# Mousie skin problems, What is it, and how do I treat it?



## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

This is two of our recently acquired pet shop mice. They came to me in good health, I checked them all carefully they were plump, shiny coated and I treated them with Bob Martin spot on twice, one week apart. If you look carefully you can see around his eye there's a scaly patch of skin, its impairing his ability to open his eye and its flaking and dry.

My worst case is their smaller brother. His immume system is weaker because I accidently left him behind without his mother at three weeks old. He weaned too early, got a blockage which seems to be working out now he's four weeks and eating solids and pooping fine. Poor bugger has been badly bullied, and he has scaly patches in his fur as well as a couple of bites.

Anyway. I have around 20 of these mice. Some of them have bald patches. My combined litter of 17 has little scabs that I thought might be nips (yesterday there were only two tiny marks) and everyone has one or two. Plus we lost a baby completely today, no trace of it so I wonder if it died of whatever this is and got eaten.

What the hell is it? I've not seen anything like it before. Doesn't look like the baldness of mites etc. Plus I spot on'd them. It looks like mousie psoriasis, or like dermatitis. Its not likely ringworm, since me and my partner have sensitive skin and daily contact, and have nothing. Unfortunately we're away from my vet for another week, is there anything we can try? And what sort of thing should we be asking the vet for?


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

It looks fungal to me, try caneston cream on it and see how it reacts.


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

What, just over the counter caneston cream? Babies and all?


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

It will probably be more of a risk using it on the babies... but any fungal treatment shouldnt really be used on animals too young. Its up to you my dear about the babies, try it on the adults for a bit and see, i may be wrong, it might not be fungal, but it does *look* like it.


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## wildrose (Apr 27, 2011)

Could it be a genetic problem? Like eczema maybe? I've heard that mice can get just about anything humans can. You might also try changing the bedding or food you're using to rule out allergies.


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## Loganberry (Oct 24, 2008)

Looks like ring worm. Spray with tea tree mixed with water in a mister (half a cap of tea tree to 1 Litre water) and sprinkle them and the sawdust in their cage with Athletes Foot Powder, from the super market (kills the fungus). Put the athletes powder in all your cages as you clean out, and with the affected mice, alternate - spray one day, sprinkle with powder the next. Obviously make sure they stay warm on the spraying day. It should work quite quickly.


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

I put a bit of caneston on the worst patches, and I bought some powder to sprinkle in the bedding. I'm worried since it says the powder mustn't be ingested? Also, I am avoiding the tea tree spray for now since they get sniffles at the drop of a hat. I do have some rodent safe tea tree cream at home, once I wrestle it back off of MorningStar....


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

Tis clearing up nicely with caneston and some foot powder. Thanks all .


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

Good good =o)


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

My poor babies have bald bits where the scabbing pulled out all their hair . But the skin is smooth now so I think its just healing over. Hopefully it'll grow back normally XD. And *touch wood* it never really did get to the babies.


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