fur chunk missing

Question
QUESTION:  I have bought 2 mice about 3=3-4 weeks ago from a pet shop. They said they were all females but i wasnt sure. One of the mice is smaller then the other, allot smaller though they are the same age. The other mouse is rarther fat and has been gaining wait. When i touch her near her back legs on her belly she squeaks really loudly. Last night it was whenever i touched her near her back. Wondered if you can help me, thanks, demi :p

ANSWER: Dear Demi,

If your mice are both females, she cannot be pregnant because mouse pregnancy only lasts 3 weeks.

You can tell a male from a female by looking at its tail end.  Males look like they have a big butt, though that is their testicles.  Females are neat behind.  You only have to worry if you have one of each.

Pain is not common in pregnancy, though it is possible.  It is also possible that the mouse is in pain from something else. A mouse can grow fat with a tumor inside of her.  The mouse definitely needs to go to the vet to find the source of the pain.  Handle her very gently, and if she squeaks, don't handle her at all.

if you can't get to a vet, you can only wait and see what happens.  If she has babies, that's terrific; but you definitely have a male so you should separate the two.  If the male is in the cage at the time of birth, he may well impregnate her again.  You  might want to call your pet store to find out what to do with the babies.  Here is a link to a post from my archives about raising baby mice:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2008/2/mouse-babies.htm

If she has a tumor, she will die.  Make her as comfortable as possible and make sure she is eating and drinking as normal.  If she becomes handicapped such as has a hard time walking, make sure everything she needs in the cage is within close reach.

I really, really hope she is just a very sensitive pregnant mouse.  Good luck to her.

squeaks,

Natasha

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

QUESTION: Hey thanx that info. has been great. Just hoping that shes okay and just very sensitive as you said. Checked about male and female and they both seen the same sex so maybe a tumor :(. I just thought id ask about her fur loss. It is only minor but i found a little chunk of fur missing from her head that she didnt have the night before. I have sprayd her to get rid of possible mites though her cage is always clean. I am now cleaning every 2 days just to make sure. Thank you for other answer :)

Answer
Dear Demi,

If the two are establishing dominance with chasing and squeaking, then it could be that there was a little tiff and the fur was lost.  If there is blood shed between the two they will have to be separated.

Remember to repeat the mite spray in ten days to kill any mites that were nits the first time you sprayed.  The cage shouldn't be cleaned out more than twice or even just once a week, because the mice need to establish their territory and don't want to be in an 'unfamiliar' place all the time (without their scents on it).  It's possible this could be adding to any dominance scuffling there might be.

Good luck!

squeaks,

Natasha