thanks everyone for your best wishes. And they're all enjoying extra protien. I got them Tetra Ocean Plankton after standing in the fish food section reading the labels for waaay too long.

[Jedi_Sena]

Improved color and gel limbs are great signs! Glad to hear it. I'd recommend lots of bright greens for color enhancement, especially cilantro and parsley and tree leaves. Things that turn red in the fall have special pigmentation underlying the green appearance, and those are especially good (I can think of burning bush and maple off the top of my head).