Ears shriveling?

Question
Hello, Ok so first my mouse started off with puss coming out from under her eyelids and yesterday i noticed that the top half of her ears are dying? The skin on the ears looks similar to frostbite or decaying flesh. i don't think that the eye problem is related to the ear problem. but the other day she escaped from her cage and chewed through some wires that were plugged into the wall, maybe she got shocked and it did something to her ears but i don't know. any help would be appreciated. thanks.

Answer
Hello Scott,

It sounds like your mouse could really benefit from a vet visit, as a professional will be able to help you much more definitively.  There are a couple of possibilities that come to mind right off the bat - first, she could have injured her ears in something (pinching them in the cage, catching them on something when she escaped, etc.) that caused the skin to die, and now it is turning black and falling off.  If that is the case, it should resolve itself and the best you could do is dab neosporin on her ears to keep the remaining skin from becoming infected.  Second, your mouse could have an allergy to either the sort of bedding you use or something in her environment or diet which is causing her eyes to become swollen.  I don't think that would affect her ears, but if you use pine, cedar, or dusty bedding, consider switching it for a while to see if it improves her eyes.

Third is that she may have picked up a parasite, either in her cage or when she got out, which might cause her ears to itch.  Has she been scratching excessively?  Mites can cause itchiness and redness around the face, neck, and ears.  If this is the case, she might have scratched at her ears too hard and injured them, at which point the dead skin would once again die and fall off.  There are treatments available for mites, but she should see a vet first to make sure they are the cause as some treatments can further irritate sensitive skin.

It's nearly impossible to tell what the problem is for sure without taking her into a vet, so if you can, definitely take her and her cage in to be looked over.  Good luck, and I hope she feels better soon!

-Tam