# Greasy haircoat?



## omahapied

Does anyone know why a mouse would have a greasy hair coat? My original feeder breeder females both have a very greasy appearance as do the two older babies that they are fostering. One also has a litter that is just at two weeks old in age. The babies themselves look fat and healthy. Both of these girls are done breeding at soon as this litter is weaned.

In my larger "breeder" tank, one or two mice (completely unrelated and from a different source of the above two females) also have the greasy hair appearance. I'm at a loss as to what is causing it, and how to avoid it.

All of my mice and kept in aquariums with exercise wheels, fresh water daily, and they are fed mouse lab block as the main source of nutrition, plus a handful of cat food (Canidae) as a treat. I clean the tanks religiously as well and use the Carefresh shavings mixture.

Thanks!


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## omahapied

Pictures of some of the mice for example:


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## Rhasputin

It usually happens from dirty bedding (or the wrong kind of bedding) or overcrowding in the tank. How many mice do you have in what sized cages?

Those babies look malnourished, aswell.


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## moustress

Isn't there some sort of bacteria that can cause this kind of greasy appearance? I also have heard of meeces with greasy looking hair that are a throw-back to an intermediate stage in the breeding that stabilized the satin genotype.

I agree that the young meeces don't look quite right.


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## omahapied

These pictures were taken shortly after I moved them into the 10 gallon that 2 females share (one has a small litter) for fostering purposes. They have plumped up quite a bit since and are actually eating solid food while still nursing from the mom.

I can hardly stand mouse smell so I actually change the bedding out at least 1/2 way typically every two - three days.


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## Lizzle

I'm afraid I have to agree with Rhasputin.  Those little babies appear very dehydrated to me. How old are they, exactly? Their eyes should be wide open and look like they are popping out. Though you did say that they have since plumped up quite a bit - I'm happy to hear that! 

Hmm, how old is the mouse in the second picture? She/he does look otherwise healthy. Perhaps the mice that appear greasy are stressed for some reason? It could also be genetic, I think. A couple of my 'feeders' look like this even though they didn't as babies (I bought them from Petco awhile back :X).

If I were you, I might try adding fresh veggies to their diet and make sure that foster momma mouse is fed a lot of kitten food (full of fat and protein, needed for good milk production). I would also add seeds to their diet as I have found this can make their coats extra shiny (flax seed is best in my opinion - you can get it at any local grocery store).

One other idea: what temp range are the mice kept in? I would make sure that foster momma and babies are kept in a cooler temp. Clinical trials have shown that this increases mom's milk production (or was it fat content of the milk?) by 30%. I wish I could find the article for you, I know I saved it somewhere!)


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## Jack Garcia

I don't know what this set of symptoms is called, although I do know it has a name and it isn't simple dehydration. I haven't encountered it in years, but I generally euthanized the mice who were affected.


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## omahapied

Good news is - and I will be taking new pictures this week - eyes are open on the remaining black and white! His agouti broken sister's eyes opened as well. I may cull her depending on if she continues to improve this week. The black and white baby was carrying around a piece of food and running on the wheel today so I hope he continues to improve!

I'm going to try some fresh veggies and flax seed tomorrow, I'm interested to see what a difference it will make! Foster mom is being fed Canidae kitten food which had the best nutritional content that I could find.

Mom is kept in a 71 degree room.


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## Lizzle

Aww, well it sounds like you are doing everything correctly, but the mice may also have an illness like Jack suggests (I want to know the name of it!). Hang in there!


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## omahapied

I'm not sure what to do. It'd be easier to cull if I knew exactly what I was dealing with. If they are not better by Friday they will be culled.


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## SarahC

we've wondered about this before
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=2523


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## omahapied

Thanks for the link - if it is EColi I will be very upset.
I know nothing of the mom other than that she was a recessive yellow (banded) and she died suddenly ... dad was a broken agouti satin long hair that I had culled for being far too aggressive. As much as I wish it was due to being satin genetics, the female baby (broken agouti) really did not thrive. She was tiny, weak and thin. I decided to cull her today, and I also culled the remainder of the foster mom litter down to three that I may keep to evaluate. The black and white buck (pictured above in the post) is doing very well though. He still has the greasy hair, but he is eating on his own, running and playing with his "adopted" siblings, and acting nothing like his sister. I just don't know what to think.


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## WillowDragon

I have heard of a satin type gene that causes greasey looking fur, but that pretty much only exists in labs, not in the fancy.

I have only ever had one greasey litter in my life... they were also dwarfed, because the mothers didn't look after them well, didn't clean them or feed them properly.
I always figured it was a deficiency of something, due to poor mothering.

Also greasey coats can be caused by sweating (Not the mouse, but the cage or box they are kept in), overcrowding, dirty housing, etc etc and so on.

A greasey looking mouse is not a good mouse, especially baby ones.

W xx


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## Lizzle

Hmm, I am curious now - does this 'greasy' fur actually feel greasy or does it just appear that way?

I'm glad that buck is doing well.  I wouldn't breed from him, though, but I don't think he needs to be culled.


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## omahapied

Liz - He is most certainly not breeding quality - but I am attached to the little guy so he will stay here unless I find a suitable pet home. 
The hair is hard to describe. It doesn't feel greasy as much as it feels - slick? - the texture does remind me a lot of my Satin buck. I wiped him down with a wet cloth the other day just on his back to see what would happen and the hair coat itself has a very "thin" and poor appearance. The skin is a normal, healthy color but the hair coat he has looks like a dog recovering from mange - not very thick at all. I'll post some new pictures of him tonight. I think because of the all of the handling and washing I have been doing he is extremely friendly and outgoing - and a beautiful piebald to boot. I'm just thrilled that he is enjoying life now, playing and eating on his own, and doing his best to run on the wheel.

Willow - Dad was a long haired Satin but your right, in doing research I didn't find much of any type of record suggesting that Fancy carry this trait. This was his mom's first litter and she had a rough go of it so I'm suspecting your theory that she wasn't raising them well could be correct.


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