Juvenile Deer Mouse with diarrhea

Question
QUESTION: I adopted 2 female field mice about 3 weeks ago now. They were about 5 days old when my children found them in the car air filter (the mother had passed away as did 1 other pup). We survived the two hour feedings and I thought had almost finished weaning. However after taking them to my mothers for a weekend both mice started with diarrhea. Thinking it was an overindulgence in cucumbers I removed all fresh material from their diet. The next day they still had loose stools. I thought it may be the change in water I was using to mix their kmr. I immediately switched to bottled water and brought them home. I removed all food except a few cheerios and the lab block. 1 of the mice has normal stools now but a little light colored but my other girl still has diarrhea. I have removed everything from their diet except the lab block ( which they don't really like) a small sprig of yellow millet and the formula. I have also been diluting the kmr more thinking that maybe it is too rich in protein now that they are eating solid food. I have also been adding pedialyte to the kmr for extra electrolytes. Neither mouse will drink plain water yet (although they like to climb the bottle and walk across the top of the cage!) Is there anything else I can do to help clear this diarrhea up? could it be the KMR causing problems or maybe the millet? She is still very active but I am still worried. Thank you for your time.

ANSWER: Dear Sara,

Wow, good job! I love to hear success stories! They are going to be awesome pets. And they live longer than pet bred mice too.

It's time for the mice to be weaned off of the formula. Stop nursing them. Put the KMR in a tiny bowl (so they can't fall in) and soak some bread in it. They should figure this out. The next day,  just put the KMR in the bowl, no bread-- you are unfortunately going to have to change it frequently, because they have a habit of filling the bowl with their substrate material. Again, they should figure this out. The next day, cut the KMR with 1/2 water. The next day, all water. This way they get off of the KMR and know to drink water (from the bowl).

To teach them to use the bottle, put a tiny dab of peanut butter or butter or whatever they love, on the tip. That should make them lick it and learn how to drink. You will have to give them the water bowl until you are sure they can drink from the bottle. You can take out the bowl for 8-12 hours during the day so they get thirsty and want to drink in this new way. That's not long enough to be cruel.

OK as to the diarrhea. Mice are OK with a weird diet for a few days, so take out the lab blocks and just give them banana, white rice, and dried white bread or crackers. These processed foods are better because they are easier to digest. Of course they still have the formula for two days now, so if that is the problem, this diet won't solve the problem immediately.

When it gets better, continue the diet for a day and then put in the lab blocks and seeds, no fruit or veg except for the banana. Then you can introduce other foods a few at a time so you can isolate anything that might cause a problem.

If there is still diarrhea in 5 days, the mouse may be sick. If the mouse starts to act really sick, it could be a disease called Wet Tail. Although a vet would prescribe antibiotics, you can get a remedy at a pet store, called Dri Tail. Or the mouse might have something less serious like a virus or bacterial infection. Still, diarrhea is bad if it lasts. After a week, a vet trip may be in order. It might be hard to find a vet to treat a wild mouse, but you can stress that it is bottle fed and very tame. The vet may be worried about all kinds of diseases the thing might be carrying. There is only one thing to worry about with wild field mice, Hantavirus, which is serious and can be fatal; but what your vet might not know is that it is not transmitted from mother to baby.

Please, please let me know what happens! I care; and I can learn from it. Best of luck to the little tykes!

squeaks,

Natasha
<:3  )--~

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

QUESTION: Thank you for responding so quickly. The mice do drink the kmr out of a cap for the last week however the one with the diarrhea still prefers to eat from the syringe. We went to the vet (to be sure they were both females) for a wellness check last Thursday. Both mice were well hydrated and doing great (everyone in the office had to take a peak). At that time they had been eating lab blocks, strawberries and cheerios for four days. All poop was normal then. That is why I thought we were almost done weaning. I will try the banana and crackers.
The girls are just not interested in plain water. There is a cap full under the bottle they will smell it aspirate a little (sneezing and rapidly brushing their noses) and hide. If I put bread or anything in it it doesn't get touched. They do not seem to like mushy food. They will not even eat wet cheerios.  I have even tried water in the syringe with no luck; just clamped mouths and squirming. I will continue to dilute the kmr to just water and see if that works. I have also tried with holding the kmr all night and just left in the cap of water. I even put it in the same cap! It was not touched and when they saw me in the morning they went to town on the bowl of formula. Fussy little critters!! Thank you for all of your suggestions... I will keep you posted.

Answer
Thanks so much! I know it sounds mean, but if they know the water is there, they will drink it soon enough when they get thirsty. I suggest just stopping with the hand feeding. The dilution of the formula with water can go more slowly too, to get them used to it.

Thanks!

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha