# Bad ear: No fur, swollen(?), raw skin, bloody. Urgent(!/?)



## Doveflight (Jul 15, 2012)

This is only on her ears. One of our mice, Midnight, had been scratching. All our mice scratch now and again and we belive its just a common behavior. So my brother was watching her as she scratched and noticed something was off about her ear. He picked her up and after we both examined her she concluded the following:

Under her right ear was a patch of skin, maybe a centimeter long half a centemeter high that had no fur.
The skin without fur looked raw, and possibly a little swollen and red. (mostly white)
There were little bits of blood traces, which i expect were from scratching although my brothers think a diffrent mouse bit her.
She has been scratching far more than the other mice recently.
Its only her right ear, maybe a slightest bit on her left but nothing noticeable.

Our other mice, Pepper, Lucky, and Spot (all four are does by the way) have no signs of this. They don't usually fight (i mean other than dominence and there is always no blood) though Pepper can be a little bit of a bully. They have been in the same cage and toys for almost four to five months now. If i need to provide other information i can . Oh yeah, the food and water is the same too and the bedding.

I really hope we don't have to take her to the vet because i doubt my dad will take her and he will just let her go outside to the wild or let her die!  He doesnt like mice at all, hates haveing to spend money on them (expectually as i just shattered their tank two days ago and we had to buy a new one (same kind)), and i'm sure he wouldnt do anything to help. All he did was suggest putting antibiotics on it but i said that might harm her because i think i read that somewhere. HELP WANTED PLEASE.


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

Sounds like it could be one of your other does has bitten it in which case washing with an antiseptic soloution will help prevent any infection. or the other thing it may be is mites in which case I would dust all the mice and substarte and bedding lightly with a kitten flea powder or if you have it treat all with ivermectin.

The fur loss is due to excessive scratching and will grow back


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

cheap antiseptic solution is 1 level teaspoon of salt dissolved in a pint of water


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## Doveflight (Jul 15, 2012)

Could it be mites if they've had the same bedding (in fact the same bag of bedding due to it being super big)? I belive other than scratching a little bit every day(s) there has been no other fur loss.

And it was probably Pepper biting her because she does that when she's showing dominence. How do we apply it, how often, and how much at a time?


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

It does not do any harm to treat for mites as a preventative measure, antiseptic can be applied using cotton buds, or cotton wool balls and can be applied by dabbing the affected area, due to it being a salt solution it can be applied as often as you like but would do it atleast twice daily for the first 3 days untill the wound has healed


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## Doveflight (Jul 15, 2012)

Alright, sorry if this seems like a bother but my dad really doesnt like mice, like i mentioned and he refused to anything involveing them exept look at midnight just to see her ear and buy a new tank when i broke ours. Where do we get the stuff for mits? All of it and the general costs. And what do i have to do exactly?


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

walmart, petsmart or other place that sells pet products will generally sell flea powder for kittens, cost in the USA I am unsure of but should be no more than $6, this you would just dust lightly the substrate and bedding. Ivermectin is available on eBay and is more expensive and is applied directly to the animal.

Antiseptic solution (salt and water) they should be in the house in the kitchen it is the same salt as you would add to food or in the preparation of meals.

If you really want to build up a first aid kit, antiseptic powder, solution and cream would be available from the like of petsmart price varies depending on brand.

Cotton buds/balls available from most chemists or places that sells womens makeup about $2 for each.


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## Doveflight (Jul 15, 2012)

Since i wasnt home, my dad just went to the pet store but didn't know what to get. Now he says he won't go back because he couldnt find anything. He says that we have to use either vegtable oil or -natural flea & tick spray for dogs- on them. Are any of these even safe to use on mice?


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

Flea and tick spray for dogs will be far to strong for mice and result in more skin problems. Vegetable oil is safe to use


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

it could be a behavioural thing, I had a problem with OCD scratching at the beginning of my line, it piped up a few gens back with two sisters, they had been scratching the bottom of the ear . lost the fur there and the skin went sore and eventually started bleeding then one started on the other ear. I tried antibiotics in case an ear infection was the cause but it didn't help and they had been treated for parasites. 
they were putdown in the end as I knew they would only end up like my original did.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

I have to concur with PPVallunds...it's a problem that can be mostly genetic. It shows up in my lines sometimes. I am still trying to breed it out 100%. If it does not respond to medical treatment it is likely genetic and the mouse may end up needing to be put down. 
I have to say, I don't mean to be harsh so please do not take me for that, but if you are not financially independent, you have to be sure your parents are willing to help with any pets you have. Otherwise, animals end up suffering while parents are unwilling to provide care. Is there someone you could give the mouse to who is willing to spend money on it's care?

Ivermectin pour-on is about $15 a bottle and will last quite a while. It should be diluted with water 6 parts water, one part ivermectin. spraying mouse and cage once a week should help within a few weeks, but keep it up for 6-7 weeks to make sure all new eggs are killed. Parasites are a very common problem and it's likely this issue that's causing the pain to your mouse. Ivermectin is the best treatment out there, and it's really best to start with it before the situation gets too extreme.


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## scrapheapchallenge (Sep 17, 2012)

I'm sorry to hear that your dad doesn't seem supporting of you having mice, is your mum still around too? If she is what does she think?

I know it's difficult wanting to care for animals if those around you are not supportive, I used to rescue all sorts of animals when I was younger, sometimes secretly because I was in a boarding school and the matron would not have approved!

Your dad might be stressed out and have worries that leave him tetchy, it may be he doesn't want to burden you with his worries so bottles them up instead of talking about it (many men are like this trust me!) so I'd take heart from the fact he went to the pet store for you at all hun, I'm sure he does love you and wouldn't want to see you upset if one of your mice dies.

