# Ahhh help! Everybody is dying!



## Candyzmo (Mar 22, 2012)

My mice are like dying one by one. I put a female in the tank that did a little normal scuffling with the others but noticed my momma mouse who was perfectly healthy just looked terrible one day and died by the next day. I've lost two hoppers the same way they just deteriorated within a matter of hours and died. Now my nice buck is looking tough, showing the symptoms, puffed up fur on face, closed or gunky eyes, head low, wobbling. I'm scared I'm going to lose him. What is causing this? I took the one female out and separated her from the others days ago but they are still getting sick.


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## TrixYogurt (iM) (Oct 28, 2012)

Is the girl you put in a new mouse? Did you quarantine her?


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## Candyzmo (Mar 22, 2012)

I've had her for a while. And yes I separated her.


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

The doe you have just taken back out of the tank was she quarantined for atleast 4 weeks before introducing her to your existing colony?

Next questiion is have you changed any food, bedding, substrate within the past 4 weeks also?

Has any of the nesting or substrate been in contact with wild rats/mice that you are aware of or possibility of being in contact with ? Unfortunately this can also occur at some not so good pet stores and distribution centres that do not have acceptable levels of rodent control.


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## gyri (Nov 20, 2012)

About contact with wild mice: food can also be a vector for the transmission of certain diseases so if wild mice or rats got into their food that may also be a source of contamination. Hopefully somebody will chime in with some tips on how to save the mice you have remaining. I'd start by separating out any healthy looking mice you have left and decontaminate everything in their enclosure and put the sick/dying ones elsewhere or, better yet, put the healthy ones in a completely new and clean environment. It really does sound like some sort of transmissible disease though that is not the only possible explanation. Could be bad water, something in the food, etc etc.


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## TrixYogurt (iM) (Oct 28, 2012)

I know you separated her now, I meant did you give her QT before introductions?

If not she could have been carrying something and gave it to your mice. Has the boy that's starting to show signs been in any kind of contact with the sick mice recently?


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## Candyzmo (Mar 22, 2012)

I bought the two does together. They were in the same tank for like at least three months until the one doe got pregnant that's the only reason they were separated. I've been keeping them on the same diet of lab blocks, same bedding, fresh water twice a day, no contact with wild animals. I do buy sunflower seed mix from the feed store, but they've been eating that the whole time. I'm puzzled.

And yes the male was in with the grls, but he's going to be separated ASAP.


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## TrixYogurt (iM) (Oct 28, 2012)

Hmmm... It could be anything.

There has to be a source somewhere unless this is a genetic problem or internal tumors or cancer or something.

They've been on the same brand of bedding and food but have you purchased new bags recently? Have you treated for parasites in the last few weeks?

How often do you clean their cages or give them fresh bedding? What kind of habitat are they in? What's in it? Any new treats or toys lately?

How old are they? How many litters have the girls had? Are they raising litters right now?

Have they shown any other symptoms besides looking unkempt?


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

have you checked them for parasites like mites or lice? ive had mice with lice befor ant they were hard to see in the fur and they realy got run down quickly when they had it, they went cold, larthargic, puffed up, squienty eyed.

Also where od you keep the mice? has a draft been getting in from somewhere?

Id say warm them up and check for parasites.


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## Candyzmo (Mar 22, 2012)

So my mice that were dying...I ended up losing all but four babies, and the original on that I thought was making them sick. Well Im pretty sure that she wasn't the problem, I had bought food from the feed store that was in an open bin, along with seeds from the feed store that were also from an open bin. Im guessing that it possibly came in to contact with a wild animal at some point. But the good news is that I have five healthy mice, two of which had two very healthy litters and after some culling I have nine fat and healthy beebs.


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