RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Thu Aug 25, 2005 9:52 pm

First off nice to meet all of you, I'm new (I didn't just write that ...lol).

I have 2 mice named London and Glassglow, both are female. I have been having a week from Hadies with them. Here's the story (I promise the bedding issue will be included It's the last paragraph if you wish to skip the rest.

So I went to clean my secretaries home Monday found London is missing most of one of her ears. I can't tell if it's a bite wound from Glasgow or if it started as a scratch and ended up bitten off. I got it cleaned up and did what I could. I got London in a small Kritter Keeper for now. Going to call the vets (our vet does all animals, everything from cats and dogs to sheep, horses, mice, rats...you name it they do it) tomorrow to see what they have to say. Took her to the vet Monday morning and they are saying Glassglow is the culprit for the ear being torn. So not only does London get her own home now she also gets to get her ear amputated. Reason being when I took her in this morning there were signs of infection and they watched her for a while this morning and said it looked like the ear (the part that was still there) was annoying her which is why she kept scratching at it and making it bleed. By doing all that she was giving herself an infection. The best way to beat the infection at the point is to take the ear and do antibiotics. Because she's a wiggle wart (as all mice are) they have to put her under to do the amputation and there's a good chance she may not make it (has a lot to do with her size). London is now home and in her new temperary home. She came threw like a champ and is now on meds for Mites even though they didn't see them when they did a scope.

I also have to give the same parasite meds to Glassglow. I went to pick her up to give meds to her and found she is showing signs of then same thing that London has. Everything from blood behind the ear to missing fur. Glassglow goes to the vet tomorrow in the hopes that we can figure this out. It's just not my week with mice. Till then I hope Glassglow won't make her ear any worse than it is now. ARRRG. As of Tuesday afternoon they are both on Prednizone (ohh to be a mouse) and Ivermectin for mites. The pred has knocked both mice out. So hopefully the pred will help them itch less so they can heal a bit faster. In the mean time they are both in medium sized Kritter Keepers (easier to grab them at med time) for a week or two. London is doing better today. Glassglow was very active this morning at the vets (and itching alot). Good news is she doesn't have to have her ear amputated just yet. If things go as planned she won't have to have it amputated at all. Bad news is these mice are getting very expensive....$60 for the meds this afternoon, $230 for London's ear amputation. I'll keep you posted as things progress. Well I woke up this morning and Glassglow has managed to tear half of her ear off (it's still hanging on by the part of the ear that she hasn't torn yet). It's looking like she'll be soon joining the one eared mouse club this week. I get off the phone with the vet this morning and they are going to Amputate Glassglows ear tonight.

here's where my Bedding issue comes into play...I was talking to a friend of mine and she told me to come here if I needed any help or what not. My friend told me that some types of the wood edding are known to have mites. She told me she found that info on this board somewhere and I have spent that last 4 hrs trying to find it and I can't. If some one would be willing to help me out here I would very much be greatfull. I was using Premier Pet Scent Free Aspen Bedding when all this ear stuff started (been using it since I brought them home back in June). Since the ear problems have come to light I went out and bought some CareFresh Ultra for the girls. Thought it might be a little nicer for them to burrow in and play on with ouchie ears. What i want to know is the Aspen Bedding I have some of the wood bedding that is known to have mites in it?

Thanks for the help.

CJ

Thu Aug 25, 2005 10:01 pm

I'd say almost any bedding could potentially have buggies in it. I've heard of Carefresh having it, too. I use Yesterday's news in litterboxes, which seems to me as if it would be less likely to have bugs (though I don't know why it seems that way- perhaps because the bags are sealed and don't have airholes) and cloth in the cages. Now, I can ensure that my cloth doesn't have bugs, since it comes from my own house and is washed in hot water and detergent regularly.

I'm sorry about your rattie's ear, by the way Sad

. I don't think separating the girls is the solution if you haven't seen any aggression. Good luck with it all!

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Thu Aug 25, 2005 10:09 pm

Well, I've also heard that Carefresh bags can be mite bags. A good way to make sure there aren't any is to freeze the bedding before you put it in.

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Thu Aug 25, 2005 10:22 pm

	Jill wrote:
	I'm sorry about your rattie's ear, by the way . !

Jill, these are mice. LOL

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Thu Aug 25, 2005 10:49 pm

Ooh, poor mousies! Pred should help quite a lot, and if you can get some aloe cream with a small percentage of cortisone in (check w/ vet first for contraindications) that will help topically.

Check the Litter & Bedding sticky for tons of bedding info too. Any store-bought bedding can have bugs even if it's sealed, but I think somewhere in that bedding thread someone recommends deep-freezing the bag to kill any possible parasites.

When you said she might not do well in surgery because of her size, is it because she's fat? I have some huge mice, and one girl (who is gone now) got through her surgery wonderfully.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Thu Aug 25, 2005 11:45 pm

Sorry, rats on the brain Sad

. Sorry for your mice!

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Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:00 pm

The vet has decided to keep her over the weekend. Won't know anything till Monday.

CJ

Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:25 pm

Please keep us updated!

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:56 am

Though any bedding could harbor mites, I wonder if the more processed litters like Yesterday's News or hardwood pellets might be a lower risk. I could be way off base, but it seems like the more processed and less of a natural state a litter is in, the less likely the parasites would still be around. Of course, I suppose all bets are off if the processed litter is sitting right next to a buggy litter at the pet shop.
You could also try paper that has been run through an office shredder. Not a lot of odor control, but the mite risk seems low. I've used some from my business when I've accidentally run out of my usual litter. The mice do love to play in it.

Sat Aug 27, 2005 8:22 am

Agreed, Wade, I was just thinking along the lines of even one invisible-to-the-eye tear in a vacuum-sealed bag in a store that already has bugs.... eeew.

I've been lucky so far with all my CareFresh, and the Ultra is so soft that I couldn't deny my rodents the fun of it. I think I would rent freezer space if I had to so they could have their little fluffy clouds. Mr. Green

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous