My mouse has a serious skin problem

Question
Hello Natasha, I have a pet mouse named Maisy and I've only had her for about a month or so. I recently noticed that she developed a little sneezing issue and was cleaning herself obsessively. As soon as I was aware of that she began to itch herself more than usual and was soon losing hair. I went to the pet store to try and find something to stop her itching but they had absolutely nothing. Now, she has scratched so much that it is causing her bald spots to bleed! She has one major blood spot right in her neck where he back foot scratches at. I don't know what to do, I don't want her to get so ill that she'll die. I've cleaned out her cage and taken out all of her bedding just in case that might have been part of the problem. She is still active on her wheel and her appetite is normal. The only issue is her obsessive scratching that is causing her to bleed. Please help me help her. Thank you!

Answer
Dear Jenae,

You should bring the mouse to the vet to find out what is making her itch.  They can do a skin test to see if it is mites or something else.

Because mites are the most common reason for a mouse to itch, if a vet visit isn't feasible, you can simply treat for mites and hope this solves the problem.  

The following post describes how to deal with mites:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2009/2/Mouse-mites.htm

Another thing to try is a different litter, in case she has an allergy.

If the problem doesn't improve at all after a week, she should go to the vet.

Best of luck to Maisy!

squeaks,

Natasha