# Slightly concerned..



## TanithHH (Jan 5, 2013)

Ok, so I bought 5 does in October from a reliable breeder who kept his mice in clean, healthy conditions. A couple of months ago, I noticed one of them sneezing/chattering. When I say sneezing, I mean the mouse would squint her eyes and chatter. Apart from that, she's always been quite skittish, but also quite lively, though don't see her in the day much. She is also eating and drinking. 
The sneezing hasn't got much worse, but when I notice another of my mice doing it, I began to worry. 
They don't do it all the time though. So I separated them and changed the bedding to kitchen towel and cardboard squares. When the two were still sneezing a week later, I contacted the vet. We took them in the next day, and of course they didn't sneeze once while we were there!  She checked their breathing, and looked for discharge but there was none (I hadn't seen any either when I had checked before then). She told me to contact the breeder and ask his advice first as she felt a bit reluctant to prescribe anything. So I contacted him and he told me to separate them and put them on kitchen towel and see how it goes. So I separated the two again and it's been three days now, still sneezing  . The vet also told me to weight _all_ the mice daily and note their weights down. No one was losing weight. What's going on? They are in no anger of draughts, being in a tank. Sorry about the long post, but what am I doing wrong? Thank you,

Tanith


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## onionpencil (Jan 6, 2013)

probably you aren't doing anything wrong! i'd at least call the vet again, maybe she'd be willing to prescribe something at this point. good luck!


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

Having been researching this a bit lately. The symptom of occasional sneezing and such, without ever falling actually ill, or it being constant, can be a number of things. Most often the reported conclusion, from breeders and /or their vets, is that it could be an allergy. To the bedding (you took care of that test with the paper towels) to food (most say to feed cooked rice only for this test), chemicals/fragrances in the environment, or draft/temp issues. Some have thought it can also happen due to lung scarring from a prior infection, and then becoming irritated in some way via things like fragrances/chemicals/damp/etc.

I'm not aware if mycoplasma infections can behave this way. I hope your vet knows. Myco is contagious. However, most sources state that all mice and rats outside a sterile lab have it already. I'm not clear on the amount of days required in each allergy test, but fairly sure that the bedding isn't the problem after the week and 3 days you mentioned. Hope you find the solution.

Good luck,
Zanne


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

I would have your vet look into it more closely, but as my vet friend once told me, everyone sneezes.


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## TanithHH (Jan 5, 2013)

I've just noticed another of the mice doing it. I don't think it can be anything other than a cold or something. It cost 20 pounds just to go that one time to the vet. Do you think if I could talk to the vet over the phone they would give me some treatment and I could go by and pick it up or will that also cost? I don're have lots of money, but ever so concerned for my mice, I can't believe it's my first time with mice and something has already gone wrong . I feel like it's my fault because they were too young when I got them to have had some other problem already.  
thank you for all the help,
Tani


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

The vet can't proscribe anything unless they display the symptoms at the visit, or the vet does a test, and it comes back positive. As you said, the vet could find no breathing problems or discharge, so it's unlikely that a proscription for something like an antibiotic would then be available over the phone. Yes, any proscription would cost, and probably more than the office visit did. I would still give both the breeder, then the vet, another call and explain in as much detail as you can. See what they think you should try.

Unless their fur starts looking rough, and/or they have more sneezing, more often, it doesn't sound like what I've understood the respiratory infections to progress like. If they are acquiring an allergy to something (like lotion, peanuts, wheat, or air fresheners), antibiotics wouldn't help anyhow. As far as I know, an owner who is trying everything that is recommended, by breeder/vet, and searching for answers, as you are, isn't doing anything wrong.

Take care,
Zanne


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

Tani you are not doing anything wrong from what I have read so far.

Occasional sneezing is nothing to worry about, try additing extra vitamins and minerals to their diet/water I use a childs multivitamin solution (Abidec) at the rate of 1ml per 120ml water once a month, I have found that all my mice take this readily if I use the unflavoured one costs about £4 for a small bottle but lasts for 6 months on the shelf before the effectiveness of it depletes.

Sneezing can be caused by so many things from allergies to respiratory infections, it is possible your mice are starting a cold which like humans no known cure that I know about, additing extra vitamins will help as will maintaining a temp of 75 F. Other than ensuring they are warm with food and water available unless other symptoms manifest over time there is not much more you can do.

Asking the original breeder if they have had respiratory infections within the line and if present during the birth and weaning stages may be worth knowing even if it is just to rule it out of a possibility.

Like a doctor asking lots of questions about family medical history helps to determine whether one is susceptible to the many ailments I work on the same principle with my mice as some are more prone to ailments than others.


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## TanithHH (Jan 5, 2013)

Well, it's not that occasional and it seems strange that they were fine for 3 months and then all of a sudden everyone's sneezing! :lol: I haven't changed the bedding, food or anything and I don't have airfreshner, but neither does it sound like an infection. I'm basically just very confused! And I was hoping to breed one of my females soon but I feel reluctant now just encase the mum passes it on to her babies and/or the buck even if she's not sneezing herself if it is an infection she could still be carrying it. :? 
Should I separate the one who's still o.k and get her another friend so that she'll not catch what ever it is, or d'you think it's too late now? I'll try the food experiment i think anyway though it seems unlikely that that is what it is. I do really want to get to the bottom of this even if it isn't anything to worry about!


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## TanithHH (Jan 5, 2013)

Oh, and I'll also try adding the vitamins and minerals. If it gets worse on any of them I might ring the vet again.


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

no point in separating the does as if it was anything infectious the other would have it anyway by now. I think it is just one of those times when the mouse sneezes due to any number of reasons possible just a bit of dust caught in the nasal passages like humans, just that you noticed it and now looking for it more than usual.

If it is the beginnings of common cold then apart from the added vitamins and keeping warm that you can do. If the sneezing turns into a wheezing then an infection has set in and would require medication to solve.

Finding the cause of the occasional sneeze would be near impossible as it may just be common house dust.


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## TanithHH (Jan 5, 2013)

Thank you everyone you've all been really helpful, and lots of info! I think I'll just eave it for now then, see how it goes. I'm quite relived that it's probably nothing to really worry about, I'll just keep an eye on them.

Thank you all so much again! 

Tanith


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## Seafolly (Mar 13, 2012)

Also keep an ear out for rattled breathing when you hold them up to your ear. I've only seen myco in one of my mice but antibiotics cleared it up. She did have the porphyrin secretion though. Definitely monitor closely.


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## TanithHH (Jan 5, 2013)

I'm keeping the worst two in the separate cage still for now, just so that I can keep an eye on them better (it's smaller than the tank, and right by my bed!  ) 
I'll keep an ear open for the rattling... Does it have to happen all the time?


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