Really tiny baby mouse

Question
QUESTION: I found a baby mouse about 2 days ago and by looking at day by day mouse photos it was about 2-3 days old. Since we had nothing else i used diluted 2% milk for the first two days and then we got some evaporated milk and have been diluting that to use. since yesterday the baby has been bloated and i was curious is it just because of the milk type switch or was it the cow milk? should i switch back to the cow milk? We have been rubbing his belly and the bloating went down for about 4 hours. also he hasn't pooped a lot even though we have been doing the right thing to make him go to the bathroom. Also what about using baby formula? We arent able to get any kitten formula right now.

ANSWER: Hi Romen,

Cow milk, evaporated milk, or any milk with lactose in it is not easily digestible to mice and will give them tummy aches and runny poo.  If you can't find puppy or kitten formula, you may be able to find lactose-free baby formula, goat's milk, or another kind of milk that does not include lactose.

Rubbing its belly is an excellent way to help the tummy bloating go down, but the best way to fix it for good is to switch to something more easy for baby to digest.  PetAg is very good about shipping quickly, so you may be able to order some powdered kitten milk within a few days by searching for it online.  It won't help you now, but he'll need milk for the next three weeks, so it will definitely help!  Here's an excellent link on raising orphaned mice that might be able to give you some more pointers down the road:  http://www.rmca.org/Articles/orphans.htm

Best of luck, and thank you for taking care of him!  :)
-Tam

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

QUESTION: Well the poor thing ended up dying:'''(. It was doing fine when I fed him an hour and a half before. When I took him out of his nest he was twitching and not standing or trying to nurse like he always does. when i say he was twitching i don't mean he was twitching fast either. It was almost like he would convulse every 6 seconds or so. I guess I should have been prepared for it but after the first two days i honestly thought he would live because he was doing so well. I realize there was a high chance of him not living but do you think it was something i did? I Mean he was absolutely fine when i put him to bed. And if you do think it was something i did please tell me(no sugar coating it.) because if i end up finding any more baby mice that i have to take care of then i want to make sure i don't end up killing it like i did this one:'(.RIP mr.bo jangles.

Answer
Without a vet's help or an autopsy it's impossible to figure out why he died, but it's common for a momma mouse to kick a baby out of the nest if he is sick.  Frequently the momma knows before you could even notice something was wrong!  Baby mice are extremely difficult to care for, and I have definitely lost some in the past, too.  The hope is that you will never have to raise an orphaned mouse again, but in case you do, definitely check out the link from my last reply.  It's an excellent guide on raising orphaned mice and rats from start to weaning.

Sorry for your loss,
-Tam