# Twitchy Mouse.. Neurological Issues???



## Shoebox (Jul 23, 2015)

I wasn't sure if I should post this here or in behavior.. Anyways here goes

So I got Bandit as a friend for our other mouse.. I got her from a lady who breeds them as reptile food.. She kept the mice in a rack with boxes smaller than a shoebox and 20+ mice per box and she told me they all mate with each other so my mouse may be pregnant. Well I don't think she is (though it's only been a week) but I do think she might be inbred? I'm not exactly a mouse connoisseur so i don't know how well mices genes hold up to things like that. Or it may just be normal but she's very very twitchy like she has neurological issues or something. She digs runs and does everything very aggressively and sometimes seem to just stop and twitch her head spastically for a second. Shoebox (other mouse) has never done anything like this but she also has a much calmer shyer personality.. Anyways I guess I'm asking what signs to look for for a neurological disorder and what I can do about it? I'll take her to a vet if needed but our only exotic vet charges out the butt for absolutely everything. 
Also I should note that she's not housed with Shoebox yet as she's only a week into her 3 week quarantine


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## Seafolly (Mar 13, 2012)

Inbred is only a problem if the parents have unhealthy recessives. Which...sounds possible here.

I'm not too sure what you mean (a link to a YouTube clip would help!) but just by the description I wonder if she might have an irritant in her ear/s. I'm just musing here.


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## Shoebox (Jul 23, 2015)

I'm working on getting a video uploaded, it keeps freezing at "pending upload"...
Imagine almost like a powerful sneeze but without the actual sneeze just the head movement.. As for her general movement the word 'skittery' comes to mind although I'm not sure that's even a real word lol..
Also it seems to happen more often when she's running, digging, or doing anything exciting

The idea of it being an irritant has crossed my mind but a section of her cage at one point (before she tore up the cardboard barrier holding the paper fluff area in place and made a huge mess) had nothing but newspaper on the bottom and she still did it. I've also watched her do it quite close up and it doesn't look like anything is bothering her


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

if it's where the mouse is sort of vibrating with the skin on the body twitching as well it's normal especially in lively fit mice.


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## Agoutigoo (Nov 8, 2013)

Is it like this?
Not my video




Mine sometimes do this. Commonly it's called popcorning and is a behaviour seen in lots of species rats mice guineapigs etc.


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## Shoebox (Jul 23, 2015)

It's just like the video! I am so happy right now lol thanks all of you so much! I'm inexperienced with mice (evidently lol) and she's starting to look kinda chunky. I was worried about whether an impaired mouse would be able to care for her young


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