# Baby field mouse with poorly leg?



## Hurley

Hello,
Yesterday, my dad was raking up leaves when he accidently caught a baby mouse, I brought it inside as it didn't look like there was a nest near by and he was looking in bad shape. I fed him some milk yesterday, and today I crushed some mouse food pellets, really finely and mixed it with the milk and he loves it. He's sat on a tea towel which is above a hot water bottle with some hay. 
Unfourtunetly he is injured, one of his back legs is not moving, the other one is but doesn't move much. The other one is completely still and he has to drag it. He's still pretty lively despite it. I have to change the water bottle often as when it cools down he starts to shake, also he makes clicking noises, when I change it he looks very comfy. One of his eyes were sealed closed but I dabbed it with a warm wet cotton bud and it started to open which is good. 
I know I should take him to the vets, but they'll say put him down right? Also I don't think my dad would want me to as they used to be a pest in our house... (we used catch and release traps though) I already had to sneak out to buy him food. 
He looks like the one in this photo, http://www.robotroom.com/Monkey-Mints/R ... -mouse.jpg 
my guess from other photos is that he is about 13 days old but the photos were of fancy mice, i'm not sure if it would be the same...
Many thanks for any help, I hope you think i'm being silly trying to help one mouse, most the people did on another (non-mousey) forum.

edit-also I have not seen one dropping, do I need to help it? If so, how? I would've thought it were old enough but I don't know?


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## SarahC

The eyes open at 12 days,they leave the nest from 16 days and are weaned at 22 days.It sounds like it has probably got pneumonia.There is very little you can do really except keep it constantly warm,a small reptile heat mat would be ideal.You can offer fluid off of the end of a fine art paintbrush if you can get one.Evaporated milk would be a good temporary food/fluid.There is very little point worrying about the leg.The mouse will most likely succumb to shock but if it doesn't you will have to let nature take it's course with the leg.One dragging limb will be acceptable,2 would really mean euthanasia.Wish you all the best with it but don't get your hopes up high.


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## SarahC

oh and if it isn't weaned,stimulating it's bottom with some warm damp cotton wool or a cotton bud will help stimulate going to the toilet.Again though the biggest killer is likely to be shock so try not to handle to much.


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## Hurley

thank you for your help, when I first put him in with the water bottle, I left him for a few hours and then checked up on him and he seemed to have calmed down. I've been feeding him cow milk since I found him, is this bad for him? I can get another kind tomorrow.


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## Gill

It sounds as if you have a baby woodmouse, which is not the same as the house mouse (which is the pest). This link has a good photo: http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th1g.htm . If you are lucky enough, and it survives, it will thrive on wild bird seed and small pieces of fruit when a little older. I only know because I rescued a heavily pregnant woodmouse in the summer, and that is all she would eat.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.


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## Hurley

Thanks for your reply, they were the kind of mouse that we had living in the house though, they weren't normal mice, they had the nice golden colour because we caught and released a few and got to see them. Really hope I can keep him alive and well.


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## Laigaie

If you're in the US rather than UK, I'd suggest deer mice, which also look quite a bit like that when young and feeling poorly. The advice is the same, though it does increase your chances of catching disease from the mouse. Deer mice carry hantavirus, you see.


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## SarahC

let us know how you get on,good or bad news.


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## tinyhartmouseries

I was told to euthanize any wild mouse with injuries. As I was told, when they are released back into the wild any other wild mice it tried to join will kill it for its imperfection.


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## SarahC

wood/field mice do well in captivity,no reason that a youngster can't be kept/homed in the unlikely event it does survive.


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## Hurley

He's looking much bigger than on Monday, i've been feeding him evapourated milk which is mixed with a little mouse muesli that is crushed very finely, (this was reccomended to me), he eats it very happily. Does he need to be given any water at all?


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## Viry

How is he moving around now? Leg/-s any better?


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## Hurley

pretty much the same, one leg isn't moving at all, (the one visible in the photo), and the other leg he can use a little. He crawls about his box ok but very slowly.


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## Frizzle

Does he seem to have use of his tail? Cuz if not, it's prolly a spinal injury. Is he going to the bathroom on his own, or do you have to stimulate him with a warm damp rag? This is very interesting, you should keep updating!


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## Gill

When I had my woodmouse, I did some research, and I am sure that I read somewhere that they do not drink in the wild, but get all the liquid they need from their food. Having said that, it is a good idea to offer water, though, at the moment, it is probably getting sufficient from the evaporated milk. Have you tried (diluted) condensed milk? Various articles on raising orphan mice recommend it, but that might just be for the pinkie stage, which yours is well past.

Well done for succeeding in keeping it alive. Apart from the leg, it looks remarkably healthy.


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## Autumn2005

How is the baby doing now? I'm surprised you can hold it on you hand, most wild caught tend to be quite jumpy.


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## Viry

Any news?


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