# Bleeding tail and smelly babies?? (Graphic images)



## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

Sorry about the title, I had no idea what to call this. I will try to keep the thread short, while still including everything.
Some weeks ago I paired a blue doe and a black buck. I noticed after a couple of weeks that she had an injury on the tail, but it was clean and there was no blood, even though it looked pretty deep. I didn't get pictures, because I figured she had maybe scraped it on something, I don't know. I assumed it would go away on its own, because these things usually do. 
A few days later she started showing, so I put her in a cage of her own. The injury was looking a little better, but there wasn't as big an improvement as I would have liked. 
3 days ago she had her babies, and like I usually do I have only made sure there was food and water and no dead babies until checking on them properly today. The injury on the doe's tail is bleeding - until today I have seen no blood from it. And it's bleeding quite a lot too. The injury itself actually looks a lot better, though. However, she looks sickly. Scrunty and fluffy fur.
And another thing is, those babies have a really weird smell. I can't describe what it's like, just that I have never in my 11 years of breeding had babies that smelled like this. They look great, have a good size (two of them are runty, but nothing unusual - it's a fairly big litter too). I was too freaked by the whole thing to actually count the babies or take picturs of them, but again, they look just fine.

So... anyone have an idea what this is?


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I'd guess a bacterium has got in and is eating the flesh away.Do you have any antibiotics you can give her?


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

Thanks, Sarah. Makes sense if that's what it is. I am getting some antibiotics for her later today.

I just looked at the list of pairings I've done with that buck, and it's actually pretty odd...
First pairing went just fine, was a great litter
Second pairing was unsuccesful (no babies)
Third pairing, the doe got sick and died shortly after she got the babies
Fourth pairing, the doe died mysteriously before getting pregnant
Fifth pairing (same doe as the first), they had a faulty water bottle and both got sick, however she stayed sick until I removed her and put her into a group of girls
Sixth pairing is this one

Am I the only one who thinks that seems weird? Could he be carrying something that doesn't affect himself, but he passes to the does?


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I don't know but I just paired my best-broken buck with three does.Found him dead within a week.Replaced with a new buck and the same.No outward signs of anything, just dead.Put a third buck in and wrote on the cage'if this buck dies to cull the does'.Sure enough, he died.I've culled the does apart from one that is pregnant, the only one after three different bucks.I'm very interested to see the outcome of the litter.Also after a big show such as the one we have at Doncaster where there are lots of mice from far and wide plus new stock brought home I run a course of antibiotics through all of my mice.I've found they pickup conjunctivitis at big shows and if nothing else it's stopped that.


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

Wow, that's incredible! Three bucks just lost like that, that really sucks. Be interesting to see what happens with that litter you have on the way.

I have four very pretty black bucks from that first litter on this guy, so at least I can easily take him out of my breeding plans.

I've got my hands on some fucidin cream for the wound, so thought I'd clean it with chlorhexidine first and then dab on the fucidin. I also got some ronaxan tablet, but unsure of whether I should try giving her that as well.


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

Also, I just smelled the wound, and that's exactly what the babies smell like too.


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

When I went to clean it last night, it had finally stopped bleeding (at that point she'd been bleeding for at least 8 hours, maybe more). There was dried blood everywhere, but it was definitely better. I'd given her ronaxan in the water a few hours before that. Cleaned the wound with chlorhexidine and then fucidin cream. This morning it is looking so much better. No blood at all on her, and though she's still a bit skinny she seems to have more energy. Will continue with the cleaning and the medicine until I'm sure she's 100% fine.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

wet gangrene smells and that is what it looks like.Glad she has picked up, fingers crossed for a good outcome.


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

Yikes, gangrene! Lucky I caught it when I did, then. She really was close to the edge yesterday, it was awful to watch. 
I really appreciate your help in this, Sarah!


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