Need help on a tough decision

A few months ago I posted this thread asking for help. Read my initial post for a quick overview.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=193421

After a couple of weeks she wound up losing her right Pedipalp and trochanter. (I'm using this diagram http://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files...n_anatomy2.jpg). She also lost use of her left pedipalp, she was unable to open it to grasp food. Other than all of this, she seemed completely fine, tail up, took food without a problem, drank as usual, spent the same amount of time in and out of the hide as normal. It took quite a bit of help from me for her to eat, she would use her deactivated pedipalp to corral the cricket if she had to.

Well I got back from a 4 day trip last night with some crickets for her and her offspring, and her left claw is just dragging, hanging by a thread. I was pretty discouraged, so I fed her scorplings, and went to bed, contemplating what to do. About an hour ago she was out wandering as if everything was fine, tail up. So I gave her two crickets, touching them right to her chelicerae and letting her take them directly from the tongs.

I have a dilemma, I feel like she could live a full scorpion life with my help, but I don't want to cause unnecessary misery to her. She seems oblivious to what is going on, going about her normal life. Should I let it play out? Euthanize? I know it's ultimately my call but I'd like some advice or opinions.

I greatly appreciate any help. Thanks guys and girls.

I'm sorry to say this, but if I were you I would put her out of her misery. Thats no way for a scorp to live. If the scorp cant feed itself, I would put it in the freezer. I'm so sorry.

If you're brother lost both his arms in an accident would you put him down?

maybe not the same thing, but I say just crush the crickets head and keep hand feeding her.

Post some pictures if you can.

Kweegwin wrote:

If you're brother lost both his arms in an accident would you put him down?

maybe not the same thing, but I say just crush the crickets head and keep hand feeding her.

Post some pictures if you can.

I would still put the poor thing in the freezer. Scorpions use their chela for many things, including catching prey, helping them drink, burrowing, helping during mating, feeling their surroundings, etc. If it had only lost one it would be fine, but because it lost both it is unable to do these things. If you decide to let it go on like this, your scorp will be extremely stressed and it still may die. I'm sorry but I do not see a better alternative.

im with scorpion on that. its such a sad thing to do but its a miserable existance.
kweeg its definately not the same thing,id put my brother down even if he didnt lose two arms.jk i love my bro.

hmmm maybe the heat pad had something to do with it? like it cooked itself somehow in a burrow and it damaged those spots? i dunno how that works.on another note id ditch the heat pad for a heat lamp and false bottom.

im sorry for you and your scorpion.
my deepest condolences my friend

Is the broken off part a chela or a pincher, since you are speaking of a trochanter it is the pincher (pedipalp)??
Is it bleeding?

Nevermind I reread it, sorry.

I'd put her down, since she lost use of both. Sorry to say.
Many people freeze them... I just hit them with a big heavy item.

I dont like an animal having to go through a long moment onwards death.
If you hit them right, they would not have known what hit them.

Sounds barbarian I know.. but think about it.

if you have a gun you can just put a well placed shot through the dome.sounds charles bronsonish i know.
Plutos right,the quickest and less painful death the better.

lol there you go at it again

Really, freezing them is not humane. It is only for the ease of mind of the owner, thinking it was painless and the right, responsible thing to do.
blablabla about their metabolic rates go down blablabla they dont feel it blablabla they are no vertebrates so it is for them as going to sleep blablabla.. I dont buy it.

It might also help on the owner, not having sleepless nights because no violence was involved.

If you look at it from a scorpion perspective, it is getting rehoused (stress), getting cold (stress), getting colder (stress), dying.. (stress)

If they could speak while dead, I doubt they would speak highly of such a method. No, I would want to help a hurting or dying animal by physically shutting it down (not fun to do), quick as lightning. No stress, job done.

Personally that gives me more ease of mind than to go look the next day in the freezer compartment, if it is indeed dead.

Rant off

@shining: why a gun? Get a bazooka, go Sledgehammer on it (80s series lol)

[quote]@shining: why a gun? Get a bazooka, go Sledgehammer on it (80s series lol)

Nah, go for 20lbs of C-4----- it will disappear in a flash of light.

Just kill it as quickly as you can . its the best option

and a proper burial.
*salutes*
doot do dooooo doot do dooooooo

Scorpions do not feel pain.They just have an instinct to survive. Putting them in the freezer makes them hibernate and they will just never come out of it. It's just a big bug and the only inhumane ways would be boiling it or Hammering nails, burning etc, something slow like. Cyanides the most humane way of killing anything. Plutos way is just as effective and I understand you dont wanna cause it harm but it won't hold it against you.

I will join in the with the silly overkill ideas and say tape it onto a grenade and throw it through your neighbours window.

As I said, I dont buy any of that, sorry. Even if they dont feel pain, my respect towards the animal, demands me to put it out of its misery myself.

To each their own opinion. I never go into deep discussion, because it is a waste of time. Good thing people are never the same, that is the beauty of it.

I do believe you are the most humane way of killing everything, guessing by your name. The Meyers mask tells me otherwise though

scorpion grenade through neighbors window.hahaha

i feel the same as pluto does.

the end must be dealt by myself in a quick fashion because i care.
your heart may weigh some but to know you did right and the suffering is no more will lighten the load.

whoa i need to write that down.

So romantic! Shining, you're a soft boy!