# Lethargic Baby



## Angelmouse (Oct 3, 2008)

Okay so I have this baby mouse who is 2 wks old she is so lovely very friendly but today she seems unwell, I'm really worried about her, her eyes have closed, I washed them and they opened again but shortly after they closed again. She seems to want to be on her own as everytime I put her back in the nest she clambers back out again and sits on her own and sort of lays on her side. Her mum and sisters keep cleaning her and I have seen her feeding from mum.
Should I be worried or is it something that will most likely right its self? I have someone coming tomorrow to reserve some babies and this little girly is one of them. The rest of the litter is fine.
Can someone guide me please?


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## daisy (Oct 4, 2008)

heya,

sounds like 'one of those things' i'm afraid, although someone might be able to shed some more medical advice on the situation, sometimes this happens, you have the chunkiest most healhty babies then before they reach even 5 weeks some go downhill, i have a few like this at the moment who seem to have stoped developing as fast as their siblings, i would usually 'take them out' as i dont see the point if they arent improoving rapidly. you could try feeding her some lactol soaked bread and generally upping her protein and just keeping an eye on her.
good luck


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## Angelmouse (Oct 3, 2008)

She has nearly gone  well she seems to have given up on life  I'm not sure whether to leave her and see if she pulls through or to take her out, I dont have what I need to stop her pain and dont have a car atm to get to someone who can help me is their another way to pts?


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## daisy (Oct 4, 2008)

if you dont feel you can do it yourself and she is really ill put her in a seperate little tank on her own if you like as it sounds like she is going to die whatever (sorry no better way to say that) it is also not uncommon for her littermates/dwellers to consume a baby of even that age once it has died so you might not want to see that.

as for other methods apart from the chamber, i'm not sure you'd want to do them, as the chamber is probobly the easiest one to do. but send me a pm if you want to talk about it some more.


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## Angelmouse (Oct 3, 2008)

Have PM'd you.......


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## Angelmouse (Oct 3, 2008)

Well she died this morning  She went all night, I thought she would have gone over night so was quite shocked to find her still alive but with in 10 mins she was gone. Very sad as she was getting a lovely long coat, isnt it just the way, I'm breeding LH's and trying to get the coat as long as pos and the one mouse who could fit that goes and dies. I've had to start with what I can get hold of here which are not LH's but semi LH's so trying to get the coat long is going to take a while. So if any of you happen to pass by West sussex and have LH's with good long coats I'd be interested


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## Dragonfly-Stud (Oct 5, 2008)

Glad your sorted but from a breeder point of view I will always say " if in doubt take it out" for the good of the rest of you stock.


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

I don't think Angelmouse culls her litters Steve although I could be wrong. Angelmouse I think if you're going to breed that it would be a good idea to have a CO2 chamber on standby in case you need to put a mouse to sleep for its own good when you cannot get to someone else who can do it for you (be that the vet or another breeder). Emergencies will always occur when you have animals and the more you have (like when you breed) the more that can and will go wrong. You don't have to use it, but a safety net is always a good idea.


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## Dragonfly-Stud (Oct 5, 2008)

Culling or taking to the vet = same result think of the mouse not your nerves.
Don't mean to sound harsh maybe I have been doing this for too long it's just an auto response to sickness in rodents.
Rodents in general don't recover well or respond to most kinds of treatment as most of you know. 
As for what mousebreeder says regarding emergencies popping up " Take note it happens" if anyones unable to cope with the down sides of breeding please don't start as the time to cull will come or face mega vet bills if you cannot do it yourself. 
I've culled hundreds and still feel sick when I do it but it's gotta be done, it never gets easy so don't set out thinking you'll get used to it .......you don't.
Sorry again if I sound harsh I just tell it like it is.


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## Angelmouse (Oct 3, 2008)

We are getting a Co2 chamber, but unfortunatly my husband is away and has the car so could not get out to get one, also it happened so quick and at the wrong time of day, as for culling I did my first with this litter at a day or so old it was hard but necessery as the litter was mainly bucks and no one wants bucks its so sad.


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