I am posting this here as a guide for those of you who may need to make a difficult choice regarding the health of your scorpions some day. As a disclaimer, I want to emphasise the following: amputation should only be used as an absolute last resort. It is a high risk procedure with a high mortality rate. There is a high likelihood that the scorpion discussed in this topic will eventually die despite the efforts to save his life.

Background:
In early Dec. '07, I obtained two emperor scorpions from a fish store. They were trades for fish and the store did not know about proper husbandry; as such, they were being kept on sand with a very hot light, no water source, and looked as though they had not been fed in quite a long time. Both were extremely weak from dehydration and starvation. I brought them home to nurse them back to health by droppering them water and bug gruel until they were strong enough to drink and eat on their own.
One of these two scorpions did not have full use of one claw, and I did not realize that this was due to a current injury at the joint connecting the manus and tarsus. As such, he soon developed an extremely bad fungual infection of the claw. The fungus was removed manually with a Q-tip soaked in betadine solution and treated with an anti-fungal safe for internal use (Tioconazole ointment, 6.5%) while kept in a dry environment (w/water bowl, of course, bedding changed daily). The fungus was under control in roughly two days, however, the claw became infected as evident through discolored tissue, discharge, and odor. I began treatment with Animax ointment (nystatin-neomycin sulfate-thiostrepton-triamcinolone acetonide), a veterinary topical anti-bacterial. Unfortunately, the claw became necrotic (blackened tissue at the joint with a strong foul odor and sloughing flesh). After discussion, the decision was made to amputate, under the logic that rotting tissue would inevitable result in sepsis and death, and amputation - while likely to result in death - gave at least some hope of survival.
Procedure:
The scorpion was sedated by placement in the refridgerator until sluggish and minimally responsive due to the inavailability of isoflurane (considered useful for sedating inverts). The scorpion's body was wrapped firmly in a paper towel to prevent movement. The site of amputation was the joint connecting the femur and patella, using a pair of heavy-duty large dog nail clippers sterilize in betadine (selected due to the curved blades). There was quick and immediate blood loss, which was quelled with fast pressure followed by the application of an over-the-counter tissue glue. The application was generous, and there is still some small degree of leakage if the animal strains (I will be applying a newer coat today). The animal was returned to a dry environment while the glue hardened and it recovered from the removal, and was then promptly moved to a dark, high-humidity bin at 82 degrees. Damp paper towel is being used as bedding to prevent particulates from sticking to the wound site.
Results:
The claw has been removed for 5 days now and the scorpion is still surviving. He has been disinterested in food but accepts water via eye dropper. I have started eye-droppering insect gruel into the mouthparts to help him regain energy for healing. The bedding is changed twice daily to discourage infection. Anamax ointment is applied to the claw twice daily. Today, I will be re-enforcing the existing tissue glue to ensure no further leakage. The scorpion is alert and responsive but definately somewhat weak, perhaps due more to his near-starvation than dehydration.
Other Observations:
Pain sensation in scorpions and other invertebrates has been questioned as these species have a ganglionic nervous system and no formal study has been able to prove pain. However, my casual observations would suggest that scorpions may be capable of feeling pain. This is based on the following:
In the initial stages of treatment, where the claw was wounded and infected, I noticed a decidedly different reaction from the animal when handling/firmly grasping vs. debriding and cleaning the injury site. The scorpion struggled to escape when captured and when the claw was restrained for treatment, but when actually contacting and cleaning the wound, he reacted very violently - pinching, attempting to sting, rolling, etc. Once the tissue went necrotic, there was no such reaction, as would be expected in any wound that has progressed to the stage of tissue death. This, IMO, gives some anecdotal evidence that scorpions may be capable of distinguishing painful stimuli, even if unconsciously. As such, I really do wish I'd had acess to Isoflurane for this procedure! Knowing he might have felt it made it much more difficult to perform the necessary procedure.

Tags: Amputation Medicine Troubleshooting Fungus Bacteria Necrosis Scorpion

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