# What the heck has happened to my animals????



## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

I moved house today. In order to do so I left my small animals in my OHs (where I am now living) in the summer house. Aware that this can get too hot possibly during the day I opened the windows very slightly.

I have returned tonight to find my two mouse brothers...dead. One other single male mouse, Marley,...dead. One hamster brother dead with what appears to be his eye gouged out...I have had the brothers for a year with no problem. And my other single male mouse with a hugely swollen eye (linked to hamster eye problem).

Is it the water? Stress? Cold? Environment? Allergy? Unrelated deaths?

I am so utterly devastated. Please help.


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

How hot has it been where you are? The first thing I thought of was over heating. That can cause animals to have seizures, which might explain the eye issues if the hamster and the mouse had caught their eyes during a seizure. I'm so sorry to hear about your losses ((hugs))


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## Grace_Lily (Nov 28, 2010)

I'm so sorry to hear this.

I can't offer any insight into what happened but snippet's post sounds very plausible.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

I kept the window slightly open cos it did get quite hot in there. That's why I thought it might be draft/cold? I have got a pic of the surviving poorly eye mouse...will try add now.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

What do people think?


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## CRL (Jan 3, 2012)

in a summer house? they would have overheated very quickly. was there not anywhere else you could have left them?


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## Ratty man (Apr 15, 2012)

Those summer houses can get hot like an oven and it was especially hot yesterday in most parts of the country.

Sadly I think they just baked to death, but accidents do happen with all the best will in the world so try not to beat yourself up over it.

It's just an unfortunate accident.


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2012)

Where the boy's living together?
The move of home could have been enough to set off fights maybe? Or as others have said it was probably the heat, especially with the weather at the moment.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

I only query it because a) the windows were open...and b) it was only the mice in barred cages that were affected...which is why I thought it was a draught. They had spent a might in there already and it was fine...but doors were open during the day and the windows closed at night. Plus all showing different symptoms.

Bernie...the boys had no injuries at all...that is the odd thing. my hamster boy's eye was bloody which makes me worry about my mouse's eye above? Does it look like a trauma to the eye?ossibly on the journey or something else?


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2012)

niki87 said:


> I only query it because a) the windows were open...and b) it was only the mice in barred cages that were affected...which is why I thought it was a draught. They had spent a might in there already and it was fine...but doors were open during the day and the windows closed at night. Plus all showing different symptoms.
> 
> Bernie...the boys had no injuries at all...that is the odd thing. my hamster boy's eye was bloody which makes me worry about my mouse's eye above? Does it look like a trauma to the eye?ossibly on the journey or something else?


Ahh if the others didn't have injuries then I would lay my guess on the heat, you may of had a window open but during the day it was very, very hot with very little breeze, it would have been a sauna in the summer house. Heat effects us all differently so the symptoms might not be the same. I would get them out of the summer house asap.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Ahhh  I didn't think it would be that hot. They are out now anyways...but we are going to look for an extractor fan kit to sort them out. Otherwise not sure  I feel awful...I just didn't think!!!!


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2012)

It sounds like heat, to me. Summerhouses can be lethal. FDS, don't put any dogs in there. If the car was parked with them in it, on any stops, on the journey, the damage could have already started. Read up on heat stress in dogs, and apply it to all animals.

One thing you can do, is get something like a washing up bowl, drill holes in it, maybe put it on a tray, 3/4 fill with sand and wet it down daily, in hot weather, so it is damp, and let the animals dig down into it, to lie in cool damp hollows. I use paddle pools. It also helps chooks in heat. Put it where it is shady, from 10 am onwards.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

househens said:


> It sounds like heat, to me. Summerhouses can be lethal. FDS, don't put any dogs in there. If the car was parked with them in it, on any stops, on the journey, the damage could have already started. Read up on heat stress in dogs, and apply it to all animals.
> 
> One thing you can do, is get something like a washing up bowl, drill holes in it, maybe put it on a tray, 3/4 fill with sand and wet it down daily, in hot weather, so it is damp, and let the animals dig down into it, to lie in cool damp hollows. I use paddle pools. It also helps chooks in heat. Put it where it is shady, from 10 am onwards.


Some good advice thanks Hun.


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## RattyCake (May 18, 2012)

My dad's gf's sister used to keep gerbils in her conservatory. They were fine for weeks until one incredibly hot day where they both baked to death. Funnily enough, when they went back to [email protected] they refused to sell any less than three because that was how many they had left. Needless to say, she never kept animals in the conservatory ever again.

Everyone makes mistakes. As long as you care enough to learn from them, nobody will hate you for it.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

No one could hate me more than I hate myself believe me.


