my mouse wont sleep!

Question
I've noticed that for the past two days, one of my mice has not been sleeping. In fact, she looks wide awake even right now in the middle of the day while her two friends are fast asleep next to her.

She has become a little sneezy recently, and her breathing has become more labored, so I have administered tetracycline (It is in their water bottle, and I gave her an initial dose by dabbing it on her fur - how often should I do that?). I'm sure her ailments may be connected. She is a little older than a year and has up until this point always been a happy healthy little mouse. Is there anything I can do for her to help her sleep or get better besides tetracycline?

Answer
Hi Rachael,

Could it be that her sleeping pattern is disturbed and she's just sleeping when you aren't looking - instead of her not sleeping at all?  You're correct, though, that her discomfort could certainly disrupt her normal rest cycle.  You can help her out a bit by keeping the lights on and off in a regular and constant cycle so it's clear to her body when it's night and when it is daytime.

The reason for putting the tetracycline on the fur at first is so the first dose can be administered as quickly as possible, and you don't have to wait for her to drink for it to start acting on her system.  If she's drinking the water regularly and doesn't appear to be dehydrated (dull eyes, loose skin, lethargic, shrunken-looking), then you don't need to put any more on her coat.  Remember to cover the water bottle with foil - light can break apart the drug.  If in doubt, just mix up a new bottle every few days (it takes several hours of light exposure to really be a problem).

You're already doing a great job as it is - just keep giving the tetracycline in the water for the next 14-30 days, even if her symptoms go away.  If she doesn't improve (or especially if she gets worse!), you should bring her by a vet if possible, who may be able to provide you with some harder-hitting antibiotics.

I hope she feels better and starts getting some sleep soon!  Best of luck!
-Tam