# poorly spiny mouse plz advise



## punkpixie (Apr 18, 2011)

Hello everyone,

I have 2 Egyptian spiny mice those who aren't familiar with the species well I would describe them as a cross between a mouse and rat as they are omnivores like rats but small like mice.

Anyway river has had a tumour for ages, vet said as long as he eats and runs around he is in no pain and no need to put him down and he is still fine. However Nile suddenly got really fat a little while ago now and I straight away thought internal tumours, my friend who has owned many rats said he just got fat. Then his eyes got smaller and I put it down to the weight gain at first but secretely wondered if it was worse... Now his right eye is gummy and shut. My hubby reckons vet won't do anything but might suggest putting him down, now if that's best for him I will do it but if he is just showing old age symptoms and isn't in pain I would rather he just pass naturally. Is it worth me going vets? I don't want a wasted journey that's all? Also I can't handle him as they have always bitten.. rescued from horrid conditions and the bites are agonising! So I can clean his eye if its recommended but will need to be done with a cotton bud from a little distance! 

I forgot to mention they are at least 6 years old (I was told they live 5-6 years so they are doing well!) so I believe the above issues to be down to old age. They have always been happy healthy boys never had any issues whatsoever, always eaten well (hamster/rat food; sometimes fresh fruits, additional seeds and nuts; and the odd cricket when I used to get them for my lizard) and run around lots but over the last year did River develop his tumour and over the last couple months did Nile start to look so poorly. River however is still lively and eats well and shows no signs of being in pain from the tumour.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts. Sorry its long I just like to be thorough!


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## elmthesofties (Aug 8, 2011)

Spiny mice aren't carnivores, and neither are rats.  Last time I checked, a carnivore is an animal which eats a diet which is really full of meat. (cats, dogs, etc) What kind of diet are you giving them? If you only got them recently then I would assume that a sudden weight gain could be due to a change in diet as a lot of people seem to feed them seeds, fruit, veg, and a few insects.
I'll wait for the rodent experts to come along for better advice, though.


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## CRL (Jan 3, 2012)

rats are scavengers, so they will eat meat but only small ammounts. they eat fruit, vge and seeds more.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2012)

punkpixie said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> I have 2 Egyptian spiny mice those who aren't familiar with the species well I would describe them as a cross between a mouse and rat as they are carnivorous like rats but small like mice.
> 
> ...


Can you please list out what their current diet is please? Saying they are carnivorous leads me to believe the diet you are feeding might be wrong 

Spiny mice are omnivorous meaning that they eat both plants and animals. A good diet consists of a combination of seeds, fruits, vegetables and insects. Fresh fruits may include apples, grapes, plums or pears. Vegetables that may be included in their diet are broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots and corn.

A small amount of hard-boiled egg may be added to their food. Meat and poultry that is lean, cooked (not fried) and de-boned may also be added to their diet. Processed meats should be avoided.
Live insects such as crickets or mealworms may be included in their diet. Do no feed more than one or two of these insects each evening.

Spiny mice are very prone to obesity, its important to regulate the fat content in their food. Too much fatty food and your Spiny Mouse will start looking like a furry grease-ball, it also leads to diabetes. Sunflower seeds, for instance, should not be part of the staple diet but can instead be used as an occasional treat.


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## punkpixie (Apr 18, 2011)

Sorry I totally worded that wrong, I don't feed them meat! I feed them a mixture of rat food and hamster food depending on where I am shopping at the time plus seeds and monkey nuts from time to time in addition to their pet food. They are VERY old now like 6 years old I am surprised they are still alive to be honest, I don't know how old they were when they were rescued (the stupid woman had let them overbreed and had 200 living in a cage so we didn't know their ages) but I have had them for 5&1/2 to 6 years now. Hence why I am not worried about Rivers tumour as I know it's an old age thing and why my mother thinks Nile is just going blind from old age.

I don't need advice on nutrition, I appreciate it sounded like I did by calling them carnivores, I meant omnivores (I'm a veggie, I get confused when it comes to meat eating  ), I just want to know if anyone has experienced their own rodents develop gummy eyes that start to close and what it could be and how I can clean his eyes or should I just take time off work and go to the vets? As I said I dont want a wasted journey and big bill if the vet is just going to send me home with him saying he is just old and needs his eyes washed with something to rid the stickiness.

Thanks again! Sorry for the confusion!

Pix


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2012)

Personally I would get him checked with a rodent savvy vet, the discharge could indicate an eye injury or an infection.

Life span ranges from 2-3 years (relatively long for a mouse), but record longevities of 5 years have been recorded on occasion, with males generally outliving females.


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## punkpixie (Apr 18, 2011)

Thanks. Well I am proud to know my boys have defeated the odds and lived so long!! I will see if I can find a rat savvy vet... though not sure how I tell without asking... and I don't trust a lot of vets because so many are in it for the money not cos they are animal lovers :-s


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## punkpixie (Apr 18, 2011)

Just to let people know I got Nile into a lovely vets lastnight and he was put to sleep as he had fluid in his tummy which also indicates a possible tumour, he was dehydrated and had lost weight and he had the eye issue. Can't believe he lived so long though so I'm proud he had a good life with me and his brother's and sisters. Also glad I decided to ignore friends opinions as they weren't experts and were wrong about his condition. RIP beautiful boy xxx


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## peter0 (Oct 4, 2011)

Sorry to hear of your loss, but he had a long and great life with you.

RIP Nile


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

I'm sorry that you lost him but it sounds like he has lived a very long happy life with you. RIP Nile x


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## punkpixie (Apr 18, 2011)

Thanks guys


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