Mouse white swollen eyes

Question
Just today one of my mice developed swollen eyes. There is no redness, the swelling appears to be coming from white patches underneath the mouse's eyes. She is behaving normally, but her eyes are squinted to half the size of their usual roundness. The eyes themselves appear to be unaffected other than the closing of the bottom lid. Any idea what could be the problem and how to fix it?

Thank you

Answer
Hi Marianne,

By any chance is there a vet in your area who works with pocket pets?  I am particularly concerned about the white patches you mentioned, but as I am not a veterinarian and cannot look at them in person, it would be a very good idea to have a professional take a look.

Two possibilities that come to mind include either an allergic reaction, or an infection.  An infection could result from anything new in the environment that is irritating her, something dirty or chemical that could have gotten in her eyes, or repeated scratching at her eyelids that became infected and swollen.  Again, the white patches are a concern, and I can't help you diagnose and address those until I know what they are.  If you cannot reach a vet, a local expert, or a rescue that handles mice, please write me back with a photograph and I will try to ask around and find out what could be causing this.

Also - is there any kind of discharge coming from the eyes or skin around them?  Is she weeping at all?  Are there any red scratches or scabs around the eye area?  Has anything new been introduced to her cage, room, diet, or routine?

It's a good idea for the time being to start her on some antibiotics if possible.  The following link explains how to administer tetracycline, which is an over the counter antibiotic you can find in the fish section of your local pet shop.  Of course, anything a vet would prescribe would be far better, but this is a good start if that is not possible.

Please do write me back if a vet isn't plausible so I can be of better assistance,
-Tam