Mouse Sneezing

Question
Hi Tamarah, i've had a pet feeder mouse since late December when i'd gotten her from a relative, who himself had gotten her recently then as snake food and just couldn't bear to feed her to the snake (thank goodness!).  I brought her back to university with me in early January, and since then she's sneezed on and off but never anything too bad., and has gotten better since I switched her to carefresh a few months ago.  However, as of a few days ago she's started sneezing more, however it's on and off.  For example, when I woke her earlier she had a sneezing fit, but now it's not as often or as severe (for example maybe a sneeze or two every ten minutes).  I'm not sure what it is, because while she has the sneezing she seems very active, is still eating, and when not sleeping is moving around.  I've been reading around at remedies and other possiblities, and have currently switched her to as hypoallergenic of a setting I can, with paper towels and recycled cardboard napkins as bedding, in addition to a ball made out of hemp (I believe) she sleeps in.  As well i've switched her to oats per another suggestion, and have given her a little milk/honey mixture per another cold remedy.  

I know it's only been two days and she still seems very active and no other discernible symptoms (eyes don't seem dull, coat is soft and fine, ears perked up, eating, etc.)  I'm just worried sick about her.  What could it be and what should I do?  Thank you so so much!

P.S.  If it's related, her old setup, before I changed it this evening, was a small plastic cage (more of a small plastic terrarium) filled with carefresh with the hemp ball for her to sleep in, a paper towel tube, which itself inside one of those big cardboard cylinders with herbs/food already attached to it.  As well, the top of the cage was off, with the cage itself in resting on a towel that lined the cage that she would like to climb in and sleep.

Answer
Hi Justin,

Sneezing can mean an allergy, but it can also mean an upper respiratory infection.  If making the cage hypoallergenic, reducing the diet to basic oats, and investigating possible irritants in the nearby environment all don't seem to make a difference, you can try antibiotics.  Tetracycline is an over-the-counter antibiotic you can find in the fish section of your local pet shop.  Instructions on how to give it in the water bottle are here:  http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2010/2/Tetracycline-directions-sneezing-mou...

Keep putting it in the water for the next week or two, even if she stops sneezing, just to be safe.  It's important to cover the bottle from light and to change it out every few days.  Be careful with honey and milk - milks that have lactose cause diarrhea, which could dehydrate her.  I'm willing to bet that tetracycline will wind up doing the trick, and then she can go back to her normal environment and food once that sneeze is beat.  :)

Sneezing is a legitimate concern, but as long as she looks perky and happy it's still an easy fix.  All you have to do is find out what's causing it - whether that's an allergy, a cold, or something else entirely.  If you have the ability, and if antibiotics and hypoallergenic-izing the cage doesn't make any difference, you can bring her by any vet that works with pocket pets.  They should be able to help you, either by figuring out the cause or by prescribing better medications.

Best of luck, and give that tetracycline a try if you can!
-Tam