# New mouse - with problems



## Silverfish (Jun 8, 2012)

Hi all,

I bought a mouse yesterday from a pet shop - I know I shouldn't have, but there are no mouse breeders near me - I have her quarantined currently but upon closer inspection she seems to have some problems. I will be taking her to my vet tomorrow, however he is not greatly experienced with mice and we're mostly working on trial and error!
This mouse appears to have repeated ridges around it's stomach, it's eating (a lot) and drinking okay, but the ridges are worrying. Would it be ringworm or something?

It was also sneezing quite a bit, however that seems to have lessened today, I'll monitor that and mention it to the vet.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

What do you mean by ridges? You feel ridges under the fur? Or is fur missing giving the fur a ridgy look?


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## Silverfish (Jun 8, 2012)

Sorry, I'm not being very clear 

The fur has a 'ridged' look to it, when I touch her stomach I can't feel anything, but when she's standing up it looks ridged or folded.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I think you're referring to laddering, where the fur on the belly looks ribbed and lays in visible lines? In a young mouse this is a sign of poor condition and is generally fixed by a good diet and proper care, but older mice tend to have it generally. Could she be an older mouse? Ringworm is characterised by random bald spots, so it doesn't sound like ringworm. The sneezing could simply be stress from moving house, unfamiliar smells or bedding, or she may have a minor respiratory infection.


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## Silverfish (Jun 8, 2012)

Yes, laddering is exactly what it looks like, she's a very young mouse, but it's quite likely she is in bad condition, the pet shop didn't look to be the best!

I have her in a large-base plastic tub with soft shredded paper, to quarantine her before introducing her to my current mouse, so I'm hoping her sneezing is due to the change in housing.
She is also eating a lot, I didn't see any food in with them at the pet shop so it's quite likely she's severely lacking. Hope I can help her recover.

Apologies for my lack of knowledge, fish are more my area of expertise!


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

You should treat her for mites; infestation if usually manifested by rough coat if not by scratching. I've been surprised to find mites in tanks of females that look in great condition; of course that's when you want to catch the problem, before you see a visible problem with condition.

A simple diet will help; avoid a lot of fatty stuff like peanuts and sunflowers. Plain whole grain, or rolled oats are good, along with cooked rice or cream of rice.


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