# Heat Pads



## Lou-Fraser

Hi everyone, just a small note. im thinking about getting a small heat pad to put in my little mouse get well centre, one of my mice has the sneezes and chuffing away, i have removed her to the get well centre and am going to try the Echinacea liquid too, do you think that getting a heat pad is a good idea?? if so any recommendations??


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## neurozool

All my mice have heat pads. The best one I have found is CA Adjustable Heat Pad.

This device is an under aquarium heat pad that can ONLY be used with GLASS aquariums. It has a regulator on the cord that allows high, medium, or low heat. I placed it on low and put it under one corner of the tank so that the girls can go there if they need warmth, or move if they are too hot. I was worried that it might still get hot enough to hurt them, but after one night I found that it only provides very low warmth, not enough to burn them, but enough to keep them warm enough that they didn't freeze. So long story short- AWESOME product! You can buy this for about $22 (shipping included) on Amazon.com

The next best thing is a reptile sand warmer. I have the Exo Terra Heatwave Desert Terrarium Substrate Heater and have been able to use it under plastic tanks without any issues. It never gets very hot, but puts off enough heat to keep the mice warm.


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## Roland

neurozool said:


> All my mice have heat pads.


Why?


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## neurozool

My house does not heat the back room, and during winter it gets low enough that I have had to work very hard to bring them back from the brink of death. I try to force the air back there, but it is not reliable. In order to prevent any deaths, I use small pad with low output to keep one area of the tank warm enough to ensure survival.


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## moustress

I've been thinking about the question of what temperatures are good for meeces; it is quite apparent that the meeces that are available generally in the US do not do well at temps lower that 60F and need some kind of heating. It would be good if we could figure out what's going on in this area. It does no good if all we manage is argue about it or get curt and snide about the topic.

I posted earlier this evening in the general chat area on this topic. I want to see some polite discourse on the subject, please.


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## Lou-Fraser

??? :?:


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## Seawatch Stud

I keep my mice outside all year with no heating whatsoever. I dont believe I have ever lost a mouse due to the cold. My mice continue to breed and achieve top show condition throughout the year. I would have to admit I live in the warmest part of Britain(the southwest) and the temperature in my brick built mousery probably never drops below freezing. Im not trying to make a point either for or against heating, Im just giving you the facts according to my own personal experience. I believe mice can deal with quite a range of temperatures, which is why they are so widespread and successful in the wild.


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## Lou-Fraser

thanks for the advice every1 i have decided that i am not going to get a heat pad for my wee meeces, as their tank is sitting on the dining table and the room is fairly warm, im just a cold jenny :lol: i even put a blanket on top of my dog in the winter just in case he gets cold :lol: :lol: im such a softie


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## Roland

Seawatch Stud said:


> I keep my mice outside all year with no heating whatsoever. I dont believe I have ever lost a mouse due to the cold. My mice continue to breed and achieve top show condition throughout the year. I would have to admit I live in the warmest part of Britain(the southwest) and the temperature in my brick built mousery probably never drops below freezing. Im not trying to make a point either for or against heating, Im just giving you the facts according to my own personal experience. I believe mice can deal with quite a range of temperatures, which is why they are so widespread and successful in the wild.


Agree.
Wild mus musculus has been found breeding in an icehouse at -20Celsius. I have some fancy mice outside in winter at deep frost and they have a perfect system to heat their nest by isolating it (with kitchenpaper and hay) and by their own bodyheat. It is really warm inside the nest, but they have small wooden boxes to build their nests. My problem is to keep the water liquid, but at deep frost they do not need as much water and get enough from frozen vegetables and from the short time, when the fresh water is still liquid before an ice layer develops.
It is worse to keep the mice at medium temperatures but with high humidity, because they get respiratory infections then. Dry cold air is ok.
Of course the best temps for breeding are between 10 and 25 Celsius.

Regards, Roland


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## neurozool

Well that might be part of it then. In Missouri we have pretty high humidity- although not too bad, but maybe that combined with the fact that they are all pet shoppers makes them thrive less. I have noticed that the mice I have that are part wild (accidental breedings) do just fine. Also, that the mice with wheels do worse. Is it possible that they are burning off any fat reserves they have and are thereby having more issues? I am just as curious to know what is going on.


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## Micemental

I am in Ireland and have a heat pad under my 2 aquariums. The females have their nest directly over the heat pad and the babies stay on it . The reason I got the heat pad was because the mice werent breeding. They were breeding after a week on the heat. I am going to try and breed without the heat again shortly but am concerned that the babies would die????


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