If ANYONE can help, please do..

[Feralpenchant]

I have 2 mice. The white mouse, Brisby, I have had since around January. Never had any problems with her. About 3 weeks ago my friend thought Brisby needed company so she got me a little black and white mouse, her name is Elouise. About 2 weeks ago, Elouise started sneezing, and her fur looked very greasy and disheveled. I thought maybe she had an allergy, so I seperated her from the cage, put her in a clean environment with only tissue paper for about an hour. She stopped sneezing. Okay, looks like an allergy. But to what? I cleaned out their cage and replaced the Aspen bedding with toilet paper, took out the nesting box and replaced it with 3 large rocks with a tile over them to make a little makeshift house, and kept the food in there. That way if she resumed sneezing I would know it''s the food.

I have slowly reintroduced the aspen and the house, but she kept sneezing, so I took out the house and the bedding and the food. Mind you I have been doing this for about 2 weeks. I''ll change something, then monitor it for a few days, and do something else, hoping to find out what''s going on. I thought it was an allergy until a few days ago, when Brisby started sneezing as well. I am changing the brand of food.

I put the aspen back in yesterday after about a 3 day course of only having paper towels down as bedding, because since they were both sneezing anyway, I figured it wasn''t the aspen, so I put it back in because it manages odor better than paper towels. Within a day of me putting the aspen back in, Elouise''s fur is all greasy looking again. I know that disheveled fur is nothing to get upset about, it can get that way from them sleeping next to each other. I just worry.

Tomorrow I will call the pet store where Elouise came from to figure out exactly what bedding, housing, and food they use for the mice because it must have been fine with Elouise, when I got her she was in perfect condition. However, I am beginning to think that it may be a cold or a virus because I had Brisby for months before I got Elouise, and I''ve always used Aspen for bedding, Wood (pine) nesting box, and kaytee fiesta food. I didn''t know the house was pine when I got it, I know some animals can have reactions to aromatic woods like pine. But Brisby was always fine, until now.

I think taking mice to the vet is kind of pointless, so I was hoping someone that reads this post has had experience with small animals and can give me some advice. I''m willing to do anything. Their cage is right by my bed, and I lose sleep sometimes because I can hear them in there sneezing and I want to fix it for them, but I don''t know how.

Should I seperate them until they both stop sneezing? Maybe if they have colds, they keep giving it back and forth to one another? Bah I don''t know anymore..

 

[elrohwen]

In my experience with small animals, sneezing is generally the sign of a bacterial infection, not a virus or allergies. Since you've pretty much ruled out the causes of allergies, I would take both mice to the vet right away and see if they will precribe an antibiotic. Infections in such small critters can move very fast and can kill quickly. If you really don't want to take them to the vet, I don't think there's anything else you can do. Bedding such as Carefresh is generally less dusty than Aspen, but since she was continuing to sneeze even without the Aspen, I don't know if that will help. I hope you're able to figure out what's making them sick!

 

[elrohwen]

After doing a little more research on mice specifically, since most of my knowledge is gerbils and rabbits, it does appear that all of the symptoms you''re describing are bacterial respiratory infections or even pneumonia. I would absolutely take them to a vet.

 

[Feralpenchant]

It''s not that I don''t want to.. it''s that I just got all my cats into the vet for routine checkups, and I don''t really have any money right now to take the mice in as well..

Oh I''m so sad right now, thank you for the information, I was afraid it was something like this. I really hoped it was an allergy.

Suppose I did get them in to a vet, what type of medication if prescribed for MICE? I can''t imagine being able to medicate a mouse. Powder on the food or something?

 

[purrfectpear]

Call the vet and ask if they''ll give you some amoxicillin?

 

[Feralpenchant]

I've never had rodents before, I'm a cat person, but I have always "prided" myself (if you will) on giving my animals the best care and food possible. Seeing my little babies like this and not being in a position to do anything about it is killing me

I hope it's just a cold and they get better. Elouise is not sneezing today, and her fur looks better. But Brisby seems to be in the phase of it that Elouise was in last week. She's sneezing constantly. Even though Elouise is not sneezing as much, they aren't eating as well as I'd like. Hopefully it will pass. However, Elousise's right eye was kind of halfway closed when I took her out this morning. I thought it may have been crusted shut, which would not be good, but I wiped it with a tiny piece of wet toilet paper and she opened it up. Maybe it was just eye boogers from sleeping.

 

[soocool]

I don''t know if mice are like hamsters, but I know that hamsters can get colds from humans. We were always very careful not to handle the hamster if any of us had a cold.

 

[Haven]

I don''t know if they''d help you out, but I know of some vets who do free work for ill animals because they would rather help than allow the little guys to remain sick. It''s worth a shot to ask.

