Can I give mouse clean water and medicated water?

Question
QUESTION: Hi.

One of my mice has been making a bit of a wheezy noise when she cleans herself so today I bought some tetracycline tablets and mixed it up as per your instructions in http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2011/5/Respiratory-Infection-mice.htm as a precaution. The problem is that it has clogged up the bottle and it doesn't seem that they have been able to get it out. Now I'm worried that they're dehydrated. I've cleaned out the bottle and given them water.

I have two questions:

1. Is there a trick to administering tetracycline so that it doesn't clog up the bottle?

2. Is there anything I can do to make sure they are not dehydrated?

Thanks in advance.

ANSWER: Dear Alice,

The tetracycline must be a complete powder when you use it. It should look like flour. Otherwise it won't dissolve. The easiest way is to use the back of a spoon on a hard, flat surface. Then it must be shaken well, and if you are having problems then shake it several times a day. I think this will alleviate the problem.

To make sure mice still have moisture if their water bottle sticks, keep vegetables such as carrots and celery in the cage. You can use cucumber, if you change it every day, because it rots quickly. I always keep two water bottles in every cage, so if one sticks the other will work, but when I go away I also leave them carrots and celery.

Best of luck and good health to the little mice!

squeaks,

Natasha

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

QUESTION: Thanks for your reply!

I tried again, making sure to crush it up super finely. After I shook it up there was still some sediment that hadn't dissolved so I tipped the bottle upside down (my bottles have flat tops) and let it settle for about 20 mins. Then I poured the mixture into a cup carefully so the sediment didn't go into the cup. Then I cleaned out the bottle and put the mixture back in. This seems to have fixed the problem.

After yesterday I put extra bottles in the cages. While I'm giving them tetracycline should that be their only source of water or is it okay to have extra bottles?

Thanks again!

Answer
Hi again,

I'm glad you solved your problem.

Unfortunately if you give the mice a choice between medicated and unmedicated water they will choose the unmedicated and not get their medication. You can certainly offer straight water to the others when you are holding the sick girl.

She should get better soon. If she doesn't, administer a straight dose by mouth as my other posts describe: crush the tablet into an extremely fine powder and add a little water to make a paste. Then take poor miss mousie by the scruff of her neck,  which is the back where there is extra skin. This does not hurt,  but she will hate it. If you want to wear thin gloves because she might possibly bite from fear-- I have had that happen only twice in my mouse career-- that's fine too. I take the risk so she is not also scared of the gloves. Hold her such that her mouth opens and get a little bit of the paste into it. If you couldn't get any in at all, smear a little on her sides where she can wash it off. You only have to do this once.

I doubt you will have to do that, since she only wheezed a little bit.

Best of luck, love, and health to her!

squeaks,

Natasha