# Mouse Death - why?



## Mr.Mouse (Aug 21, 2011)

Hello, Everyone!

I wonder what thoughts you have about this situation? We're still new at raising mice, and it seems like there must be a missing piece of info that we just are not experienced enough yet to know about.

We had a litter of fancy mouse babies.

Everything was fine and the babies grew up nicely.

We had them about a month or six weeks or so, plenty old and doing well.

We made sure that we saw them drinking from the water bottle and eating real food from the dish.

Then, we gave two of them (girls) to a friend, to have as pets.

They were feeding the same food we had been giving them, from the same store.

They had all new cage and equipment and wheel and everything.

They lived in that environment for two happy weeks, everything seemed to be going just fine.

Then, suddenly, they came in one afternoon and both mice were deceased, at the same time.

What's up? Any thoughts?

It seems to me that the new people were taking good care of them, or else they would have died off sooner. Two weeks is a pretty long time, in the short life of a teenager mouse.

It seems to me that it is unlikely to have been a sudden death caused by a genetic situation, because all their siblings are still living at my house and doing great, still.

So, we really don't know what to think of the situation, but we certainly want to avoid this happening again, if we possibly can.

Would appreciate your input.

Thanks!


----------



## MoonfallTheFox (Nov 12, 2011)

Do they make sure the bottle is functioning every day? It could have quit working and killed the mice.


----------



## Viry (Oct 31, 2011)

Do they know what caused it at all? It could've been the water. It could've been the environment change taking its toll on their immune systems. Maybe there were bacteria etcetera in the house that they weren't used to. They might've had seizures; epilepsy in mice usually shows itself first time when they're between 60-80 days of age, so it might have been that. There are so many things that could've caused it though.


----------



## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

I'd suspect something in the environment; mousies are sensitive to chemicals, especially. Perhaps someone overheated an older type nonstick pan or pot? Fumes from that are toxic to birds and small animals. I had to chew out a tenant in my duplex for repeatedly doing this. The fumes are probably toxic to other critters too. Could be a number of household chemicals.

Sudden changes in temperature, especially heat, can be fatal. Excessive or sudden noise or bright light can induce severe fright, or even seizures.


----------



## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Two weeks is a pretty normal incubation to major sickness period. I would suggest that perhaps these folks had either bacteria in the home that the mice weren't exposed to at your place, or that they have wildies who may have infected the little ones with something.


----------

