# Constant itching but its not mites; possible protein allergy



## danniixx

My little mouse Stanley won't stop scratching, apart from the scratching hes fit and healthy, eats and plays etc. Generally hes doing good for a little old man (1 and a half years old) apart from the scratching. He's scratched out the fur on his neck, a patch on his right shoulder and a chunk from his left side. I've used sudacrem on him and its took away some of the redness, but the scratching continues. *He's been mited 3 times*, so the vet and I can safely presume its not that. His cage has been disinfected and he was on paper for a few days. I will return him to paper only. I'm also going to try a saline on him (salt water)once it's cooled. Any ideas?


----------



## Wight Isle Stud

oer rich feeding will caus roughness in the skin of a mouse arond the neck and other areas, all in the head area. Fur will be seen to start sticking up, and the mouse will start to scratch with the ymptoms you describe. Immediately reduce the diet to Just oats and bread and water. keep up tr ves treatment as you could have secondry problem resulting from the scratching.


----------



## danniixx

okay thankyou, I've just swapped his food to oats (porridge) and some bread. Currently I'm trying to feed them a shunamite style diet; using [email protected] wild bird mix 
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/wild-bird-seed-by-pets-at-home-27680
and Burgess Rabbit Fruiti mix 
http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/p...s/burgess-supa-fruiti-1kg.html?ref=googlebase

with meal worms on the side

what do I need to change? I don't want all my mice and rats getting ill


----------



## Kallan

Loratidine has been sugegsted to reduce itching in rodent allergies. Dose for mice is 10mg once daily. 'Tesco non-drowsy hayfever and allergy relief' is one example of loratidine, I'm sure the other supermarkets will have their own versions.


----------



## moustress

Isn't wheat a common allergen for mousies? I'd skip the bread and maybe use cooked rice instead.


----------



## Wight Isle Stud

my mice have been consuming at least ten loaves of bread a week for the last 35 years. By the time wheat has been turned into bread, it isnt wheat anymore.


----------



## SarahC

moustress said:


> Isn't wheat a common allergen for mousies? I'd skip the bread and maybe use cooked rice instead.


do you give your mice cooked rice.I'm curious because it's a high risk food for humans to get food poisoning from due to how rapidly bacteria grow on it.I quite like the idea of cooked rice but that's always put me off.


----------



## WillowDragon

I give my mice uncooked brown rice. white rice is pointless, there is nothing beneficial about it.

Oh and Gary... if wheat isn't wheat anymore in bread what is it? Is it Gluten? Cos I suffer with mild (So far) coeliacs disease and bread sets me off quite bad sometimes. But the allergy is to wheat and derivitives of it. All my family have it, but my mum is the worst, she gets blisters and everything.

K xx


----------



## SevenlevelsofDante

Is the air in your place really dry? My Dante had horrible itchy skin when we lived at school, but when we moved back home for winter break, everything cleared up. His coat is nice again! No more scabs.


----------



## Wight Isle Stud

WillowDragon said:


> I give my mice uncooked brown rice. white rice is pointless, there is nothing beneficial about it.
> 
> Oh and Gary... if wheat isn't wheat anymore in bread what is it? Is it Gluten? Cos I suffer with mild (So far) coeliacs disease and bread sets me off quite bad sometimes. But the allergy is to wheat and derivitives of it. All my family have it, but my mum is the worst, she gets blisters and everything.
> 
> K xx


Sorry to hear that, its is a nuisance, I have two in my family. If I say your not a mouse, then you will understand why i said that as its true for a mouse. Humans are obviously quite different.


----------



## WillowDragon

Not all that different health wise... hence mice being used as test subjects for human cures! lol


----------



## danniixx

The air in my room doesn't tend to be too dry as I open the windows regularly though it was suggested also that the heating could be a cause, though there isn't a lot I can do about it (not my house, and to be frank, I don't want myself or my animals to become well, micicles lol) I'll try him on uncooked rice too, or I'll cook it and remove anything uneaten after a few minutes


----------



## moustress

White rice isn't a real dietary component for my mousies, only a treat, given in small quantities on rare occasions. I know brown rice is superior in nutrients, as is whole wheat over that with the germ removed, and I always use 100% whole wheat bread in my diet, and that's what the meeces get as a treat sometimes as well. I don't like brown rice as much as white rice myself, so I don't keep it around. As long as one is getting good amounts of vitamins and minerals from other sources, there's nothing inherently evil about eating milled rice or white bread.


