Fur loss

Question
My 11 year old son got a fancy mouse about 2 weeks ago. In the last 2 days, it has lost some fur around its but. We keep his bedroom door closed so the dogs and cats cant get it. Could it be allergies to the soap I used to clean its cage last or something we should be worried about? Its still active and nothing else has changed with it.

Answer
Hi Katie,

It's hard to say without knowing the extent of the fur loss - is it just around the immediate bottom area, or is it patchy and larger?  Is the area scabbed at all?  Is there any way you could include a picture in a followup question so I can get a better idea of what you're asking?

It shouldn't be the soap, but in case it is, be sure to use an unscented soap when cleaning the cage and to remove all traces completely before drying off and adding bedding.  Loss of fur can mean several things, though, all of which would need to be treated differently or could even be perfectly normal.  Please include a photo in a followup if you can and I'll let you know what it might be.

-Tam