unhappy mouse with lump near eye

Question
Hi, My names Leah and im 14 from NZ. Recently my mouse has been acting very weird. She flips over her food bowl to its side and just sticks her head in the dark for ages also we have a long tube coming out of the cage down to a lower compartment and she often leans out and lets her head rest down the tube just lying there. This started about 4-5 days ago. About 1 and a half weeks ago i noticed her right eye going kinda red and swelled so it looked like she was just squinting. I didn't notice it getting worse until today a pulled her out of her cadge and she had lump on the side her face near the eye. The eye looks swollen and red i don't think she can open it. The last time a held her was on Saturday so it would of happened over the past 1-2 days. The lump is not too big but sticks out by her eye. Any help or advice would be much appreciated. Thank You.
Leah.

Answer
Dear Leah,

This changed behavior definitely indicates a sick mouse. Mice don't show signs of illness until they are quite ill. A lump can sometimes be an abscess, which is treatable, or a tumor, which isn't.  In your mouse's case I rather suspect an abscess, because a tumor doesn't generally cause such distress, especially before it appears. However, a tumor can be internal, which can cause problems with internal organs or the brain. So you can't be sure.

The best thing to do is to consult a vet. Find a vet who specializes in "pocket pets" or "exotics."  Ask the local vets who they refer mice to. If a vet says she or he treats mice, ask how many mice they have treated in the last month. You want the vet to have as much experience as possible.  The vet can probably tell just by feeling the lump whether it is an abscess or a tumor.

When I say a tumor is untreatable, I don't mean it can't be removed. However, unlike rat tumors, mouse tumors come back.  Thus an operation only adds at most a couple of months to a mouse's life, often much less. Some tumors can be allowed to grow, but one on the face is an immediate problem.

If it is an abscess, which is a localized infection and buildup of pus, it is easily treated with antibiotics. A vet will also lance it, which means to make a hole with a needle to let the fluid out. The reason I suspect an abscess is that the mouse seems to be reacting to the infection throughout her system. This means she needs immediate medical attention to treat the infection fast, before it poisons her system enough to kill her.

If a vet trip is impossible, or the vet can't see the mouse for a day or more, you'd better treat her at home with an over the counter antibiotic. The easiest to get is Tetracycline. You don't however, want to try lancing it at home. Thus it's far better to go to the vet.

The following posts explains where to get and how to use Tetracycline when you suspect an abscess:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2010/7/bump-mouse-side-1.htm

Remember, the vet visit is always the best choice.

Best of luck and health to your little girl.

squeaks,

Natasha