# Fur Loss - How to Treat?



## zoocrewmice (May 5, 2009)

I got a satin himi doe from another breeder a few weeks ago. Aside from her tail being short from being nibbled on by mom, she seemed in perfect health. Yesterday I noticed that she's losing a lot of fur on her back. It doesn't seem to be very irritated, just white, kinda flaky skin with what looked like possibly bloody scabs higher up. I'm going to try and get some pictures later today. She didn't seem to be scratching at it, but then, I only watched for a minute.

I guess a picture is an order, but my question is fungus? Mites? Something else? I want to get it cleared up fast, she's in with my pretty satin siam buck right now. I hope he doesn't get anything...


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## zoocrewmice (May 5, 2009)

Here are the pics - it doesn't look too bad, but I'm still worried...


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Does the buck groom her a lot?

I had a buck who was overgroomed by the doe he was paired with; he improved as soon as I separated them. The fur is still filling in, but the little scabs and the red skin are better.

Other than that, try eliminating wheat and corn from the diet. You'd see mites if you took a piece of TP or paper toweling and scrabbled a small handful of bedding over it...little moving specks of s__t. they can be hard to spot if they haven't fed extensively yet, and you may need to do this several times before you actual see one. In the case of doubt, it doesn't hurt to treat both of them for mites. Iver On is pretty cheap and I have used on pregnant does and babies with little ill effect if any.

Foot powder could be used, but I doubt it's a fungus if the male doesn't have it too.


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## zoocrewmice (May 5, 2009)

I haven't seen the buck grooming her, he hasn't done that to any of the past does he's been with.

The main reason I'm not suspecting mites is that it seems isolated to that one spot and doesn't seem irritated - my experience with mites in the past doesn't make them seem likely now... though of course, I have no idea what's wrong with her.

If I don't get any other ideas I'll probably treat them with ivermectin or what not, and keep an eye on the hair growing back...


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

Looks like hot spots to me. Could be from a food allergy.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

I think it is mites. Mites start along the back and spread..I had them look like that once before...at any rate Ivermectin treatment can't hurt. I'd treat the buck too as preventative.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

thm: That is my thought as well. 

I treat all breeding meeces before putting them together, as mites infestation can kill pinkies, and is very annoying to the doe, who could up and kill the pinkies. While I wouldn't hesitate to treat during pregnancy or after delivery, it has to be a bit more risky to treat during those times. You can never tell exactly how susceptible any mousie is to adverse side effects.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

MS-it's supposed to be super safe at the proper dosage for pinkies and prego moms, but your right, it makes me a bit nervous.
ZCM, do you know the dosage you need? It's five parts water, one part iver.


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

Bob Martin's mite spray is also fine to use and gets rid of mites. It's not ivermectin but pyrethrins though. The other option if that doesn't work is to treat with a tea tree oil/water spray as this will kill fungus such as ringworm. However ringworm doesn't usually present with scabs, just normal undamaged skin with no fur, perhaps a little dry skin.


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## zoocrewmice (May 5, 2009)

Okay, so I'm going to treat her and the mice she's with for mites - she's gotten a bit worse, but the other two (the buck and another doe) seem completely unaffected. I figure I'll go buy some tea tree oil to have on hand, and to use if the other stuff doesn't work.

What would you suggest buying, for Ivermectin?

There's this:
http://www.amazon.com/Ivermectin-Paste- ... 218&sr=8-3
and I'm assuming the treatment would just be about a grain of rice size, orally? Just a guess, would need to get some specifics from someone who knows what they're doing before administering anything.

or this - http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Labs-Iverm ... pd_sbs_k_2
Would this be the 5 to 1 water/iver ratio?

Then the spray, is this right? http://www.amazon.com/Durvet-Inc-Permet ... =8-2-fkmr0
That would probably be very useful, just want to clarify - do you spray down cages and what not, or do you actually spray the mice? Directions say not to spray food or water, so I'm assuming it's not good to ingest, which makes me afraid for mice grooming...

Sorry for all the questions, hoping I can buy a couple things tomorrow and get her cleaned up asap.


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## zoocrewmice (May 5, 2009)

Oops! That last link was bad, wasn't the stuff you mentioned. Apparently that is toxic to a lot of mammals, but what you mentioned, is not. I guess my questions still apply. 

http://www.amazon.com/Pyrethrin-Spray-C ... 373&sr=1-2


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

http://www.vetpharmacy.co.uk/small-...my-little-friend-mite-spray-150ml-pd-818.html
This is the stuff I use. It's fine to use on mice and I have never had a problem.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

Eeep, Zoo Crew I did not see this sooner....the oral paste can be a danger...absolutely...here is the ivermectin I buy, about $40 and yes, diluted 5/1http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=50LkTcPxEOHd0QGWsti1Bw&ved=0CCcQ8wIwAQ#


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## zoocrewmice (May 5, 2009)

Would like to mention that I do believe it was a food allergy, I realized later that it had started up after feeding them a different dog food since I ran out of their usual. Once they were back on the normal stuff, she grew the hair right back. I did buy the pyrethrin concentrate and do plan on using that in the future though.


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## Galaxy (May 25, 2011)

My mouse which I posted in a different thread has this same problem. I don't have a great camera so couldn't take the photos to show exactly my mouses skin problem but it does look like this. She started off with a scabby muzzle then they fell off and took the fur with them at the same time this was also happening between her shoulder blades. Again the scabs dried and fell off and now she has a bald patch there. Am using teatree cream because its looking pinkish but not in a healthy way. It might be slightly infected. I put some on her muzzle too. Luckily she has been a VERY co-operative lil girl and didn't get it in her eyes! No one else has this problem. She has been eating the same food since I got her so I don't think it is an allergy and she has only just got it. Could it be fungal? I have the powder if it is. Just need an opinion. I had another mouse who did have a fungal infection and the powder did clear it up.


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