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

aw Niki im so so sorry, it was a tragic mistake, please try not to beat yourself up xxx


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

Niki, anyone who knows you will know how you care about your animals, I know you were really looking forward to moving so they could have the summer house all to themselves and I know if you had any idea this could possibly happen you would never have put them in there. if it has an electricity suppy you coulf fit fans or if youre feeling flush an air conditioning unit for hot days. What has the vet said about the ones with the poorly eyes hun?


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

thedogsmother said:


> Niki, anyone who knows you will know how you care about your animals, I know you were really looking forward to moving so they could have the summer house all to themselves and I know if you had any idea this could possibly happen you would never have put them in there. if it has an electricity suppy you coulf fit fans or if youre feeling flush an air conditioning unit for hot days. What has the vet said about the ones with the poorly eyes hun?


Ok well if we can get some decent air conditioning in there we will put them back later. Thanks for sticking up for me Hun, it was the most thoughtless I have ever been with my animals I think...but as u said we have been planning it for months...it just never occurred 

Vet thinks it is trauma...cos he is fine in himself. It is what it looks like...but might try get a second opinion. There is no discharge or change in behaviour or eating/drinking. Dunno.


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## elmthesofties (Aug 8, 2011)

niki87 said:


> No one could hate me more than I hate myself believe me.


I think ALL of us have made some sort of mistake/accident/etc with our animals, serious or not.The difference is that there are some people out there who want to correct it and seek advice so that it doesn't happen again, whereas other people will shrug it off and say "It's just a pet" and get a replacement.
So sorry to hear this has happened.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

elmthesofties said:


> I think ALL of us have made some sort of mistake/accident/etc with our animals, serious or not.The difference is that there are some people out there who want to correct it and seek advice so that it doesn't happen again, whereas other people will shrug it off and say "It's just a pet" and get a replacement.
> So sorry to hear this has happened.


Thanks Hun. We have set up a fan in there now so might get them all back in. Then tomorrow we will get the air con system.


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## Laura123 (Aug 6, 2012)

What a horrible thing to happen to you and your wee guys.
Easy for us to say but really try not to beat your self up.
Sending hugs
Laura


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

Oh Niki I'm so sorry  We all know how much you love your animals and that it's been an accident. I've lost a mouse before from my own stupidity and beat myself up over it, I can only imagine how badly you are feeling having found so many of your babies like that  I would definitely try what TDM said though, put some plug in rotating fans in. I ended up having to do that in my bedroom because of the heat last year, you can also put some damp clothes on an airer nearby so that as it rotates it puts some water into the air to prevent it being too hot as well. ((((((hugs)))))

Has the vet been able to give you anything for your poor little mousie's eye? It looks painful  I hope he gets better ***Keeps everything crossed***


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Thanks Laura. 

Thanks too zany. I was told to bathe it it warm water. In a few days if not better then I should come back.

Does look a bit better...but I do need to locate a good rodent vet now.


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## metame (Sep 25, 2009)

oh niki *massive hugs*
im sorry about what happened 
i hope your mouse's eye gets better soon

-x-


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## CRL (Jan 3, 2012)

im sorry this happned. accidents do happen so dont blame yourself. 
hope your boy gets better soon


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## Laura123 (Aug 6, 2012)

Hows the eye?
How are you doing?
Laura


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## Tapir (Mar 20, 2010)

Such a sad accident - hugs to you.

Do you think the mice with eye traumas could have been attacked by a wild mouse? You say they were the ones in barred cages too. Probably a daft suggestion, just seems unlikely that eye trauma could be caused by overheating?


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Tapir said:


> Such a sad accident - hugs to you.
> 
> Do you think the mice with eye traumas could have been attacked by a wild mouse? You say they were the ones in barred cages too. Probably a daft suggestion, just seems unlikely that eye trauma could be caused by overheating?


Thank you everyone. They were all in the back of a trailer...strapped together...the cages I mean!! So yes I was thinking actually from another mouse through the bars  Or a bad jolt.

In other news...my recaptured escapees are all looking suddenly rounded...I am not going through a good patch at all at the moment.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Oh and he is looking better...has crusted over a bit...am hoping that is the natural healing process.


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

niki87 said:


> In other news...my recaptured escapees are all looking suddenly rounded...I am not going through a good patch at all at the moment.


   I hope its just the constant supply of food hun, round mousies isnt good . Although your runaways do make particularly good mouse babies


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

niki87 said:


> Thank you everyone. They were all in the back of a trailer...strapped together...the cages I mean!! So yes I was thinking actually from another mouse through the bars  Or a bad jolt.
> 
> In other news...my recaptured escapees are all looking suddenly rounded...I am not going through a good patch at all at the moment.


I really hope they aren't pregnant Niki  Fingers crossed that TDM is right about the diet.

As for your little mouse, crusting should be a good sign. Is it warm saline you are using to wipe his eye or is it just warm water? Using a bit of saline might help clear it up as well and help prevent any infection.


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