# Please help! Disease outbreak(Graphic Description Warning)



## Tsucass (May 31, 2012)

Hi,

On Thursday, I went to check on one of my tanks of mice and found one dead. I donned gloves, picked it up, and proceeded to autopsy it. I noticed many bumps on the flesh side of the skin, which were small and irregularly circular. These lumps where few in number on the upper back, with many lumps lumped together on the lower back. They were hard in texture and had the color of mouse fat from the flesh side of the skin, and the color of mouse skin from the fur side. Not all bumps showed through to the fur side. When cut, the bumps oozed a substance that appeared to be either fat or puss. Other than the lumps, the only odd thing was the liver, which was pale with small red spots. Everything else was normal. The coat remained thick and glossy. 
I then proceeded to check the three females living with the dead female. 3/3 exhibited lumps. 'Black' exhibited the most lumps. 'Brown' exhibited few lumps. 'White' exhibited one lump. All lumps on living females found on lower back/hips. I placed them all in separate cages and put a test mouse, 'Toko' into 'Black''s cage to see if the condition is contagious. Nothing changed on Friday. Today, when I checked on them, 'Black' exhibits a heavily swelled right forelimb. From her hand to her shoulder is heavily swelled. 'Brown' exhibits swelling in the palm of her left hand. 'White' is the same with no new bumps. 'Toko,in with 'Black',exhibits no symptoms. 
I'm withholding my state and the store I bought the mice for privacy purposes, I'm in the North Western part of the United States and the distributor of the mice was Apet.


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

Pasturellosis can cause multiple abcesses/cysts....that could be something to consider maybe?


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

My first thought would be multiple abscesses in an immunosuppressed mouse, possible caused by Corynebacterium species. Have you any pictures of the liver?

The swollen limbs could be a cellulitis or something blocking blood drainage from the limb, causing swelling. When you push the swelling, does it leave an indent?

Some infectious disease can take several weeks to show, so I woudln't rule them out yet justbecause Toko is ok so far.


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## Tsucass (May 31, 2012)

I didn't think to take any pictures before I threw the corpse away. When pressed, the swelling doesn't indent.


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

If not indenting I would go for cellulitis, where there is bacterial infection present under the skin all the way down the leg


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

I am sorry to hear this has happened to you! Despite the costs involved, you ought to have a mouse autopsied by a vet or sent away for pathology. You don't want to risk your entire colony or even start an outbreak of a disease.


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## Tsucass (May 31, 2012)

So far, the condition hasn't worsened, and in fact, the one lump on 'White' seems to have disappeared. 'Black' and 'Brown' remain swollen but have not appeared to get any worse. Is it possible that these would be infected wounds? About ~1-2 weeks ago, they were picked on by an older female who harassed them so badly that she had to be removed. There wasn't much blood but could it be possible for the mice to have infected wounds?

I'd take 'Black' and 'Brown' to a vet to be autopsied, but no vets in my area are willing to work with even live mice. If one of my mice is in pain, I have to put it out myself.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

It's possible that they are infections. I've also dealt with spider bites this summer in my mice that causes swelling of the limbs and a general wrinkled, dehydrated appearance. I've not inspected their livers, but it makes sense if there were toxins involved that the liver could be compromised.


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## Tsucass (May 31, 2012)

Hm..it could possibly be spider bites, but I haven't seen any spiders near or in the tank. It is in a basement though so it's possible.


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