Sick mouse; Tetracycline isnt doing the trick

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I have a 10 month old mouse who is definitely sick, but I'm not sure with what. About two weeks ago she started losing weight, but was still active and eating so I didn't worry too much. Then her breathing became a bit labored and she seemed lethargic while in her cage, but still active when I took her out, so I gave her some antibiotics (Tetracycline). She's been on that for about 5 days with no improvement. Her breathing is still labored, she weighs half of what she used to and while she's still active, she's not really interested in food anymore, although she is still eating as she has been defecating as normal. She's not sneezing or snuffling at all, her breathing sounds clear, but sometimes it has a "sticky" sound. I don't know what to do for her besides the tetracycline. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks so much,
Sun

ANSWER: Dear Sun,

The very best thing to do is to take her to the vet. I have no medical training.

If she were older I would say it is simply old age. That's exactly what happens when mice get older-- lose weight (change in posture too?), and have labored breathing. It is possible for a mouse to age prematurely, but 10 months is pretty young.

She may have a virus, and there is nothing to be done about a virus. She may also still have a bacterial infection. The Tetracycline is effective on Myco (mycoplasma pulmonis), which is what mice usually get (actually they always have it in a low grade), and some other bacterial infections but not all. A vet might try another kind of antibiotic, for instance Amoxicilin,  for what would be called a secondary infection. Although it is possible to get Amoxicillin through a pigeon supply company, I could tell you how much to give a rat but not a mouse. I don't want to poison your mouse. Maybe you can get a vet to tell you how much to give?

Other than that make sure she stays warm, unstressed, and food and water are easy to reach. Hold her a lot if she likes it. You can hold her when you are doing other things. Mice who are loving get a lot of strength from love from their human companions.

I wish her the best. Please keep me informed! <:3  )--~

squeaks,

Natasha


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

QUESTION: Hi again,

Thanks for your advice. She does seem to be doing a little better today, not as lethargic and she was eating more. Since the only vet in my area is less than competent with small animals, I think I'm just going to keep giving her the anti-biotic and see if she's actually recovering. And yes, she perks up a bit when I hold her. I have her with two other girls and they all get along great, but she's bonded with me the most out of the three. This might seem a little silly, but you mentioned it could be due to age; would her size make any difference? She was small when I got her, but grew very quickly and weighed about 2.40oz at her full size and she's easily 4 inches long without her tail. She is literally a giant compared to my other ones. I know with humans abnormal size can affect life span, could it be possible with mice too?

Thanks again,
Sun

Answer
Dear Sun;

I'm glad she is doing better. I'm still worried, though, that the Tetracycline did not provide immediate relief. I'm going to find out if my breeder knows the dosage for Amoxicillin, or what it is that he uses besides Tetracycline.  If she is still sick in about three days, contact me again; I may have found something out (I have no way of contacting you).

It's not unusual for a mouse to bond with a person just like with another mouse. Someone wrote to me not long ago about a mouse who had bonded with her (the owner's) mom, and when the mom was away for a week, the mouse died. I've seen a mouse die of a broken heart (from losing a mouse friend), so I had to say that might have been the cause.

Some mice are just big (68 grams, that's a big girl!). In fact, show mouse breeders breed for size. That shouldn't be a reason for her to age prematurely. Especially if she has gotten better. It's also not age if she isn't hunched-over and bony-looking.

Keep me informed. Not only do I care about individual mice, I also use knowledge from one mouse client to the next.

squeaks,

Natasha