# Is this weird tail a health issue?



## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

This buck is about eight weeks old; the anus is a bit stretched/distended. He seems to be feeling OK, but is likely to become a health problem? So far, the only problem is that he can't clean himself very well.


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

It looks like a deformity that is partially including his spine. Might be an issue.


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

Keep an eye on him, and I dont think it needs to be said, but definately dont breed from him.

Honestly I wouldnt have kept him in my stud, but aslong as he is not suffering...


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Yeah, I'm thinking about it; for one thing it's just plain nasty looking.


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## MoonfallTheFox (Nov 12, 2011)

Aw, he's cute!

If it's not making it hard for him to funtction, he's likely fine. Has it been that way since he was born?


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Yupper.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

That is so high up that I would be concerned about the spine.


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## MoonfallTheFox (Nov 12, 2011)

It could be genetic then, so I would not breed from him. You -could- try once and see if it is or not, but there's potential for a whole litter of them then.

I like him though, he's adorable. I'd take him off your hands.


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

It looks like a spinal issue. The trouble is, as he grows and lengthens as an adult, it will probably become a more pronounced problem.


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

Did it get worse as he got bigger?


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

As he grows, the knot seems to shift to the side. One of the testicles is starting to look a bit twisted and his anus looks stretched. So far he seems to be doing OK, but I suspect he'll have problems, so I'll keep an eye on him, and if he needs it, I'll pts.

Thanks for the input, guys.


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## Fraction (Aug 29, 2011)

MoonfallTheFox said:


> It could be genetic then, so I would not breed from him. You -could- try once and see if it is or not, but there's potential for a whole litter of them then.
> 
> I like him though, he's adorable. I'd take him off your hands.


There's really no need to breed from a mouse that is, potentially, genetically prone to this. Even for a "ooh let's see" litter, because if it's a recessive trait that doesn't show up in the first generation, it'll pop up again later most likely.

He's a cute mousey.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

No, I'm very conservative when choosing meeces for breeding. I rarely take an kind of chance that might yield unhealthy critters. Breeding tris are risky enough as it is, with the neurological part being the most significant area of concern. I have had repeated incidence of seizure disorder in my tri lines that I have tried to minimize by not mating individuals who show any signs of that or littermates of those meeces.

The concern for this mousie is whether or not he can live a healthy life, and that is unsure. I will give him a chance, but if I see any sign of spinal dysfunction, I will deal with it. He's cute, true, but what mousie isn't? Sometimes it takes more than cute for me to keep any given mousie.


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