sniffling, ichy, loss of appetite

Question
The subject line pretty much describes it, but Mousy is iching so much she's getting scabs on her face, she doesn't seem to eat as much, and she gets sniffly.  I have the cage clean with bedding that's not pine shavings or anything like that.  It's that cardboard feeling stuff.  I was feeding her a bird feed mix because the person I got her from said that was fine, but now I'm making my own mix and she's eating a little better.  I think the bird seed had too many seeds, so too much fat.  I gave her some dog treats that should give her more protein, and I've been feeding her fresh fruit and veggies.  She is by herself in the cage.  I am reading now that mice are social animals.  I didn't know that, but I feel like now is not the time for Mousy to get a playmate because she is sick, but I would get one for her if it would make her better.  What do you think?

Answer
Dear Fey,

Tell me if I miss any question.  This may be out of order.

Mousy might actually have an allergy to the CareFresh.  It is pretty dusty stuff.  You can try pine shavings for a bit to see if that solves the problem.  

If it isn't an allergy, then the scabs/itching and the sniffling might not be directly related.  She may both have mites and a respiratory infection.  Although there are home treatments for both, a vet visit would be far safer.  The vet can diagnose her condition/s better, avoiding wasting of time and health with a false diagnosis, and has better medication for both conditions than you can access yourself.  It is not too surprising that she would develop trouble with mites while having a respiratory or other health problem, because most mice do have mites without poor effect until their immune system is lowered for some other reason, which is much compounded by their living alone with nobody to groom them.

You are right to wait until Mousy is well to get a friend.  Additionally, if mites are an issue, the cage must be spotlessly cleaned after the treatment both to prevent recurrence and to avoid spreading of mites to the next mouse.

It is true that bird seed is not the right diet for a mouse.  Mouse mixes are easily available at the pet store (if they don't have a rat and mouse mix, a hamster/gerbil mix is fine) and for just one or two  mice, it isn't very expensive.  It's great to add the raw vegetables.  I'm not crazy about dog biscuits unless they are a special health food variety.  There is very little quality control on dog products, and what a dog might not notice might make a mouse very sick.  

I hope I answered all of your questions.

squeaks,

Natasha