# Missing part of tail



## Gill (Sep 16, 2011)

The surviving youngster from my Siamese doe's litter is missing most of her tail. This is either the result of a birth defect or, more likely, the mother damaged it when she cleared the nest (it is not genetic). Is it OK to keep the mouse (she is already shewing signs of the Siamese colouring), or will the lack of tail affect her quality of life?

Sorry, not a very good picture - my camera is fairly elderly, and isn't much good for close-ups.


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## kittygirl991 (Sep 16, 2011)

aww poor thing, why did the others die? i would say keep it and give it a better chance at life unlike its brothers and sisters


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## maddeh (Jul 14, 2011)

Poor thing!
I would assume the lack of tail would affect her ability to balance and climb as well as mice with a tail, but if she is kept in a tank that doesn't have lots of levels, etc., I wouldn't expect it to have a massive affect on her quality of life. As it has happened so early in life, I would also expect her to adapt to this disability very quickly.


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## kittygirl991 (Sep 16, 2011)

i agree with maddeh


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## jadeguppy (Jun 4, 2011)

She should be fine. Think of it as a manx except you didn't breed for that.


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## Gill (Sep 16, 2011)

Thanks - that's what I thought, but I wanted the advice of more experienced breeders. I would hate to keep a mouse, only to find I was causing her suffering.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I've also had pet mice who were lacking the majority of their tails (idiot petstore workers), plus a breeder doe who'd lost half her tail early in life to injury. Nobody had any trouble related to the tails, once the injuries had healed.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

I had 2 girls with stumps for tails and it didnt seem to bother them one bit, just made it harder to catch them when they were messing about lol. One like yours was done at birth, mum couldnt cope and hurt and killed some of the babies, so reduced the litter to just 3 and she settled down, one was a girl with a bitten tail. The second was when one baby of 6 weeks went crazy and ate another babies tail (yes picked it up and ate it). The first one is a pet with someone i know and her 2 sisters and from what ive been told they are all doing great.


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

Looks like a birth defect. Keep your eye out for spinal deformities, or other malformations. If nothing else shows up, she should be fine.

Technically it -is- genetic, just probably not inheritable.


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## MoonfallTheFox (Nov 12, 2011)

You should keep her. She will be just fine- mice and rats who have amputations, or even have eyes removed, adjust very well. She has been this way since birth, so she will know nothing different, and it will not bother her at all. At the very worst she may get too hot a little bit faster because there's less surface area to dissapate heat from (the tail is important for this). A water bottle with ice in it, in the cage wrapped in a towel during hot days will help her to keep cool.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

*Rhasputin*: how would this be genetic? The op indicated that this was either a birth injury or an injury caused by mum.


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

This does not look like an injury to me, it looks like a birth defect judging by the look of the tail.


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## Gill (Sep 16, 2011)

Rhasputin I watched the doe clearing the nest just after the litter was born, which is why I am pretty sure that that was the cause of the injury. Also, there was a spot of blood on the tail, suggesting a bite. There are no known defects in the doe's line (and her sister has had a healthy litter with the same buck), and the buck came from another member of this site who had already used him successfully for breeding. I will, however, keep a close eye on her "just in case", and won't risk using her for breeding.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

The spot of blood is very telling!


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

That goofy bit sticking out on the end, is that bone? Cuz I was just wondering, does anyone think that should get removed (vet) so that it isn't catching on stuff? Without the fleshy tissue that usually gives a bit of cover for those bones, I wonder if its more sensitive. I'm just imagining it feels like getting kicked in the shin. I mean, when dogs get their tails docked, the vet usually make them pretty rounded, right?

This isn't me saying I "know" you should do this, its just me wondering and mulling it over out loud.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

That odd bit sticking out the end looked like flesh without bone to me, as though a bit of skin had healed sticking out instead of wrapped around the end.


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## Gill (Sep 16, 2011)

I've just checked Stumpy (well, what else could I call her?), and it's definately a flap of skin. Best guess is that it is what remains of the piece of tail Minnie bit off.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

It doesn't look anything like a birth defect to me  It's happened to a couple of my kittens, the cause was just a very enthusiastic mother. They were fine later in life by the way, Gill. I had a rat born with a tiny, tightly curled tail, and she lived a perfectly normal life. She used to hop like a rabbit rather than scurry like a rat, but she could climb and balance as well as the others.

Edited: That flappy bit will either die and fall off, or it'll keep getting blood to it and be fine. Vet intervention will only be needed if it gets infected, but it looks like it's already healed


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## Gill (Sep 16, 2011)

Thanks Sarah. She seems healthy enough now, if a little small. I probably should have culled her, but she put up such a fight for life that I hadn't the heart. I can a sentimental fool at times! It's a good thing I have plenty of room for does.


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

Okay, glad to have my question answered. She's really cute though!


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