# Poor health



## Chell (Jul 23, 2015)

Hi, I have just joined your forum in the hope that I could perhaps get in touch with someone if they live locally to get some advice about our pet fancy mouse, Chocco.

We bought him from a pet shop and he lives on his own. A while back, maybe 3-4 months ago, he started scratching, so I bought some Ivermectin from Pets at Home and treated him a couple of times. He did seem to stop, but this behaviour started up again, not long after being treated. He is bedded on paper shreddings (home shredded) and occasionally I used to give him a bit of hay and at one stage was bedded on wood chippings. I have since stopped this and he just has paper bedding. He then started producing this red stuff from his ears and then his eyes, it was not blood. I read online that this is called Porphyrin and that mice and rats can produce it if they are stressed.

We have increased the size of his cage and he has various cardboard tubes to hide in. I have tried him on various different mouse food preparations, and found that this particular one reduced his scratching, so I am wondering if he has some kind of allergy which is stressing him.

However he now has a bald patch under his chest and has cropped a patch of fur on his back. I put a little weak steroid ointment on his chest and it appeared to alleviate the itching.

Now he has an odd posture, whereby he looks stooped over, although still moves around well. He comes out for runs to give him a bit more freedom, but I am really struggling with trying to do the best for him.

Any ideas please?


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

The stooped appearance indicates illness or age.Porphyrin is rarely seen on totally fit mice so again either his health is compromised by illness or age.Baldness and scratching should be treated for parasites and fungal infection.Parasites are easily treated with over the counter permethrin based products or ivermectin(spot on) Fungal conditions can be treated with imaverol but it's about £25 for a 100ml bottle which is quite steep for one little mouse.You can safely and cheaply treat with athletes foot powder but would have to do a few repeat treaments.Just powder all over.Some skin conditions are age or poor health related and really hard to treat with steroids being the only option and a last resort.Have you held him close to your ear to see if he has noisy breathing?Is his tail well fleshed or bony?Belly smooth or laddered?All symptoms of poor health.If he has a respiratory illness you can attempt treatment with antibiotics but there tends to be very limited success.


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## Chell (Jul 23, 2015)

Thank you for your quick response. His little tail is fine, I will double check but his tummy I think is smooth, excepting the bare patch which he has licked. I will have a listen to his chest. His breathing does look fast, but I've no other mice to compare to.

I've used Ivermectin, and can do him again.

Is 18 months old for a mouse? How long do they normally live for?

Chell.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

18 months is getting on.You will probably see a decline from now on despite your best efforts.They rarely pass 2 years of age .They become hunched,squinty eyed and often sneeze and have fast noisy breathing.


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## Chell (Jul 23, 2015)

Aw, thanks Sarah, maybe he is just getting on then. He is looking a bit old. We will do our best for him. 
xx


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