about Esther again(my mouse with the lump on her neck, you thought it might be abscess)

Question
I got this flea and tick spray for small animals, I guess the brand is UltraCare, anyway, I was wondering if I could spray her with it to see if it would help her to stop iching? Also one of my other mice Martha has lost alot of weight, and is shaking alot, so do you know if it would be ok to use it on her as well? I did however use it on my healthiest mouse(so far) and she seems to be doing alot better. I hope you can answer my question.

Answer
I am fortunate enough never to have had fleas or ticks in mice (touch wood!) so I have never used Ultra care for mice. However I have had heard it works well on rabbits and guinea pigs.

If your mouse doesn't have fleas or ticks I would not use this on her. I have had a lot of success with Evening Primrose oil for skin problems. You can find it in most health food stores in capsules. This is gentle and soothing and can be applied to very sensitive skin. It can be taken internally or externally so you may want to put a capsule in their cage.  It will encourage grooming which will stimulate blood flow to the skin and mice will have a great time licking it off each other!

I would also recommend athletes foot remedy for sprinkling in the cage and on the mice if the above doesn't work.

Sprays will get into their ears and eyes and they will probably breath it in and groom it off one another. Mice have a lot of eye and breathing difficulties and cannot be sick if it makes them ill. If you are concerned you should take her to the vet and have him prescribe a suitable medication.

I would certainly not use this spray on Martha, excessive weight loss and shaking usually means a serious health problem. Weight loss is common in old mice (12 months + ). Mice do not shiver in response to lower environmental temperatures. They increase their metabolic rate, which means they would need additional food. So when your mouse shivers, it isn't because she is cold. Make sure she has access to food and water and if the water is kept in a bowl make sure it's always clean as older mice have lower immune systems and are more susceptible to diseases. I would take her to the vet to rule out any illnesses. He may be able to diagnose the problem.

I hope they both recover soon, please feel free to ask any more questions.