# hello and seeking advice



## mbhAK (Mar 3, 2011)

Hello from the middle of Alaska. We bought a beautiful little male mouse last May. We are very attached to him and I am looking forward to having more mice in the near future.

I am writing because he is scratching. He has tiny sores, or bumps, primarily around the back of his neck. I suspect they are sores from his scratching so much. From researching, I guessed food allergies. I have restricted his diet to rolled oats, barley, and those huge pellets by Forti Diet. No improvement. I have now removed the barley.

His bedding is a paper pulp product from the pet store. As he has been on this all year, I did not suspect it.

Could it be mites? The chances seem very unlikely to me unless they rode in on some hay I was providing now and then. It is extremely cold here and the hay is stored outside which would certainly kill any insects.

I appreciate any thoughts or links to other forum notes which may help. He is a wonderful little fellow and I hate to see him so itchy.

Thanks,
Maggie


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## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

Hi and Welcome!


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Welcome.

It could easily be mites. Some bedding, especially cedar or pine, can cause problems as well. food allergies is less likely, but could happen. Aspen is a safe bedding, as is corn cob, or paper-based beddings.


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## mbhAK (Mar 3, 2011)

Thanks very much for your thoughts. Do you recommend a particular treatment for mites?


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