My only other suggestion (for future) would be if you called the pet shop yourself and ask to talk to a small animal specialist there - my local pets at home are good for this - I had wanted to check if they had mouse-safe mite treatment in stock before I made the trip out to buy it in case they didn't.

You could ask what they think and what they have in stock which may help, and ask if they can set some aside to sell to your dad when he next goes in so you can be sure he has the right thing.

Also don't underestimate the power of friends - do you have any school friends who might be willing to help who could pick something up for you at the pet shop? Many mouse things are "pocket money" amounts anyway so they could pick something up for you and give it to you at school if you give them the money for it? Also if any of your neighbours have pets they might be willing to help. Obviously do not go approaching the neighbours unless you know them already or your parent or guardian knows them well and approves of you talking to them!

An example is in my village some kids had found a friendly ferret straying in the street, they didn't know what to do with him so brought him to me because they know I rescue animals. I put him in a spare cat cage and called Ferret Rescue to come and take him so he'd be safe. A neighbour's dog had a minor wound but was elderly and couldn't get to a vet. I used to be a veterinary assistant and knew it would be fine with just a bit of antiseptic wound powder on it so gave her some wound powder I had spare that I didn't need any more.

Anyhow, back to your mouse specifically:
1 - you said a mouse tank broke the other week - is it possible this mouse may have been injured by the broken tank?

2 - Basic wound care means keeping the site clean to give it chance to heal.

3 - Keeping the mouse clean is only half of the problem - you also need to keep the mouse's environment clean.

4 - if possible, it is sensible to seperate the ill or injured mouse in case it either passes something onto your healthy mice, or in case the healthy mice harass it or make the problem worse. If you have an old ice cream tub you can punch a lot of air holes in with a pencil or scissors etc, then line this with some kitchen or toilet roll (more hygenic and less dusty than most pet bedding for recuperating animals), and seperate the injured/ill mouse with plenty of fresh water available, and some food. Change the bedding DAILY (or even twice a day depending on the size of the tub and how dirty your mouse makes it), wipe the plastic with petsafe disinfectant, or hot soapy water, dry and re-bed it.

5 - as others have said, you can make a gentle "saline" solution to clean the wound with by dissolving plain table salt in warm water. I like to use water that has been boiled in a kettle first then COOLED (VERY important!), as this will be more pure and sterile than plain tap water. Use a cotton wool bud to bathe the injury area.

6 - aloe vera and tea tree oil are good for basic wound treatment, and some people have them in the house already. If you do have a friend who can visit the pet store for you, I found a good product in my pets at home store which I have used on my mouse who had a sore on his back and ears - it has now cleared up. It is a tiny tub of Johnson's Tea Tree Skin Cream "for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters etc" it is only 50grams, and cost £2.99 which isn't much. It contains tea tree oil, lavender and aloe vera. It is designed for small pets and is safe if they lick at it.

You may not find the same product where you are but I'm sure the pet shop will have something similar, so phone them and ask, and tell them that someone will be coming in to pick it up for you. 

You will need to gently restrain your mouse and rub a little of the cream on twice a day. On a bigger animal you would usually bandage the wound as well but that's not really possible with something as tiny as a mouse.

All the best and I hope your mouse is feeling better soon.

When you can start saving up your pocket money to get a supply of first aid things for your mice for future use, or you can ask for mouse supplies for your birthday etc. Adults usually have a lot of respect for younger people who put others before themselves, including animals, and should support your responsible attitude towards animal care.

You could ask your parent(s) and neighbours if there are any chores you can do for extra pocket money, sweeping driveways, cleaning cars, painting fences, gardening, pet sitting, dog walking etc, or even (with your parents permission only of course) seeing if there are elderly or disabled neighbours who may need help with washing up or vacuuming. (I'm disabled now and I know it's the kind of thing that I'd be grateful for help with!)

If you love animals you could also look into later doing some work experience at a local rescue, pet boarding facility, or veterinary surgeons, cleaning cages etc and learning about pet care as you go, which can lead to paid weekend jobs too.

Best of luck and take care.


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## onionpencil (Jan 6, 2013)

i agree with the earlier post, the salt water is free and you can dab it on with a q-tip or cotton ball or even a tissue in a pinch. i wouldn't panic about mites or genetic issues yet, but keep an eye out.

you can clean the cage and non wooden items with 1 parts chlorine bleach to 9 parts water, vinegar works too. get the cage clean first then let the solution soak for at least 10 minutes. if you use bleach rinse REALLY well, i actually like to rinse with some vinegar to be sure there's no bleach left. good luck, hope you can get it fixed up.


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## gyri (Nov 20, 2012)

It sounds like people have provided far more information than I could ever hope to in regards to the ear scratching issue. I just wanted to say that if it comes down to it, releasing a captive mouse into the wild, especially a sick one, is one of the absolute worst things you can do. The species of mouse in captivity is a wild species (though it was introduced to the US from Europe) and a variety of things can happen. To start off, captive mice do not have what it takes to survive in the wild and it would almost certainly be killed by a predator or even another mouse. If the mouse does survive it may spread illness to the wild population that the wild mice are not adapted to deal with OR if the mouse breeds it would be introducing genes into the wild population that could harm the population later on down the road. Most likely though the mouse would perish and if a predator doesn't get to it first it'd be a pretty bad way to go. If you can't save the mouse, please don't just let it go outside. You wouldn't be doing the mouse any favors, it'd just be out of sight and out of mind.

I hope the salt trick works. I relied on a similar method to treat infections in fish successfully many times.


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## TrixYogurt (iM) (Oct 28, 2012)

Releasing domesticated animals into the wild is illegal in the Untied States. Not sure about overseas though.


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