RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:10 pm

Something is wrong with my son's four mice. Yesterday I was in his room and noticed that they all looked like hunch backs, but they were acting normal. Last night one of them was able to escape, but I found it on my bed. I put her back in with the others. She ran and drank a lot of water. Then she went to the others were very excited/aggitated when she joined them and then they all huddled together with their eyes half open - not something they do in the open out of their hideaways. This morning my son came in and said something was wrong with them. They were all still huddled up in the same place. I thought they were dead at first, but they started moving a little. My son had given them some cheese yesterday, even after he had been told not to in the past. He said it was a little, but I'm not sure how much it was. As I recall, however, they looked hunched before he had fed them the cheese. We fed them green peas to try to get their systems clean. They did eat the peas, had bowl movements, and are looking a little better. I don't know what could be wrong with them. Other than the cheese, I don't know what could be wrong with them. They eat veggies, apples, pasta, lab blocks, and drink water. The vet is closed today. Any ideas on what could be wrong with them and how to help them would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you!

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--Suz

3 rats
4 mice
2 dogs
2 homo sapiens (my favorite)

Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:42 pm

If they're all sick, I'd guess they probably have some kind of infection, or they've got into something that's disagreed with them or is toxic. If they're really that poorly, there's probably not a whole lot you can do other than keep them warm, try and get them to drink plenty of fluids (offer them some water sweetened with sugar or a little fruit juice, or a little pedialyte), offer grapes, melon etc to help hydrate them too, and perhaps some energy boosting foods like oatmeal of baby food.

Any other symptoms - diarrhoea, rattling/wheezing/clicking, coughing and/or sneezing, any painful areas, sore/bloated abdomen, pale/blue extremities, shaking etc? Usually pneumonia isn't a contagious problem - but if all of them have got sick at the same time, you may be looking at something else. Have you brought any new animals into the house recently, or handled your mice within a few hours of handling others, particularly in pet stores etc? Are they peeing normally - or more/less than usual, any odd smells/colours/etc? Any sign of straining or pain?

Cheese isn't likely to hurt them (I don't know if the need to avoid mold ripened cheeses applies to mice as well as rats but if so - as long as it's not a mold ripened cheese) although it is very fatty and high in protein and should be reserved for a treat. Could they have got into something they shouldn't have - houseplants maybe? anything non-edible? anything that should have been cooked but wasn't?

It might be worth ringing around a few vets and see if any of them would take a look at them as an emergency case if they're that unwell. The RMCA website has a list of rat/mouse friendly vets.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:09 pm

No wheezing, no straining, no diarrehea, but their abdomens do look bloated. They've been eating the green peas like crazy. No new pets (although we have roof rats in our attic,storage room, and walls. They haven't been able to get into our living areas yet.). My son got them a brand new round-about ball, but only two of them have gone in it. When we were at the pet store, we did not touch any animals. No houseplants - they've been in their tank. No sign of pain, but it would seem to me that they look like they should be in pain. I don't know about the peeing. I haven't seen them drink this morning. I'll try sweetening their water. with apple cider.

_________________
--Suz

3 rats
4 mice
2 dogs
2 homo sapiens (my favorite)

Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:16 pm

Are they getting water ok?

My mice looked kinda sick once because they couldnt get any water. The ball in the water bottle got stuck somehow. I felt so terrible!!! But they perked up right away after getting some water.

Also is it cold in there. Mice hate the cold and will often look sick and hunched up.

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<3 to my Fats and my Meeces

Mon Dec 19, 2005 9:09 am

You say they are hunched and bloated...sounds like a reaction to food. Perhaps the cheese they got didn't agree with them, and that is bloating them. It is certainly a possibility, especially if they are showing no other signs of illness other than being hunched, bloated, and not wanting to move around much.

Give them a day to see if they look any better. If they don't, take them to your vet just in case there is something else wrong.

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Shanna
~ Serendipity Rodentry ~

Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:01 am

I would take them to the vet immediately!!!!!!!! i beleiive it was he cheese(Cheese can be very fatal to mice)
i hope they get better

Snagrit

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Rats r my Soul...Mice r my Heart!!! wink

Wed Jan 18, 2006 10:36 am

This thread is kinda old but I hope the mice are better now.
I don't believe that cheese is fatal to mice from what I know.
I think the real danger of cheese is that it is very fattening to mice and there are much better sources of nutrition.
Some one please correct me if I am wrong about the cheese.

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Rat Goddess and the Bruxysnugs
Mama Lucy Beledi Bellatrixy Tatinka Kreaver

View my rat cam here

Wed Jan 18, 2006 10:58 am

You're right.

Cheese isn't great for mice, but it certainly isn't fatal- unless they happened to have some sort of reaction to it.

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--Brittany

"He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom."