# Skin Issues



## jess1909 (Aug 16, 2017)

I have a domestic mouse that is ~18 months old. We bought it when it was 2 months old with its sister. The sister passed away suddenly with respiratory issues about 4 months ago. Within the last month, the mouse started itching and biting its skin. It got to the point where it started to bleed. It would just sit in the corner, by its water and scratch and bite. I searched the Internet and found it could be a food allergy. I switched to the food that came from the pet store where I originally purchased the mouse. No change. I when changes the bedding from recycled shredded paper to non-cedar wood shavings. Again, no change. I then purchased mite/flea spray. It seemed to help, but if I do not apply it every 2 days, she goes back to itching and biting. The town I live in does not have a veterinarian that is experienced with small rodents. Has anyone else ever have this issue? I really feel so bad for this family pet as it cannot be getting any rest.

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## Cheshire Gleam (Aug 15, 2016)

What kind of mite/flea spray are you using? A common pest killer is Ivermectin, diluted to three parts water, one part Ivermectin. It's cheap, very effective and needs only to be applied to the cleaned environment every seven to ten days for a month. She could be scratching like you said due to an unknown food allergy so you could feed her rice for a few days and see if the scratching clears up. Mice being allergic to rice is almost unheard of and will help you determine if it's a food allergy or not then figure out her triggers. Some mice, like a few that I've had, just have a disorder or even OCD and scratch until they bleed for seemingly no reason. If none of these turn out to be the reason, she might be depressed and lonely without company. Not saying you need to run and get her some companions, you shouldn't get stuck in a loop of owning mice if you don't want to but it could work out if that's the cause and if not you can spend more time with her while also enriching her cage as much as possible. Vets don't really help much for mice in any case, they overcharge, often misdiagnose, and stress your mice; more harm than good.


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## jess1909 (Aug 16, 2017)

Thank you so much for the information! I will see if I can find the Ivermectin. I originally thought it was food so I went back to the pet store where I purchased her and bought what they feed their mice. No change in her condition. I also changed her bedding to straight wood clips (not cedar), no change. When her partner passed away, I did purchase another mouse, but she constantly fought with it so she is separated. The flea spray I purchased is called UltraCare Flea & Tick Spray for small animals. It contains .06% Pyrethrins


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## jess1909 (Aug 16, 2017)

I assume the rice should be cooked as raw rice would expand in her stomach?


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## Cheshire Gleam (Aug 15, 2016)

Yes, cook the rice, pretty sure you can use white or brown but brown is healthier. Pet stores are known for feeding poor quality diets, among other things, but I wouldn't know if that's the case for your specific one. Good foods that don't encourage picky eating and usually don't cause allergies are lab blocks from the brands Oxbow, Mazuri and Harlan Teklad/Native Earth. I'd advise switching to one of those after seeing if the rice makes her stop scratching. As for bedding, cedar, pine an unspecified softwood beddings are toxic so it's good that you use aspen now. However, wood based beddings are the cause for a lot of allergic reactions in rodents so maybe try something like paper towels and change them every few days or as needed and Carefresh or similar paper based beddings. Carefresh is a little expensive in my opnion. Just make to freeze any bedding first to kill off potential pests. As for her being with another mouse, did you clean out the enclosure, toys, and everything inside of it? Mice are naturally territorial animals and will fight intruders. Giving them a non-claimed area, free of either mice's scent makes introduction way easier and without toys at first too. The stress helps them bond. Put in two water and food sources if you can. They may fight for awhile but so long as neither mouse is overly aggressive and there is no bloodshed, chasing and squabbling should calm down as the days progress. You know your mouse better than me though so if you believe she should be on her own, I'd avoid a cagemate for now. I don't know where you live and if you can purchase things online, but assuming you can, here's a link on Amazon for Ivermectin. If this isn't the case, most feed stores and places like Tractor Supply sell Ivermectin. Never use the oral paste form, it can cause neurological issues and death. Good luck and hope your mouse feels better soon!

https://www.amazon.com/Durvet-Ivermecti ... ivermectin


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