# What was this?



## Tikmio (Oct 9, 2011)

Yesterday I found my buck in his cage, cold, hunched back, coat sparse, and very lethargic. I held him to keep him warm, wet some cereal and fed him. He was so lethargic he let me turn him on his back. I seriously though he was going to die. The only reason I didn't cull him is because I've had a doe with similar thing and bounced back a few hours later. I held and fed him for 10-15 minutes, quarantined him, and left him in a clean cage with food water, a handmade nest (I tried, lol). The only thing out of place I noticed when I found him ill was his food bowl was full of poo and the food looked somewhat spoiled. Yes I checked for airlock, wet bedding, etc.

So today I checked on him and he was 110%. He looked fat, coat shinny, he was running around, nest making. Don't get me wrong I'm totally happy he's still here and actually really glad I didn't lose him, but this is too odd. He's still in quarantine just in case, how long do you think I should keep him quarantined for? And any guesses for this?


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## Au Naturel (Jun 8, 2012)

Wow, sounds weird but Im glad that hes fine again. I wonder what is it...


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## AyJay658 (Jan 15, 2012)

The same thing happened to all my mice but one a few months ago. Very cold, lethargic, and yeh I could turn them all upside down. Their eyes were also glued together. Within half an hour of being inside on a hot water bottle they were all jumping around back to normal. I think they must have been too cold or something but that doesn't explain the one who was fine in the same surroundings. I took them to the vets and she said it was a virus that they got over very fast but that seems unlikely. It hasn't happened since.


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## Tikmio (Oct 9, 2011)

All your mice? Oh that must have been horrible for you. His eyes weren't white/glued shut but they did look rather lifeless. He's a pied black tan, and those have black eyes, so I would have seen gunky stuff. When I found him he was in the same airspace as all my other mice, so I really hope they don't experience it too, if it's contagious.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

It's possible that he wouldn't eat his spoiled food or that his waterbottle was malfunctioning. Mice start to look like this very quickly when they are dehydrated or starved.


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## Tikmio (Oct 9, 2011)

Oh okay, it was probably him not eating the food then. Like I said, I had checked for a water bottle airlock - no.


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