Sick baby

Question
QUESTION: I rescued a litter of baby mice from the jaws of my dogs.  Sadly, I didn't keep them warm enough and all but one died.  This one was doing great until today.  From pictures I ave seen i think he's about 2 weeks old.  Eyes open and eating kitten replacement milk and drinking water on his own.  Today he had feces stuck on his bottom which I cleaned off with warm wet q tips.  He was wobbly and nw s worse with his back legs sticking out behind him.  K tried giving him some water but he didn't take any.  He keeps rubbing nose with hs was.  He s probably dying, but are there any last ditch efforts you can recommend?  I have rescued any animals, but ever mice.  It's breaking my heart.

ANSWER: Hi Rebecca,

Baby mice are very fragile and very hard to care for - please don't blame yourself for the loss of most of the litter.  Even when everything is done just right it is still extremely hard to raise the little guys!  Momma mice are just better at this than us.

If you have a vet in your area who works with pocket pets or small wildlife, it would be best to bring him to them.  It sounds like he is having a very hard time, and from your description, I can't be sure why.  It's possible that he could have internal injuries from before you rescued him, or he could even have an illness from before your dog found them in the first place.  Whatever is going on, he needs medical help if you can find it and if he is still with you.  Another thing you can try is looking in your area for wildlife rehabilitators (that work with small mammals - not all rehabilitators are friendly toward mice), pet shops that have experience with injured mice, or even animal rescues that might have experience with exotic pets or know someone who does.

Besides finding someone else to help you tell if anything can be done, the best thing I can recommend is keeping him warm, hydrated, and dry.  Small mice chill very quickly, so whenever you clean him off or attempt a feeding, be sure to dry him completely before returning him to his enclosure.  I am sorry that I don't have much more advice in this situation - it really sounds like he may be injured and needs a professional to gauge if anything can be done to help him.

I am sorry for the whole situation.  I know it can be hard, but thank you anyways for giving them love and care where others might not have.

-Tam

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Tam,  
Thanks so much for your reply.  The poor baby died.  Very sad.  I had no idea what I was doing.  Thank you for your kinds words.  I do have a question in case I'm ever in this situation again.  I used the canned kitten replacement milk and did not dilute it.  Should I have done so?  All the information I found only discussed diluting the powder form.  Also, how old are baby mice when they develop the ability to go potty without stimulation?  That's another error I made.  I didn't do it until the last day.  I stupidly assumed the mouse was older than I later determined it was.  
Thanks again!   You are a wonderful resource!
Rebecca

Answer
Hi Rebecca,

Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that.  From your description I had a feeling it was coming, but again, I don't know that you could have done much differently for the little fellow.  He is lucky he had you for the time he had.

Yes, you can dilute the canned kitten milk replacement, or KMR.  The switch from momma's milk to formula is hard on a pup's stomach, and most will develop loose stools during the first couple of days.  Diluting the KMR to a more watery consistency makes it a little easier on their tummies and also easier to swallow.  I do the same with the powdered - with both forms I try to reach a consistency similar to cow's milk from the store.

I'm actually not sure about when mice start to go to the bathroom on their own, that is a really good question.  In my experience it's somewhere between one and two weeks, and most pups are able to eliminate fully on their own once their eyes are open.  To be sure, I would continue to stimulate at each feeding in the future until you start noticing pee spots or poops in the enclosure.  This could be more or less difficult depending on the bedding you use, but it doesn't hurt to stimulate a bit past when they need it, so it'd be better to be on the safe side.  Even if you find an older pup I would still give it a shot during the first couple of days if he is not eliminating regularly, since formula can cause intestinal upset.

Another clue about pottying is appetite.  Many mouse pups will refuse to eat well if they haven't gone to the bathroom, and that stimulation gets the tummy moving, so to speak.  Therefore, that stimulation like mom would do will also increase a pup's appetite, and the better they eat and gain weight, the better chance they have of getting through each of those tough early days.

No problem, and again, don't blame yourself, okay?  It's hard.  Thank you again for taking care of the little guy while you could.

Best wishes,
-Tam