# Hunched and squinting mouse



## despot

Hello. Ive had rats for ages and recently bought myself 2 fancy mice, about a month ago.
Both girls and i love them to bits, they make me smile so much, but something is up with one of them and its developed over the past day, came here to see if anyone could help.
Ive rang the vets but no answer and closed over weekend 
She (Smidge) doesn't open her eyes fully, at all, they are very squinted, and shes always been very wide eyed. She's developed a hunch in her back just behind her head, it looks like a startled cat, and shes walking round like this, but when i take her out shes up and down my arm ok and flattens out. When shes sat still there is a definite bend in her spine, but she doesnt seem in discomfort. Her cheeks also look swollen and my other mouse (Gizmo) keeps grooming Smidge's face and they both squeak lots during it, and they've never squeaked before since i bought them. They've also never groomed each other.

I put hay in with them the other day and have since taken it out in case she's allergic. Ive also done a complete wash down and clean out. She's eating normally and drinking. She's just as active and climbing and there is no discharge around the eyes, and no sneezing or redness.

Any ideas please help, i will be taking to the vets on Monday but anything i can try over the weekend?


----------



## despot

Ive been reading around. You dont think the hay could have cased an allergic reaction do you and the hunching is just behavioural? The swollen face makes me doubt reaction, but due to no discharge or snot or cough or sneeze i dont know?
I cant tell if Gizmo is grooming or just harassing, but Smidge doesnt move away, just squeaks, but shes defiantly doing sumet with her mouth to Smidge's face and general top area, not back or body or hide legs.

Ive put a wide milk lid in full of water incase she isn't drinking right, on inspection of the water dispenser there should be a little more water leaving it per day for two young mice.


----------



## Kallan

I would say a hunched up mouse is showing signs of discomfort and not being well.

Is there any respiratory noise at all? And have you seen her passing normal poo?


----------



## despot

No breathing noise as far as i can tell, and shes found the water but not drank loads so dont think she dehydrated. Only noise is just really loud squeaking when Giz is all over her =/


----------



## moustress

I'd change the bedding, and make sure the tank or cage is not in a draft or direct sunlight. Constant temperature is best for meeces, i keep mine as close to 75F as I can, but a b it lower is OK as long as it's constant. You might want to consider housing her separately for awhile to see if she improves if you think the other mousie may be overgrooming her. If she has a bit of upper respiratory trouble that is causing the eyes to show signs of irritation, the other mousie might be trying to help clear it up, and that can make it worse.

Allergies to foods like corn, peanuts or wheat should be considered as well.

I have used Benadryl syrup for this sort of thing, and it does seem to help most of the time. A couple of drops smeared right on the face carefully is the best I've found way to get it into a mousie, they clean it off and ingest it in the process, and that way I can be sure of getting the right dose. Generic diphenhydramine HCL works for me as well as the name brand.


----------



## despot

Thanks for the advice. One of them seams to have been throwing all the the corn out of their food over night, so i'll remove it all together incase shes allergic. I have 'clarityn' allergy relief tablets but i dont know if they are of any use =/ I dont have a 2nd cage to house them apart, but they are sat on my desk next to me all day so i will interrupt the grooming if it could be worsening the situation. Her cheeks aren't as swollen this morning but her eyes are still barely open, im hope it could have been the hay. She's booked in at the vets on Monday 1st thing.


----------



## Laigaie

Claritin is loratadine, not diphenhydramine HCL, so I wouldn't guess as to whether there's a good dosage of that for mice. If she starts to get super-lethargic, you might want to pick her up to see if she's chill. Warming up (in my hands) a mouse that's trying to die on me sometimes helps.


----------



## despot

Would the saline solution in my contact lenses on a cotton bud be a good idea to try cleaning her eyes with or am i best leaving it? Vets is tomorrow morning at 9.30.


----------



## despot

Vet thinks it could be conjunctivitis, and so has given me a course of antibiotics to give her...and isn't it hard trying to give it her haha, but im managing. Eye is already slightly open so good news already, though she has developed a bald patch next to her mouth but im going to put that down to over grooming. Ive split the cage in half at night so that Gizmo isn't grooming her and possibly making it worse/slowing recovery.


----------



## kellyc88

may i ask, if a mouse constantly squeaks, is that bad???


----------



## tinyhartmouseries

Don't use claratin...only benadryl.
Saline is fine.

A mouse constantly squeaking is having a serious URI or is in constant pain, its a very bad sign...
Hope this helps!


----------



## kellyc88

Yes it might. My male constantly squeaks, has done since we got him. And now im losing one of his litter to an unknown problem...i guess the two things are probably linked.


----------



## Anne

how old is the hunched mouse?


----------

