Itchy mouse!

Question
QUESTION: I have a little mouse who has a severe scratching problem. He came to me with patchy hair down his ribs and the top of his head and his ears were so bad to the point of bleeding and scabbing. I feel absolutely dreadful and have tried everything, such as salt water bathing which seemed to sort of clear it up and then it got bad again, neotopic h lotion which is an antibacterial, anesthetic cream i got from my vet. I'm so worried about him because his little ear appears to be scabbing and falling off. I don't have a vet close enough that works with small animals. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks
Alanah

ANSWER: Hi Alanah,

That sounds like mites to me!  There's an inexpensive mite treatment called 8-in-1 flea and tick spray.  If you can find it, get either the one that's specifically for small animals, OR the avian one, which is less strong and therefore less irritating.  Shake well, and follow the instructions on the bottle.

When you treat him, remember to keep it out of his eyes, and clean his entire cage when you do (because mites will also hide in his bedding). Rinse every single thing in his cage except food or the bottle with diluted bleach water, then continue to rinse it until there is no trace of bleach left.  Use fresh bedding, frozen for 24 hours and then thawed beforehand if you can to keep from bringing in new mites, fresh food, and fresh water.

As far as using the actual spray, cover his eyes and spray his body from the appropriate distance away (should be listed on the bottle).  You can also spray your hand (use latex gloves if you do this, it may irritate your skin) and then work it into his skin and fur.  Make sure and coat as much of him as you can except his face, then hold him until he's dry enough to keep himself warm.  Once it's dried and he's not going to get too cold, put him back in his newly changed cage and wash your hands thoroughly.  Give him a treat to further distract him from licking any excess off.  He'll deserve one anyways - it's pretty unpleasant!

Repeat the whole process 7-10 days from that point, remembering to shake the can very well before spraying, to target any mites that weren't adults at the time.  You can also treat his scabs in between treatments with betadine (diluted with water to the color of tea) or triple-antibiotic ointment to keep them from becoming infected.

If it doesn't respond to treatment, it could be an allergy.  You can target allergies by changing one thing at a time in his environment until you see improvement, starting with the bedding.  If none of this helps at all, you can try calling a vet outside your area and seeing if any of them will at least give you some advice, that sometimes works.  :)

Hope he feels better soon!
-Tam

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

QUESTION: Thanks so much Tam,

I couldn't find the mite treatments you suggested but the veterinary assistant thinks that 'Fido's fre-itch rinse concentrate' will do the trick. That is apparently all they can get in for a little mouse. Do you think this will work? The bottle says it gets rid of lice, fleas and ticks. This didn't sound right to me but i guess the vet knows best?
thanks
Alanah

Answer
Hello Alanah,

I'm sorry for the delay in answering you, I had some technical difficulties last night!  The active ingredients in both the 8-in-1 and the Fido's are the same, but I would pay close attention to dilute the Fido's as directed.  It's a concentrate, and the instructions I found say to dilute 8 ml in 800 mL of warm water.  You can then sponge on gently with a towel, cloth, or whatever you choose.  It says it's safe for rodents, but take extra care not to get any in the eyes or on the face - this includes not dipping his bottom half in the solution or anything (like suggested in the instructions I found), because if he freaks out you risk dropping him in it, and it's already pretty unpleasant-feeling!

Since it's also for use on puppies, kittens, and other animals - watch out for any adverse effects that might indicate the solution is too strong.  If you need to make it weaker, try adding less concentrate or more water, but make sure to mix it thoroughly so you still get some medication on him.

Good luck!
-Tam