# Please help me poorly mouse!!!!!



## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

hi all
i need some help with my mouse please!she is about a year and four months. she was sick when i got her (sneezing/noisy breathing)vet gave her baytril and she made a full recovery!! about a two months ago she suffered a stroke, spent 3 days in vets being given steroid injections, again she made an amazing recovery and has only a very slight head tilt when she looks up. now. she is now ripping out her fur on her back but really badly so her raw flesh is exposed, i took her to vet her gave her an anti inflametory injection and just to be on safe side some zeno spot on for mites (although we both thought it unlikely to be mites due to the fact that she is housed with three other girls who are completely unaffected) i have put them on all rice diet (incase allergy)but am pretty sure its not making a difference, they been on diet for about three weeks now. has this type of thing happened to anyone else ?? the vet is stumped. she has loads of space and a loads of different toys as well as the company of the other three (which she has always been house with) sorry to go on so long but am getting desperate!! its so distressing watching her do this to herself even when i try to stroke her and stuff she will not stop!! ppplleeaasseee heeeeelp me asap
thank you so much in advance
if you need more details please just ask!!!!
no they are not on wood shavings ,on paper bedding!!


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## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

Anyone!!!!!


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

My mouse Pixie has done this although it was after an operation to remove a tumour. It hasn't fully healed even after 2 months but it is doing well. The vet has no idea what caused it - whether it is an obsessive thing (which some mice seem to be prone too, although usually it involves obsessive scratching) or whether it was a side effect of the operation (e.g. a necrotic patch of skin that Pixie decided to deal with.) The vet prescribed Pixie some antibiotics and steroids as well as some anti-puritic/anti-fungal medicine called Surolan which I had to dab onto the affected skin everyday. 

Might be worth asking your vet for surolan, it worked with Pixie. What I would suggest though is that you spend as much time as possible with your mouse, to distract her from the skin. It was the only thing I could do with Pixie initially. It seems to be that this starts with stress (Pixie was on her own after the op) so it might be that everything your girl has gone through has just caught up with her. If you spend time letting her free range it seems to help tire them out and reduces their opportunities for pulling at their skin. Drop me a PM if I can be anymore help, I could even PM you the mouse forum I am on where I posted about Pixie so you could take a look if you want? I hope all this helps.


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2011)

It could be that she is stuck in a cycle, as in the vet treated the problem but as she started to heal the wounds became incredibly itchy, so she scratched which then opened the wounds again and so on.
You could try something like Aloe Vera gel (100% aloe) as this will reduce the itching and even if she licks it off it will still do her a world of good.

Apart from that I have no idea I'm afraid, it seems you have all the bases covered


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## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

thank you both very much !!! yes i will ask the vet if he can give her that !!And i think it has become an obsession . . . . . .i will keep u up to date on how she doing!!


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

The aloe vera that B3rnie suggested is a good idea, just be careful that it doesn't draw your girl's attention to the area. I tried that with Pixie and it made her do it even more the little monster!


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## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

awwww its horrible to watch . . . . . .i have an actual aloe vera plant. is the sap the same? is that better or too harsh (dont want to make her ill) ??!!


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2011)

Mousewoman said:


> awwww its horrible to watch . . . . . .i have an actual aloe vera plant. is the sap the same? is that better or too harsh (dont want to make her ill) ??!!


That is fine, I have a plant too 

In fact I find the rodents are less likely to lick off the sap than they are with gel


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## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

Great!! ill try that when she wakes her sleepy head!! thanx again! xxxx


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

B3rnie said:


> That is fine, I have a plant too
> 
> In fact I find the rodents are less likely to lick off the sap than they are with gel


Thus making it an absolutely splendiferous idea!  Definitely worth trying the leaf sap mousie woman


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## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

i have put some aloe on her wounds, im sure they are not worse since yest so good start, we will see!!!!!


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## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

hi again 
well poor little nox seems to be pulling even more hair out now she has a massive bald / raw patch spralling all over her back now just getting steadily worse, she seems fine in herself but she must be in pain. . . . . . . . . what should i do. .. . . . . . . . .


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## Jarhead (Jul 11, 2011)

I feel for her but I dont have a clue. Maybe a different vet might know. I really feel for her. Have you changed bedding or anything.


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## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

no . . . same bedding as always. . . . . will be takin her to vet again . . . . . . .


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## Jarhead (Jul 11, 2011)

Good luck Our degus lost the her and their back legs as they got old and in didnt trouble them But I thought that was like people go bald as they didnt bite it. and it was pink. Let us know how it goes


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Hiya,
Only just seen this thread. This is EXACTLY how my squiggles is. Does she look like this or similar?:










Squiggles began to pull his fur out after his girlfriend left him (she was very poorly) The picture shows him after he has done it after a few days. I too got him to the vet and they wanted to PTS  I said no.