----------



## danniixx

update: where the skin had started to heal and had scabbed over, he has now scratched off and yet again looks red raw and has a little blood on it


----------



## Roland

I'll be back. said:


> my mice have been consuming at least ten loaves of bread a week for the last 35 years. By the time wheat has been turned into bread, it isnt wheat anymore.


...and mine get wheat as seeds (about 10%) of their mix, and bread in addition, without allergies.


----------



## Roland

danniixx said:


> update: where the skin had started to heal and had scabbed over, he has now scratched off and yet again looks red raw and has a little blood on it


Did you try to feed more unsaturated fatty acids? They are very important for the skin.


----------



## danniixx

what kind of things would unsaturated fats be in?


----------



## moustress

Roland: Allergies themselves are rare in meeces; among the things that can cause allergies in meeces, wheat is fairly common. the same can be said about corn, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. Any of my meeces that show eye, ear or skin problems are on a wheat free diet, and I rarely use sunflower seeds, and never use corn or peanuts.


----------



## Roland

danniixx said:


> what kind of things would unsaturated fats be in?


Hi, perhaps this helps:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid

less reliable sources of information (e.g. advertising):
http://www.ehow.com/about_6548664_dog-3 ... acids.html
http://www.suite101.com/content/fatty-a ... ogs-a66023
http://www.mind1st.co.uk/Omega-3-defici ... ergies.asp

Best regards, Roland
Chilloutarea Mousery - Tricolor , Splashed , Merle , Recessive Red
The place where science meets fun!


----------



## Wight Isle Stud

all I can add is that I have had this happen to a few mice, and bring the diet back to extremly simple and plain has alway cleared it up. I cant of course say that that is the problem the original mouse had/has, however, as is the benefit of the forum, the worried owner can put it all together and hopefully cure their mouse. even if the original problem has been cleared up by suggestions from breeders , the mouse is still left with wounds that annoy/hurt it. I see there are excellent crems available nowadays to help clear wounds up.


----------



## danniixx

we think its skin cancer.

The area on the side has cleared up with the cream. but the back of the neck has gone all crusted and his ears have gone black. This area also smells of. . rotting. I'm spending the night with him downstairs watching a movie while he munces waffle, yogurt, my cup of tea etc im sure you get the picture. Its got to the stage now where he can have what he wants- I'm taking him to the vets again tomorrow and chances are, only one of us will leave breathing


----------



## NuttySian

So sorry to hear that


----------



## danniixx

hes gone  I dont know if I can keep mice anymore after today, out of my last two mice one is two years old. I just feel absoloutly heart broken, some people have that one special pet that means the world to them, and that was my Stanley. And now hes gone. I feel so empty.


----------



## NuttySian

Big hugs for you x I think you'll still keep them. Obviously only you can decide but I know every time I lose a mouse or hamster I say "no more" but it never lasts, I would miss their little faces and personalities too much.


----------



## danniixx

true, It's just devastating when they die, they give us so much but we cant do much for them when they get ill


----------



## NuttySian

It is. It's heartbreaking not being able to help them, and infuriating as they already have such a short life but we can be there for them and spoil them.


----------



## moustress

It's a bummer, I know; I had to put one of my favorites to sleep just last night because of old age and an ear problem that just wasn't responding to treatment. I'm so sorry you lost your little buddy.


----------



## racingmouse

I read about your sad loss on fancy rats danniixx. I always fight with my conscience too when I lose one and I try and convince myself that I can bare the losses. I`m a bit more hardened to it now as I`ve kept mice for around nine years now, but it never gets easier. I do prefer them to die at home naturally, but when you have one that keeps lingering even when you know they have stopped eating and being as active, you have to make that decision for them. I`ve only had to have one female put down at my vets due to a tumour, so I`ve been there when many of my babies have been in their last hours of life and passed in their own time, surrounded by familiar friends.

I only have one female right now and am on the search for two more to keep her company. Not easy in this area and I doubt I will find any soon. I often wonder too if keeping lots of mice rather than just two or three makes it easier when one or two near their end. I`m happy to keep three or more at any one time, but finding them is my main problem right now.

I`m so sorry for your loss danniixx and time will heal, believe me. My very first mouse Kinky was like my soulmate and I was gutted when he passed. But he was my inspiration to take on more needy mice and looking back, I`m sure Kinky came to me in the first place in order for this to happen. x


----------

