I think my mouse is sick

Question
My mouse has gooey stuff coming out of her eyes, it appears when she just wakes up. she moves around and grooms and it most of it goes away, but just around her eyes is damp. she is overweight i think and she is just a tad bit lethargic. The vet is too expensive..what do i do???

Answer
Hi!

The dampness of her eyes may be connected to the obesity. First thing you can do is separate her from the rest of the pack, and start monitoring her diet carefully. Mice only need one tablespoon of rodent chow (grains, seeds, etc) per day, and you shouldn't go over that! Also pick out the peanuts and sunflower seeds, if there are any, from her food. More about mouse diet: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Miscellaneous-Rodents-1607/mean.htm

Apart from the diet, all you can do is provide her with forms of exercise, such as a running wheel (about 17cm+ wide, preferrably no 'traditional' steel bar ones as these are a hazard to the mouse's tail and legs). You can also let her run around daily on your bed or in a closed room while keeping an eye on her.