One month later Squiggles is with me, for the past few weeks he has made himself worse and worse and since it began i have been bathing his wounds with salt water to ensure they are clean. His girlfriend rejoined him after her lump was unoperable. He has not lost the use of his back leg and has nibbled away most of the skin. He nibbles away the new skin too  Unforunately i dont have any good news on how to 'cure' it as unfortunately Squiggles is now so poorly he will most likely be pts tomorrow at the vets.

I recommend that you give your little one the best chance to live another few weeks. Everynight i give squiggles a wash with salt water to keep his wounds clean, I give him Baytrail and some herbal liquid to boost his immune system. Giving him oats will keep his strength up and give him a heatpad to keep him warm if he feels cold 

Hes a lovely boy and i try my best and ive kept him going for 4 whole weeks more then the vet said, and he hasnt suffered once.

I think youve done the right thing so far, if you want some more help then please pm me and ill try help you. I wont post pictures of how Squiggles is now as he is very shocking to look at  but hes still my baby xx


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## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

omg that is exactly what is happening!!!!!! i dont have camra to show you a pic,i dont think nox would appreciate photos at the mo whilst she not looking her best.she was a very proud mouse in her day with the most beautiful black tan coat. i went to the vet again and they gave me surolan, i put it on her and a couple of hours later she was at it worse than ever and the wound was really weepy, so have not used it again, i hope your baby ok!!!! has he just kept doing it then??is he still acting normally otherwise??? do you think nox is in serious pain?? im torn as to what to do!! she eating drinking and pooing and still runs on wheel so i personally dont want to get her pts but am i wrong???? im sure she must feel sore but if i put myself in that position i feel that i would want to stay alive and with my friends even with a sore back rather than to let go. . . . . . . . . . . . .  very sad. . . . thank you for your pic and stuff i dont feel so alone!!


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

Here are piccies of Pixie as well. She looks great now - the skin has regrown and nice and healthy pink, but unfortunately she has developed more tumours so I don't have any updated photos.

Pixie the day of her operation = skin all looks ok despite the stitches:









Pixie when she started chewing her skin off:









Last month just before a new tumour started to show:

















Whilst enjoying her wheel 

















The trick with surolan is to try and drop it on the skin when they aren't looking and to give them a treat to distract them. With mine a chunk of digestive biscuit works. Has your vet given you any painkillers and antibiotics? My vet gave Pixie those alongwith the surolan - the antibiotic to kill any infection and work in conjunction with the surolan (which has anti-puritic properties) and the steroid tablets to reduce inflammation and kill pain that is causing them to chew the sore skin. I hope Nox is ok mousewoman.


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

Silly question mousewoman, but what colour is Nox? From what I can see with P&C's mouse Squiggles he looks to be piebald fawn (white and red with red eyes) and I'm wondering if your Nox is the same? Piebald fawn is the colouring Pixie has , and so is Pixie's suspected sister Tizzy who claws her ears off and all the skin under them. I'm just wondering if it's something genetic in that colouring as that is now 3 mice that colour I have had with skin problems of some sort.


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

My two old boys.. the vet thought they might have had mites and treated them.. they didn't get any better re the plucking and scratching.. so as they were quite old and started to loose condition we decided to let them go.. 
They also got quite doddery..


Best of luck with your Meece..


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

zany_toon said:


> Silly question mousewoman, but what colour is Nox? From what I can see with P&C's mouse Squiggles he looks to be piebald fawn (white and red with red eyes) and I'm wondering if your Nox is the same? Piebald fawn is the colouring Pixie has , and so is Pixie's suspected sister Tizzy who claws her ears off and all the skin under them. I'm just wondering if it's something genetic in that colouring as that is now 3 mice that colour I have had with skin problems of some sort.


ooo bill was fawn with white bits..


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## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

Actually she is a black tan but how interesting!?! she has not touched her belly, perhaps its the darker pigment in the skin??? also its in more than one place so vet said he didnt think it was cancer and then on second visit he decided it prob was but i recon he dont really care. . . . . i dont want to tempt fate but one of her wounds has gotten a bit smaller . . . . . .i am dropping more treats in when i see her at it , good deterent, i wasnt doin that before cos i thought she might be allercic to something but all rice diet didnt help and i feel really bad just giving them that. . . i know they old now and nox is a bit doddery to but she has had a stroke she still so strong at gripping and stuff she never falls she just takes her little time ps both pixie and squiggles are gorgous!! !!:smile5:


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## Jarhead (Jul 11, 2011)

Good plan with the treats. Glad he wounds getting smaller sorry the vet didnt help


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

I hope ur baby recovers 

Unfortunately Squiggles became poorly at the beginning of last week and was pts with his girlfriend (who had a tumour) and his brother (who has an internal tumour) last friday 12th  I lost 3 babies that day but they were all together in the end.

I recommend saline to sooth his wound and give the little one lots of cuddles  while Squiggles was on baytril he was fine but last week it started to not work  He started becoming fluffed up and looked in pain.

I know this is what everyone says... but if he needs to be pts you will know when the right time is  x


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## Jarhead (Jul 11, 2011)

I am so sorry foryour loss glad they were all together though. They would have wanted that


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