# One Deteriorating mouse.



## paddycat (Mar 25, 2015)

Hi everyone, My mouse needs help!

Runty rob was always small, he got bit and picked on by his litter but i took him with two other boys anyway. Rob has Big ben in his cage now, dave went off to the female tank a few weeks back and is failing at seducing mice for now.

Rob is ill for the last week i've noted his "constant sleeping" I never see him eat or drink. Whilst Big Ben is doing his usual mousie thing and giving rob lots of grooming licks, bens a gentle giant and i'm loathe to separate them as Rob gets worse, ben seems fine, no attacking, no barbering. Rob has slowly become a skeleton and I have no idea what to do with him. He doesn't sneeze or cough (anymore than the other mice), however i noticed his fur thinning out and long grey hairs appearing over his pelt.

Rob was the runt, and was always a lot smaller than the other mice. Could he just be passing on naturally? Also, should i remove ben from robs cage to see if that helps? Or pet rob in a new cage?

Please answer me back, meantime i'll browse through this topic and hope for some sort of miracle.

-Paddy.


----------



## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

How old is he?


----------



## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

Yes, I think you should seperate them and see if that makes a difference. If it helps, you can see it within a few days already. But really, it could be Rob just doesn't have more life left. If he was always a runt, chances are he was never meant to live very long. I'd also like to know how old he is.


----------



## reeserueryn (Apr 13, 2015)

Reading what was happening I was actually wondering if he was a runt negotiate even finishing. It's probably a cause of that, something might have just not formed properly inside of him and might be starting to give in just now. It must all suck very sorry to hear :/ maybe try giving him some protein? Some scrambled/boiled eggs or something of the sorts to give him a boost of energy?


----------



## paddycat (Mar 25, 2015)

Rob was only 6 months old, but yeah he just started to slip with no change in food, no real indications apart from he wouldn't eat, all he did was sleep and gingerly walk around the cage. 
He passed away last week on friday night so I buried him beside a birch tree, and put a foxglove atop his resting place. 
He was a noisy lil' fella, but his brother Big Ben always groomed him and cuddled up close when he was ill. Thank you for your supportive words, I hate to admit but I got fairly tearful about it. Comes from always rooting for the underdogs.

But some good news, Runty Robs brother Medium Dave is gonna be a daddymoos!
End on a happy note :3

-Paddy


----------



## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

I love those names you've given them. 
Sorry to hear about Rob. I'm sure it was because he was a runt. I am actually impressed he lived that long.
Good luck with Dave's litter.


----------



## paddycat (Mar 25, 2015)

Thank you very much patricia!
I like giving my mouse names after I worked in costa rica at a macaw sanctuary, they believed in more empathic science like jane goodall. And I love my meece so much! :3
I can't wait to name Dave and Sophies litter :3


----------



## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

You should definitely post pictures in the current litters forum, so we can all follow them when they are born.


----------



## raisin (Sep 22, 2014)

I realize it is a bit late, though if you encounter a runt again or if as your remaining guys age they seem to decline, I recommend feeding them kitten milk replacer (powder). It is a real boost in energy and helps them beef up a bit. Also they love it.


----------



## paddycat (Mar 25, 2015)

Kitten milk eh? I had to use that once to soften cat kibble for a sparrow i rescued once, I raised it for two months, was gruelling.
Will try that next time.

OH!

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=33386

Sophie gave birth, for those of you following. :3


----------



## raisin (Sep 22, 2014)

For my old gal, I dilute it twice as much as the instructions say.


----------

