Procedure for mouse mites spraying

Question
Hi there!

I have a lovely black buck, Nigellus Pamphilus Zoticus Mousington II - "Nero" for short. He was bright and happy when I got him, very social, not at all shy. He stayed like this for quite some time.

I recently got him a bigger cage and it came with all kinds of cool stuff, including a bag of bright pink Carefresh bedding. I put him in this new cage on this new bedding and he had a blast with all the new stuff. For the first three nights he was keeping everyone in the house up with his exercise wheel!

But he started itching. I've had mice before so I know they do itch sometimes, so at first I gave it no thought. However, I noticed he was starting to scratch little cuts on the back of his ears, which made me worry. Some research online led me to people saying Carefresh bedding is particularly known to carry mites and things in it, and as the itching started when I put him on this bedding, I felt fairly certain that was the problem. He has been getting the same food as always and has been absolutely fine with it, no signs of allergies, so I feel safe in assuming the bedding gave him nasty itchies.

I have since switched him to wood shavings and just bought a bottle of the 8-in-1 Ultra Care Mite and Lice Bird Spray, figuring if I'm going to treat mites I'm going to do it with the gentler stuff first (even though I have a feeling I'm going to need to go get the stronger stuff.. he's gone downhill pretty quickly).

The bottle makes it very clear that the stuff is toxic to humans which makes me a little apprehensive about using it. After all, if it's toxic to us, how can it be any better for my little Nero? But my options are limited and if they market stronger stuff for small animals like mice, I guess I'll have to trust the makers of it.

I was just wondering the proper procedure for using it. The instructions are for birds, so I'm not sure about how to go about treating Nero - how much to put on him and how frequently, in particular.

Also, he has some cuts on his ears - would I be safe to dab a little Neosporin or something on there?

Thanks!

Answer
Dear Kelli,

You've done all the right things. It is true that the stuff is toxic. It is a poison. But it is better than having mites. It is a good idea to start with the bird spray because this stuff can hurt some mice's skin quite painfully. I had two such cases with the stronger rodent spray, one mouse who had had such terrible skin experiences I was not surprised, and one otherwise healthy mouse, have reactions where for at least 6 hours they were in pain and jumped and squeaked a lot. All I could do is hold them very still in my hands and wait for the pain to go away. This is why it is SOOOO much better to go to the vet, who has a painless, easy way of just putting a tiny drop of medicine on the back of the neck. On the other hand, my breeder has treated hundreds of mice with the stronger rodent spray with no problem. So I had an especially unlucky mouse.

OK here's how, if you really can't get Mr. Nigellus Pamphilus Zoticus Mousington II  to the vet.

The first thing is shake the spray WELL. If you don't (personal experience), it will do nothing. Next, instead of spraying directly on the mouse, especially with cuts on his ears, you may want to spray the stuff very liberally into a bowl so you have liquid to work with. Cut a very, very small piece off of a clean sponge. Soak the sponge in the liquid.

Do this in a very warm room-- turn the heat up for an hour before you do it.

Then, take Nero out.  This is easiest with two people. Hold him over the bed, or if you are in the bathroom then close to the tub with a blanket in it, because a wet mouse can panic and jump. One person should hold him on the palm of their hand and also hold the base of his tail by his rear.  The other person completely soaks the mouse in the liquid using the sponge. His fur must be completely wet. Avoid his face but get his neck and as much as possible behind the ears, without getting it on his scabs. It might be a good idea to apply the neosporin-- a very small amount, because he will eat it-- on the scabs first, to protect from the liquid.

Now you want him to dry before he washes himself. Put him someplace very warm and let him run around. Give him his wheel. If he starts to wash himself, stop him. This might take 5 minutes, depending on the warmth of the room. A spot in the sun to run in his wheel is perfect. Don't try a blow dryer!!

At the same time, you have completely changed and scrubbed his cage and all of his washable toys. Throw away or freeze (48 hours) any non-washable items such as wood, paper, or straw. Put him in his new cage when he is dry. In the future, freezing his new bedding for 48 hours should take care of mites.

And repeat the entire thing 7-10 days later, to kill the mites that were eggs at the first treatment.  

Do you see why it is better to go to the vet? lol

Good luck to Mr. Nigellus Pamphilus Zoticus Mousington II!