sick prego mouse

Question
in the last three days my pregnant mouse has not been the same. yesterday morning me and my bf noticed that she had something on her rear end. so we took her out and cleaned her thinking that she may have just had an accident.... well then today we looked and saw that she now has white gunk in the lower corners of her eyes and she's very lethargic.....is it due to stress from the pregnancy? i live in an area where theres only one exotic vet and hes located an hour and a half away.....and i have no vehicle to get there right away.......do u have any advise to help us????

Answer
Hi Mel,

That doesn't sound good!  Pregnancy is tough, but it should never make a mouse lethargic, and discharge is never a good sign, either.  Unfortunately, pregnant mice are difficult to treat.  Over the counter antibiotics can kill or damage the litter, potentially causing complications for the mom, too.  I hate to not be able to offer you another option, but it sounds like she sincerely needs to see that vet.  You can try talking to local pet stores and animal shelters to see if perhaps there is someone else in your area who might be able to help, such as an experienced breeder or someone who rescues/rehabilitates small mammals.  It's always worth it to ask!

The only thing I know of that you can do from home is supportive care.  If she isn't alone already, isolate her, and make sure she has clean, non-irritating bedding (Aspen is a good option), fresh mouse food, and clean water.  You can supplement her diet with dry cat food and kitten milk replacement (you can either soak a small piece of stale bread in it, mix some into some fruit baby food, make scrambled eggs with it and offer her small pieces, or sprinkle it dry over her normal food to give it to her) to give her extra protein and nutrients.  Watch to make sure she is drinking plenty of water!  Check the temperature in the room and make sure the cage is away from any drafts, spots of sun, or anything that might variate the cage's temperature.  Try to remove as many stresses as possible from the area around her cage and make sure she has a little hide to feel secure in.

Hopefully by asking around you can find a way to get her some medical help, but I'm afraid there isn't much else I know of that you can do at home.  I wish you the very best of luck, and let me know if you have any other questions!

-Tam