About a fancy mouse I want to rescue with eye and maybe now serious health issuses

Question
There is a mouse at the local pet store I have had an eye on for a few weeks now. A couple of weeks back me and my friend went in and I spied on this little fancy mouse who had red around it's eyes and was a tiny bit gooey. It was up and moving perfectly fine, jumping around, curling its tail, and just being a mouse in habit. I have had many gerbils in the past and said instantly: "Oh the bedding must be irritating it/it has a small eye infection!"

So I went to the pet store clerks and told them about the little guy, they ignored what I said about bedding and immediately assumed it had a cold and put a capsule in the cage's water bottle with perfectly healthy mice. Feeling helpless I asked to have an app but they shooed me away.


Today, weeks later, I mean seriously about 2 or 3, I spied on the little mouse. It was moving slower than the previous time and it's eyes are glued completely shut with very little space to even see. It was scratching at its eyes and whole body which was now missing hair in some spots and was completely alone and looked like no-one bothers with it. It was also under weight.

I really badly want to buy it and nurse it back to health and there-for adopting it as my very own, since I feel that no-one really cares for it. I have had experiences in the past with multiple gerbils, and yes I know mice and gerbils are different, though I am willing to take on the responsibility for this little guy.

But I need to know what I need to nurse it back to health. I'm willing to get medication, bedding, cage, a heat lamp, specific food, or anything else to help it. Please help me!

Answer
Hi Shelby,

It's not so bad for them to treat the healthy mice as well - in fact, since they've all been exposed to whatever is bothering it, it was probably pretty wise.

However, I get the feeling the problem is either an infection from accidentally scratching the eye or mites (or an allergy to the bedding like you mentioned, but I feel this would probably be more generalized and not starting in the eye were that the case).  Mites start around the eye and face area and can extend to all over the body, and scratching at them causes a loss of fur and irritation.  You can treat mites with a spray, and there are some great instructions here:  http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2009/2/Mouse-mites.htm

The other main possibility of course is an accidental scratch that escalated into a bad infection.  This can be treated with antibiotics, but a vet visit would be best to determine what kind.  Whether you can adopt the mouse and take it to a vet or not, oral antibiotics are a good start.  There are some great instructions for tetracycline here:  http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2010/2/Tetracycline-directions-sneezing-mou...  Even if it's mites, the antibiotic will help out its immune system since it sounds like there could be open wounds.

You can help clean the eyes with a cutip dipped in warm saline solution - a little salt dissolved completely in water.  Be very gentle and try not to rub; remember the area is very irritated.

As far as what the mouse needs for an environment - use either aspen bedding or paper bedding and if you have the chance, freeze it for 24 hours before use.  Bedding can sometimes carry in mites and might make your problem worse.  For a cage use either a ten gallon tank (you can attach a water bottle using velcro tape) or a wire cage with very closely set wires.  Don't use anything the mouse can fit its head through.  You do not need a heat lamp if you can keep it somewhere warm (preferably in the 70s), but if not a heating pad set to warm or its lowest setting beneath ONLY PART of the cage will be enough to provide body warmth.  I would worry that a heat lamp could overheat the cage, especially if you use a tank.  Food should be anything formulated specifically for mice or for mice and rats.  Do not use hamster, gerbil, ferret, or any other kind of mix if you can avoid it.  Supplementing with dry cat food or scrambled eggs made without milk for extra protein is a good idea.

No matter what you can do for the mouse at home, responsibilities should really include a vet visit.  They have access to better antibiotics and may be able to give you better help get its eyes open again.  It will save you both valuable time and help pinpoint the problem much quicker.

Best of luck to both of you!
-Tam