Shaking paws, lack of energy and excessive itch

Question
Hi, my mate Fernando has been showing some strange symptoms recently, he is 2,5 years old. This past week he started to show lack of energy, we noticed the longer naps even trough the night, and I have also noticed signs of blood on paws and nose/mouth, due to excessive itch. And only today when I picked him up to play I noticed his rear paws shaking, but not only that, the area around the genitalia had some swelling area (this happened before but not in the same place I managed to "squeeze" it out tough), so I tried to squeeze the area a lot of pus came out, I cleaned put medicine, same as always... But now he is kinda numb, more than usual.

I know he is getting old, I know... But this past week really changed his behavior.

Regarding food:

I usually feed raw pasta, carrots, string beans, fruits (no citric).

For treats I use sunflower seeds.

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Rodrigo,

Fernando is, in fact, reaching a pretty good age for a mouse!  Can you tell me what you mean by numb?  Is he lethargic, is that what you mean?  The pus has me a little concerned - this usually means an infection which can sometimes enter a mouse's body and cause a bigger, more systemic infection.  I think it would be a very good idea to try putting him on a general antibiotic to help him fight off anything that might be bothering him.  If you can find fish tetracycline at your local pet shop or online, here are some wonderful instructions on how to use it:  http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2012/12/mice-sneezing-making-weird.htm

If you cannot get tetracycline in your area, it may be worth it to see if there are any local veterinarians who work with pocket pets.  While it may seem like I'm blowing his swollen area a bit out of proportion, it really is important any time there is a skin problem to protect against a systemic problem that may result.

Are you sure the blood on his paws and nose/mouth is really blood, and not porphyrin, a natural reddish substance secreted from the eyes and nose when a mouse is physically or mentally stressed?  You may see an improvement from this just as a result of the antibiotics, too, as he begins to feel better.  Is he scratching or scabbing around the face/ears/neck area?

For food, it is very important that mice get all of the trace minerals and vitamins of a rounded diet, which can be very hard to accomplish without a commercial mouse diet such as a seed/pellet mix or food blocks, both of which can be found at pet shops or ordered online.  Here is some (very) detailed information on mouse diets and making a homemade mix:  http://www.thefunmouse.com/info/diet.cfm#homemede

I hope I helped, and please write me a followup if there is anything else you need to add or that needs clarifying!
-Tam