Vole sick

Question
QUESTION: Dear Natasha,
One of my cats brought in a baby vole, she's not to young and just came out of shock....and i don't no anything about voles what do i feed her  she looks like a weanling her eyes are just now open but if i do have to feed her formula that's going to be a problem i'm going somewhere this weekend and to make matters worse i have a deer mouse as well...I've already got that taken care of food wise, i know it's a big risk of hantavirus but i,m willing to take it. NATASHA HELP ME; i don't want to lose her in the past hours I've grow attached to her alot quicker than any mouse... I've absolutely have had no experience with voles whatsoever. these next couple of hours will determine life and death for this cute little vole.

ANSWER: Hi Jada-- at it again, I see!

I have been asked about voles a few times. I am going to give you links to some of the more researched answers as well as comments from people who have voles. These might be out of order.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2008/8/Pictures-Brownie-VOLE.htm

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2008/10/f/wild-vole-store-mouse.htm

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2008/8/f/Pictures-Brownie-VOLE.htm

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2009/12/voles-1.htm

I recommend you try him on some sort of greens. Probably not lettuce; something greener. Grass, even. At the same time maybe some watery cream of wheat. If you have rice milk or soy milk you can mix with that.

Yes, he can live with the mouse. But read carefully how he wants to live. It isn't the average mouse setup. And you are going to have to find him some protein. I saw a video on YouTube of someone feeding their vole slugs. Look on YouTube for more voles!

There is very little risk of hantavirus with the mouse. Unless you live in the four corner states, where most cases were found, I wouldn't worry about it-- though I can't tell you it is impossible. There have been (something like) fewer than 500 cases in the entire US in the last 20 ish years. I don't have the exact stats with me. But it isn't a lot to worry about.

I hope these guys do make good pets for you.

Squeaks,

Natasha


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

QUESTION: Dear Natasha,
I've definitely fallen for the vole which is in fact a female i put some sugar-salt water in her dish (i don't have soy or rice milk, or cream of wheat)the mouse is also female.And she's so much friendlier than the mouse but of course you would to if you went into shock then were brought out of it  by a person...i used that thing you told me to use with baby mice(the wash cloth and the hot water bag)and i put silver(a mix of herbs liquefied)on her wound on her head to stop the bleeding and while warming her up a lifesaving mix of green tea and yellow root which we discovered three years ago when our  cat was sick and found it was rodent safe when the same cat that was sick punched holes in my sister's hamster, it saved his life,and it saved her's i'm quite suprized how friendly she is...vs the mouse who i'll probably end up returning after my weekend with a friend my sister will feed the vole and mouse ,but how do i introduce the two?
-Jada-
and i will find a way to post some pictures of them one day, and i hope your right about them being good "pets", i really hope so and i hate leaving them but i can't blow this off...not this time(i,m going to a friends house i haven't seen in half a year! but once i get there all i'll think about is my babies, mainly the vole cause i still can't touch the mouse and that is quite devastating)(: Thanks :)

ANSWER: Dear Jada,

I suggest introducing the two on neutral ground (bathtub with towel in it is great), watching carefully. Actually, first dab  some REAL vanilla extract on their rears and necks. Have your hands ready to grab if there is a problem. I doubt there will be- this is the way rats are introduced, because they are complex emotionally. With mice it is more just put them in a cage.

If they are fine after 20 minutes, put them together in the completely clean cage, which smells like no one. You can clean the cage with white vinegar to get the smell of the previous resident out.

Watch them for a while. If they are like mice, there will be chasing and squeaking but no blood. if there is blood, they must be separated.

I think they will be fine. The vole is just a baby, so if the mouse recognizes that, it may even want to care for it.

Good luck! I will mark the other two copies of this "duplicate."

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha

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

QUESTION: Dear Natasha,
i'm going to wait awhile before introducing her to anyone she's too small and weak...and she's not as active as she was before she's c oldish,her eyes are closed back up and her back is humped but she's seems fine other than that.What's wrong with her?

Answer
Dear Jada,

Get the vole warm as fast as possible. She is very sick. I don't think she is going to make it, but she definitely won't make it if she gets cold. Mix some warm milk and honey, and try to get it in her.

I hope she is ok.

Squeaks,

Natasha