I was just talking to a family friend who is a retired veterinarian, and he told me the best story about a girl who brought her little mice in for treatment, and how she loved them dearly. He said he had two technicians who wouldn''t touch the mice, but it was heartwarming to see how much they were loved.

It''s also worth finding an older, independent vet. My mother takes her dogs to a vet who charges next to nothing for his services, he''s very old school and we don''t think he''s raised his prices since the seventies! Ask around, you may be able to find someone like that.

Lots of dust for your tiny furbabies! They can be treated, so please do whatever you can to find some way to make it happen.

 

[Feralpenchant]

Date: 3/19/2009 7:14:26 PM
Author: soocool
I don''t know if mice are like hamsters, but I know that hamsters can get colds from humans. We were always very careful not to handle the hamster if any of us had a cold.

Hm, that is definitely something to look at. I am pretty good about washing my hands before and after handling them, but maybe I slipped up once and didn''t notice. I have been sick in the past couple of weeks..

Maybe I''ll just not handle them for a couple of days and see if it works itself out. If not, I''m sure I can get them into a vet one way or another. Just have to find one that will treat mice. Cause I know my personal vet is only qualified to do small animal (cats and dogs only). I think I remember a local vet that is qualified for rodents and avian.. I''ll look her up. She''s a good friend of a vet I worked with at another clinic, so maybe she''ll cut me a deal or do it for free. I can hope, right? I''d gladly pay for the antibiotics but most standard physical exams around here are about 60 bucks and are required before anything can be prescribed. The course of antibiotics should be only around 20 or 30 bucks.. but double that for two mice and the exams too.. it adds up.

For the moment, they''re not sneezing as much as yesterday, but I''m worried about their food intake. They''re sleeping a lot.

Poor things.

Thank you for the dust!

 

[elrohwen]

Feralpenchant, I really wouldn''t assume they have a cold. I don''t know anything about hamsters, but I do have gerbil and rabbit experience and neither have any type of viral "cold" like humans; only bacterial infections. Also, neither can catch any kind of disease from humans (like I said, I don''t know about hamsters). More than likely it''s bacterial. Haven gave you some great ideas to look into vets that will do it cheaply.

And giving antibiotics to rodents is quite easy as long as they don''t mind being handled. The vet will give you a syringe without the needle. Twice a day you will need to give them maybe 1cc, that''s all, of the medicine. Medicines I''ve used are flavored like strawberries or something and my gerbil that was on them absolutely loved to take her medicine every day. So it''s not hard at all! They could also give you something to add to their water, but it seems like giving it orally would be the best way to ensure that they get enough of a dose.

Please take them to the vet as soon as you can. I would hate for you to lose them! Good luck!

 

[Lorelei]

Maybe I am wrong or misunderstood, I thought you were a vet tech and worked for a veterinary surgeon Feral? If this is the case ( I could be wrong though) then an easily accessible antibiotic such as Baytril liquid or similar might be suitable for tinies like your mice and the vet might have instructions on how to calculate the dosage.

 

[Amandine]

I worked at a Petco, but its been a while. I remember that there was something we used to give the sick small animals, and we did seperate them from the other healthy ones. Unfortunately, I do not remember what it was, but you might go ahead and give the pet shop a call and see if they do something similiar and what they would use to treat them.

 

[cnspotts]

http://www.lakehowellanimalclinic.com/html/mice.html <---- Bacterial & Viral mouse info

I found some info, hope that helps. I''m sorry your little ones are sick.

Last year I had a dozen sick lizards (imports), it took over a year to get these guys healthy and I lost 6 of them along the way. I cannot tell you the number of times I had to pry open their little mouths to give them medicine after medicine after medicine. It was so frustrating at times but now I have healthy ones and I''m so glad. I had two wonderful experts online helping along with the local reptile vet who keep a few of them for 3 weeks trying to get them healthy. The bill? I was committed............lol, I could have had some really awesome bling for that.

Good luck.

 

[Feralpenchant]

Yes Lorelei, I am a veterinary technician at a small animal practice. I COULD get the antibiotics from work, but the problem is the veterinarian would not be able to prescribe to a mouse, nor would she know the dosage, as she is not qualified for rodents. I did ask her about it, but she suggested that I take them to another vet''s office for a proper evaluation.

At any rate, I did get them to a vet! Brisby bit the vet, and myself a couple of times, as she''s not the friendliest mouse. They were given antibiotics. Banana flavored, they hate it! Haha. Elouise is still sneezing so they are in different cages. Luckily for me, I got a discount because the vet I took them to did an internship with my vet

Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions, I have always had cats and dogs. I can loosely diagnose cats and dogs pretty well, and have a good idea of whether a vet is needed, but these tiny mice were another story. So thanks to all who have had tinies and gave their input, greatly appreciated!

 

[elrohwen]

Yay! I''m so glad your tiny furbabies are going to be ok