# What to do about a respiratory infection?



## tillyandapril (Aug 6, 2013)

I bought a doe a month or so ago and from the moment I brought her home I noticed she acted strange. She hobbles when she walks, her coat is ruffled, and she makes chattering sounds a lot that sound similar to coughing. She is also unusually small compared to the rest of my mice. I have heard that chattering is caused by respiratory infections but since none of the other does with her had caught it I thought it was just scarring. Recently however I have noticed that another one of my does has started chattering very loudly as well but her coat, walk, and behavior are all still normal. I haven't done anything to treat either of them yet but I think I will have to soon. I have quarantined the two suspected of respiratory infection in a separate cage as of today. So far the rest of my mice have not shown signs of coughing.

As for bedding, I use something similar to Carefresh and have recently switched to Kaytee Clean and Cozy. I do not use any kind of kiln dried wood shavings because one time I tried using a little aspen bedding in their toilet area and it immediately made one of my does start coughing badly. This is the same doe who I think recently contracted a respiratory infection.

Do my mice have respiratory infections? If so, how exactly should I go about treating them?


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## bonsai (Oct 14, 2012)

Hello

Please let your mice check up by a vet. The most reason for chattering are respiratory infects, as you already mentioned,which has to be treated with antibiotics and an expectorant. 
You can also try paper kitchen towells insted of the bedding to make sure that there isn't an allergy either.

Best whishes for your mice.


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## tillyandapril (Aug 6, 2013)

The thing is, Im not really confident my vet has knowledge of mice past treating for mites- and it took him forever to figure out the dosage for the mite medicine. Would I need to get all of them checked out to be safe or just the infected two?


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## bonsai (Oct 14, 2012)

Hello

I would just let the ill mice check up.
A common treatment is with Baytril (antibiotic) and Bisolvon (expectorant).
If your vet is unexperienced with mice,insist on oral application instead of injections.


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## tillyandapril (Aug 6, 2013)

I will look into it. If, by chance it's somehow not a respiratory infection would the treatment hurt them? Also, is it the right idea to separate the infected ones from the rest until theyre healthy again ?


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## bonsai (Oct 14, 2012)

Hi

The problem with antibiotics is,that you could develope resistances.
So I would just use them if it is really neccessary.
An expectorant is the wrong medication if there is water in the lungs.Reason for that could be e.g. a heart disease.
But normally a vet is able to give a diagnosis after analysing the respiratory noises with a stethoscope.

If it is an infection it isn't neccessary to split the group after realizing symptoms because the bacteria has already strewed.
In difficult cases it is useful to medicate the whole group.


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## tillyandapril (Aug 6, 2013)

The second mouse didn't start showing signs of infection until about a week ago and they have all been living together up until then. Since she recently contracted the infection should I keep them quarantined until I get them healthy again to prevent it from spreading or is it safe to put them back together now?


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## mich (Sep 28, 2013)

I use Eucalyptus oil. Put a few drops in their bedding and it will help with wheezing etc. I read about it in book about mouse care. It is very good.


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