# Respority Infection?



## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

Sterling has started sounding snufferly, can mice just get colds, or would it be a respority infection? im away for easter so gave her a good clean and swapped her unit to the top to improve venterlation and gave her some vit rops. If she is not better by time im back ill be taking her to my vets. I asume its baytril she would need? i had some left in the fridge but it was soo out of date so chucked it out.


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## AllieMouse (Apr 9, 2011)

"Just a cold" is highly unlikely, hun. 
As a defense mechanism (to keep quiet and not look like "the weak one" of the pack), mice will hide their symptoms until they no longer can. If Sterling sounds/looks sick, she's been sick for a while. My rule of thumb is that anytime I have an inkling that something is wrong with a mouse, 99% of the time I'm right, and I end up feeling very grateful that I visited a vet over something that other people had tried to convince me was "nothing", "no big deal". People who say things like that *don't* know _anything_ about mice. *You* are *right*, Sterling needs to see a vet AS SOON as you get back. Set up an appointment while you are away, just to be sure they have space to assist you. 
Also if you did not quarantine Sterling, her cagemates are already sick too. But bring Sterling _only_ to the vet, so you will only have to pay for one mouse to be seen; let the doctor know you have other mice and they should give you enough medicine for the others. Don't pay for cultures either unless you feel there are bigger problems going on, cultures tack on hundreds to the bill.
DO NOT ACCEPT T.M.S as a treatment. T.M.S. is also an anti-biotic, but it is dangerous. My favorite little girl had an allergic/anaphylactic reaction to it and she died a slow, horrible death. Ask specifically for Baytril if it ends up being some sort of URI.
I'm guessing it will cost around $60 this route. But I think it's worth it, especially for so beautiful a girl as Sterling. I'm assuming you breed or have had mice as pets for a while now; I'm sure you realize that mice make the best pets when they are completely healthy.
Good Luck, give Sterling my love.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

Thanks Aliemouse, im back on tuesday so will book an appoitment then (they closed today) they use to be just walk in but changed to appointment only. Ill make sure its bartil, vets by me seem to give that to everything. Sterling is by herself as i was hoping to breed her and plan to start a new group with her and any girls she has luckerly. She doesnt look pregnant at the moment which is good, she was in with a male the last week or so but i took him out when she sterted looking off. Its a shame as she was in such great conditon, hopefully she will come right with the meds as she is not only a loverly girl but the heart of my breeding plans. ill update on her progress.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

took sterling for her appoitment today. the vet was laughing whil trying to work out how much batril to give. acording the the instrustions it was 0.02 diluted for 100g and she is 35g. so got her meds and tol to get a drop in the srying and get her to lick it off twice a day for up to 7 days. He said if i presseed too hard and lost some to just pop in and he would give me more. He said she was verry pritty and didnt even charge me so got it all free! i love my vets.

also forgot to get her food so tonight she has bunny food, cornflaks, budgie mix and millit as the shops by me had nothing. ill get some tomorrow while shopping.


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

You have a very good vet there


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## AllieMouse (Apr 9, 2011)

holy crap, i wish my vet would let me have free stuff just because my mice were pretty.


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## Matt Haslam (Mar 13, 2010)

I used to have a vet like that, known a few over the years.

are you in a rural location?


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

We all find it quite entertaining when people bring things like mice in, it's usually a bit of a laugh trying to work out drug doses as they are so tiny! And then more scribbles trying to work out how to get said dose into them. Always easier on the charging front when you don't have a boss breathing down your neck demanding to know why you didn't charge!


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## Matt Haslam (Mar 13, 2010)

yeah can understand it depends on your boss. I used to go to a vet when i worked for the RSPCA, an irish bloke who ran his own surgery. He was originally a farm vet before moving to England to do small animal practice with his new wife.

He told us loads of home remedies, all of which worked. He often gave free treatment, and he never charged for euthanasia . what a bloke!

But then again we all have financial pressures and at the end of the day a veterinary practice is a business.


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## zany_toon (Apr 3, 2010)

Kallan said:


> We all find it quite entertaining when people bring things like mice in, it's usually a bit of a laugh trying to work out drug doses as they are so tiny! And then more scribbles trying to work out how to get said dose into them. Always easier on the charging front when you don't have a boss breathing down your neck demanding to know why you didn't charge!


One of the reasons I love you and your colleagues Kallan  The other vet up the road charged me £32 just for a consultation when I went there with my first four mice  And after the 2 experiences i had with them treating the mice, I won't ever go back with my mice.

Glad to hear that you got something for your girl PPVallhunds. Will keep my fingers crossed that it helps!


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

I doubt she will lick raw baytril from a syringe! You could try placing it onto a very small piece of tea biscuit, let it soak in and then just place it in front of her. Mice usually love tea biscuit or digestive and it masks the taste of the baytril.

I have a decent vet to and he`s always willing to help and advise. I hav`nt seen him since just after Christmas when I popped in for some baytril for Rosie. Lovely man though and very obliging.

I always dose baytril for three weeks.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

yeah semi-rual area. they also resfse to do some surgerys/tratments if they reealy dont think it will help rather than just doing it for the money.

thanks fro the tip racingmouse so far im going with the distract her then poke it in here mouth approach, most ends up around her mouth but then she started washing it off by licking. its diluted with water (dont know if that will dilute tast.). off to do todays first dose


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

now not happy, asked mum to help me give her her meds as ive hurt my hand, she said ok. so i got sterling out and wanted her to hold her so i can give her the meds, but she refused to touch her so i said ok u o the meds, told her to get a drop on the end of sryinge but she pressed it so hard it all came out on my bed, all the med is gone and vets closed taday! :x


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Oh dear, that`s not so good. Baytril can be difficult to `drop` from a syringe and can stick sometimes and if you press too hard, it scoots out too much! I always try and move the stopper up until the baytril is moving easily and then hover over a saucer with the little piece of biscuit laid on it and drop the one to two drops onto the biscuit, let it soak in and give it to the mouse when she`s awake (rather than waking her up to dose her) as this can stress them.

Are your vets open tomorrow (Saturday)? With this royal wedding over, things should be back to normal at least until Monday when the next bank holiday comes round.


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

Argh! Hate it when that happens! Sometimes syringes stick if they're not moved for a while. Custard creams and biscuits seem to be the proven ways to give meeces oral antibiotics.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

they are normaly open saturday mornings so ill take a trip up for more, just means ill have to get out of bed lol


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