# Help please- ?Diarrhea or something else?



## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

My favourite girl, a self black about 1.5 yrs old has tummy trouble  and I have no idea as to the cause and whether it is infectious to other mice or humans.
I have noticed it happening on and off for several weeks now but it has been nothing much and it certainly hasn't seemed to come to anything but now Inka has had the problem for several days and so before I go the the Vet I wondered if you guys had any ideas or advice?

Problem; It seems sporadic, I had just noticed Inka (and another mouse at a later date) passing formed but very soft droppings, their first droppings were fine but then followed by very soft droppings full of mucous. 
Now Inka is passing mostly mucous and lots of it (yuk!) with some very soft but formed dropping in it, so I don't really know if it is true Diarrhea or whether she has another kind of gut infection? She does not seem unwell apart from being sneezy which she has been since I had her.( she has had repeated Baytrill treatment a while back from the Vet but to no avail-she just sneezes :roll: )
She is caged with 4 other does, only one of them showed any similar symptoms and only for a short time.

I feed 75% mixed grain base with 25% commercial mouse and gerbil mix , they have hay daily and twice a week they have a few bits of kibble. They have Rice krispies as hand treats.

I did wonder if maybe something in the feed was upsetting Inka so I have first removed the mouse mix, then changed the Hay type,now I have removed the grain mix also and just put them on a commercial hamster mix that a friend gave me to see what happens(it doesn't look very well balanced to me-even for the hamsters it intended for :shock: )

So please guys- any ideas would be great. As I say she will be taken to the Vet as it now seems to be becoming a definite problem but it would be good to know if anyone has heard of this before.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I would be suspicious of the anti biotics,they don't just kill the bad bacteria,they kill the good stuff in your gut that you need for healthy functioning.I would offer a probiotic .


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## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

Ok, thankyou Sara C.  She hasn't had Antibiotics for about six months and when they were given the Vet gave me a rabbit probiotic- Protexin Bio Lapis granules that I sprinkled over their food, I have some left so perhaps I should try giving that again.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

perhaps not the antibiotics fault then but even if you yourself have a case of the runs a probiotic is good because along with the poop the good stuff gets whooshed out with the squits :hurted .They used to recommend feeding arrowroot biscuits years ago,I've never tried but I don't suppose it would hurt.It's hard to think what the vet can offer really that would help.


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## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

Arrowroot, now there's an idea- just added them to tonights shopping list!


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## Seawatch Stud (Feb 8, 2009)

If she isn't emaciated she may well recover Jo. I'm afraid I can offer no more comfort other than to say, sometimes they simply recover from this as do people. Good luck with her.


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## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

Thanks Phil, she looks fine, showing her age abit but then I know how she feels! :lol:


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## Wight Isle Stud (May 19, 2010)

A Human Immodium tablet in their water bottle will do what it says on the packet- stops it within an hour.


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## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

Thanks wight Isle stud.


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## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

Just to update- I'm happy and relieved!  

My Self Black "Inka" is back to her old self, no more upset tummy(phew),
I took Sarah C's advice and gave all the mice Arrowroot biscuits as hand treats( 5 very happy Boggits! :lol and changed their seed mix just incase it was contaminated and I'm happy to report that alls well.


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