# Sick Mouse



## maisymouse (Feb 10, 2011)

I have a little white mouse called alice, she's not very old but she started losing hair around her nose, mainly the one side, when she woke up a few minutes ago one of her eyes was stuck closed but after a few minutes she opened it, she also did a green poo on my hand

Is she poorly? do I need to seperate her from the rest?


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

Green poo in mine is usually a mild diarrhoea - has her diet been changed recently at all? Any crusting around the nose or eyes, or increased nosie when she is breathing?

If she's housed with any others, are they missing hair too?


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## maisymouse (Feb 10, 2011)

Hiya, I went to the vets and got some baytril, Alice has actually picked up really well, fur is growing back and she looks great, my other mice were a bit noisy, like a rattling sound and one of them keeps sneazing, they are in a seperate home now and are being treated, I started it on saturday but she is still very noisy, I'm a bit worried


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## AnnB (Jan 14, 2011)

I'm glad Alice is starting to improve. You may find the baytril takes a while to do it's job, what dose did the vet recommend giving and for how many days?


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

I don`t know the concentration of the Baytril your vet gave you maisy, but the last treatment my Rosie had for severe (abdominal breathing) respiratory issues was: Taken from the label printed on my last Baytril sysringe:

Baytril 2.5% suspension per 2.5ml x 1.0
2 or 3 drops twice daily.

What I do, is take a small piece of tea biscuit and on the broken edge, place the baytril dosage onto this. Leave on a saucer for a few minutes to soak in and then offer it to the mouse. This is best done when the mouse is wide awake, rather than disturbing them from sleep as they usually get startled and won`t take it. I dose THREE times a day, morning, late afternoon and evening. It does`nt need to be a specific time, just as long as she gets dosed.

Baytril usually works within four/five days, depending on the severity of the breathing. The thing is, hit it hard and keep the Baytril going. Don`t let it run out if you see the mouse/mice improving as starting and stoping antibiotics may help to build resistance, so keeping the drug going that bit longer will nail it.

Good luck and I`m sure kallan will put me right if I`ve forgot to mention anything!


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## maisymouse (Feb 10, 2011)

They told me 2.5% solution per 10.0 ml of water, I dont think its enough, anyway I just spoke to the vet and they said to try and get a drop on her nose so she no has choice but to clean herself and that way it will get into her, they are giving me a big bottle tomorrow so I can keep the treatment going, they said that baytril doesnt taste very nice for the mouse and they mght not be drinking enough of the water its mixed in

I will try the biscuit way 3 times a day starting tomorrow as I've just put a drop on her nose, I'm determined not to lose her!!

She's a lovely mouse, she is still very lively and is her usual self so her chances are good, thanks racing mouse!


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

> I dont think its enough


Baytril can be given by gavage (syringing into mouth) or in drinking water.

The licensed and tested dose for Baytril is around 2 or 3 drops *per 75ml water* for the mouse to drink during the day - so giving it neat (i.e. undiluted) is already very strong. (A cat dose is 0.3ml orally twice daily and a mouse is 1/1000th the weight of that!)

We generally give it as drops rather than diluting it hugely because it's easier to give one drop twice a day than trying to give 1.0ml diluted stuff by gavage.

Do not change the dose of a prescribed medicine without checking with your vet first as they'll know what strength they have given it to you.

With respiratory disease it's best to continue the antibiotic until one week after the sniffling etc disappears.


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

I gave my Baytril `neat` kallan, so would have that been in it`s strongest form? My dosage is printed above from my last baytril label. I was just reading today that mice have very fast metabolisms and need continuous food as a result as unlike larger animals, they don`t cope well when their food runs out. I`m interested in dosing baytril in drinking water because I`ve always read that its best dosed on food? This seems to be what pet keepers do in the main (unless of course their vet has told them otherwise), so that`s what I`ve always done. Especially as I`m usually just treating one mouse rather than two or three together, so worry that dosing the water might put them off drinking? I don`t know if baytril tastes the water all that much, but I imagine mice can detect it!


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

Depends if the vet diluted it or not  Sometimes I mix it 50:50 with water. I dose all mine in their water now as it's far easier - they get 0.5ml Baytril neat plus 1ml liquid glucose in their water bottles and I haven't had any trouble with that.


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Sounds good. I guess the glucose will mask the taste by sweetening the water?


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