Mice

[Asheka]

I had the same problem with my mice. I was told two girls, but walked in on them lol Luckily no babies and I separated them right away. She was an adorable black and white with a half size tail (I read somewhere it was a defect with the coloration) and he was a cinnamon with bright red eyes. They would have made beautiful babies, but am glad they didn't heh

CallaLily, yea, I had almost every pet my local stores sold I have always liked the "not normal" animals though.

[sugarselections]

Heh I've had rats on and off for....since I was 15, so 14yrs .... dang lol but yeah, they are my favorite rodent. I've had pretty well every rodent except guinea pigs (was supposed to get three a couple months ago but the rescue fell through on my end for transportation sadly and I've almost had them a few times with no luck, so I've given up on it for now) and rats are definitely my favorite. So inquisitive and smart and friendly.
After losing my big boy to cancer and then his two siamese "brothers" to URIs only a few months later (about 2yrs ago now) I had to give my heart a break. Their lifespans are so short

Sorry for the off topic comment, but you may want to look into sugar gliders instead of rats. They are exotics and have more complicated care but have much longer lifespans. With proper care they live an average of 9-12 years and some make it to the 15 year mark. They are obviously very different from rats in ways, but they are furry little critters with big personalities and they can bond very closely with humans.

[Asheka]

Sorry for the off topic comment, but you may want to look into sugar gliders instead of rats. They are exotics and have more complicated care but have much longer lifespans. With proper care they live an average of 9-12 years and some make it to the 15 year mark. They are obviously very different from rats in ways, but they are furry little critters with big personalities and they can bond very closely with humans.

I've looked into them before. Very adorable. I'm waiting on anything else other than hermies until we get a house etc. So I can have a separate room.

[CallaLily]

I couldn't resist this Faery House I found for 40% off at Hobby Lobby today! Scrubbed it up and sanded a few rough spots inside. Hopefully the girls will love it!


In other mousey news. I had to take Cheeseburger to the vet on Tuesday. That morning when I went to take them out for play time and to clean their tank, she was circling badly, head tilted. The vet said it could be an ear infection, a tumor, or I think the term he used was an inflammatory lesion on her brain. He gave her steroids for inflammation and prescribed an antibiotic. The circling was next to nothing by later that day and is pretty much gone now. The head tilt is still there and makes it difficult for her to get around but she is still active, eating, drinking, ect. We're a little concerned that her one eye seems to be bulging slightly now, first noticed yesterday - I can't recall if it has been like that this whole time and it is so slight I'm not even sure it's more than just from the way her head tilts. Keeping a close eye on her anyway. At this point I'm hopeful she'll still be able to live a happy, healthy life.

Here's a few pics of how she holds her head.

[Asheka]

Aw what a sweety. I've read many amazing stories from girls I know from rescuing rats that a head tilt can certainly mean any number of things, but if from an infection it can end up permanent but they easily adapt. Keeping my fingers crossed it's something simple.

[CallaLily]

Her eye is definitely bulging today. The vet had said if it were a brain tumor it could lead to this as pressure builds as it grows. She does occasionally roll to the right like she's lost her balance and getting around isn't as easy as it should be but she manages. Here's a pic of her eye.

Thoughts?

[wodesorel]

That poor girl!! I've seen similar things happen in cats due to infection and antibiotics take around 3 days to start having an effect and can take longer before they work. It's so hard to know what the right thing to do is when there is no clear answer as to the cause and they are in obvious discomfort. I sent a message to a friend who has been breeding mice for years. She might have some insight. So sorry this is happening.

[CallaLily]

She's been getting 0.05 ml of amoxicillin twice a day since Tuesday evening. I'm still holding on to hope that it is an infection and the antibiotic is just taking a while to work. I wonder if a different antibiotic would be better suited? Thank you so much!

[wodesorel]

She didn't have good things to say.

If she is not able to eat or drink correctly or do normal activities she enjoys like running on wheel, or if she starts stumbling/rolling I would euthanize
Bulging eye does sound more like tumor than inner ear
I think if no noticeable improvement after a day or two of the antibiotics and steroids there's little chance of recovery

[CallaLily]

thank you for asking for me Wode. This is in line with what the vet has been saying.

At this point she is eating, drinking, and active. She gets around but not with the ease she used to and high climbing things are out. Too afraid she'll fall since she's off balance. Surprisingly, she can run on the flying saucer. Slower than she normally would and for shorter spans. The vet and I have discussed the possibility of this changing and we are keeping in mind her quality of life and comfort. I'm to call him again after we've finished the antibiotic, unless needed sooner. I'll keep updating. Thank you again.

[Crabinski]

Sorry to hear about Cheesburger's woes . A bulging eye is never a good sign but, perhaps as the antibiotic gains more ground in her system, the bulging will recede. My meecers are sending good vibes out to Cheeseburger for a full recovery.

[CallaLily]

Thank you, Crabinski.

[Asheka]

Lots of love and healing vibes to the little sweetheart. The eye bulging can certainly be a sign of the infection, as it would cause swelling, but it's always so hard to tell and these little guys sadly don't show symptoms normally until it's quite advanced, no matter what it is.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed it clears up with the antibiotics :grouphug:

[CallaLily]

Thank you.

The vet has been closed this weekend but I'm going to call him again tomorrow.

[Crabinski]

How is Cheeseburger doing, CallaLily? Is the eye better?