Dear Tamarah

Question
I bought a white feeder mouse from a petstore to keep it as a pet about two months ago and it died on Tuesday. It seemed like he had vomited and released his bowels. I also bought two more male mice to keep him company about three weeks ago. They were both hoppers and quite smaller than my first mouse. I came home today and one of the hoppers, Harley, had died too. I am wondering if there might have been a disease in one of the hoppers and infected the first mouse, Zane. Your input would be great. Thank you.

Answer
Hi Liz,

It's possible there may have been an illness going around, and in the future I would isolate all new mice for at least three weeks before introducing them so you can be sure they are disease-free.  Mice that come from pet stores are in high-stress situations and are more prone to getting sick, so it's always a good thing to practice.

Only the vet can say for sure if what caused their deaths was a disease, but I think fighting may be a possibility as well.  Males almost never get along, and they can go from friendly to killing each other overnight.  Females need friends, but boy mice just need you to be happy.  Since you can't be positive, keep a very close eye on Zane and watch for changes in appetite or thirst, differently colored or runny stool, dull fur or eyes, or hunching, lethargic posture.  Blow on his fur and look at his skin for any spots that may have been bitten and need cleaned - dot any of these spots with a very small amount of triple antibiotic ointment (like Neosporin).  Be sure not to apply more than you need - most of it will wind up being groomed off and end up in his tummy.  If you think he may be getting sick, try to bring him by a vet that works with pocket pets right away.

I'm sorry for your loss, but I wish your last little guy the very best of luck!
-Tam