|
|
Post by Dezzi on Apr 12, 2010 13:59:19 GMT -4
Background: Spyder is the brown mouse I am fostering. She had a red thing in her eye that was growing and I had to put drops in. I had taken her back to the vet when the drops seemed to stop working. He said it looked like it was either a tumour or when the tear duct swells up and moves. I was instructed to put unmedicated eyedrops on it to keep it moist and the medicated drops on it when it was red.
It had gotten to the point where all I could see was the red bump and her eye looked barely open.
Yesterday morning I had taken her out to give her the drops and her eye was closed completely. It was covered in puss. I grabbed a Q-tip with a bit of water on it and cleaned it up. She looked up at me blinking with her eye totally fine! I'm going to watch it and make sure it doesn't come back, but I'm very happy that she can see properly again!
Last night when I had gotten home and found the other mice passed on, she was curled up in a ball unmoving. I had thought I'd lost all of my mice and was a wee bit distraught, especially since it was only hours earlier that she had been fine.
This morning I woke up to a squeaking noise coming from the rodent's room. I was not getting my hopes up as I know the treadmill upstairs squeaks and could hear someone walking on it... but I went into the room and there was Spyder, running a million miles an hour on her wheel!
Do I have to worry about her getting depressed now that she's all alone?
|
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 12, 2010 21:36:40 GMT -4
I assume she had an infection, it stayed isolated, and then burst and she was fine? I recall that once with a Syrian years ago here. Glad it worked out.
I forget what Syrian had that, but I think it was around the eye, too.
Female mice are unlikely to fight if intro'd to another female, from my experience. You could do that. Or, I suppose, she's be alright alone. But better with others. I do have male mice living alone. No choice.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dezzi on Apr 13, 2010 2:11:37 GMT -4
Yes, Rabbit was our lone male. She's been snuggled up to Goose's body for the past two hours and keeps trying to bite me when I go to move her. I got Nippy's body out fine but she won't let me have Goose! Poor girl! She's so scared of gloves so I really want to avoid that if possible. It's breaking my heart to see her alone. We don't have any female mice available right now through the rescue... I'm going to put her in Rabbit's old cage and give her the fleece house so she can feel more secure.
|
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 13, 2010 13:25:09 GMT -4
I have tanks of females!! Wish I could get you some.
You can always pay almost nothing for a female in a pet store, sort of a rescue. (Be sure she is young and not preggers!).
The fleece house sounds good, and familiar smells.
I caught two wild mice on glue pads this morning, one of whom used to run around my bed. Oiled them right off and dropped them in a tank. They trick to that is to hold the tail tightly, oiling it first, and holding it with your fingernail - can't squirt loose! And don't use too much oil; be patient and let it work.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dezzi on Apr 14, 2010 15:01:38 GMT -4
Hrm, I will have to check around for females. Pet stores here don't usually carry live mice so it might take a bit to find some. Just add them to the tank? (after a quarantine)
|
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 14, 2010 20:03:45 GMT -4
Good that they do not care (ugh) "feeder" mice. I tell stores that do I don't frequent them; same for rats.  Females are unlikely to fight, but both she meet in a new area with new stuff and new bedding (all new smells), just to be safe. Why not get two or three? They're small!  |
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 14, 2010 20:04:36 GMT -4
As for my eye, allergies are causing some tearing and a little itching, but not too b ad. Everything is blooming!
See other threads in Photo Gallery forum.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dezzi on Apr 14, 2010 22:28:24 GMT -4
The more the merrier? Their cage is just over 300sq inches, how many mice will that comfortably house? I don't want to get TOO many (as that makes taming nigh impossible) and I will definitely check with rescues. There might be some not listed on our Petfinder that need a foster.
|
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 14, 2010 23:47:31 GMT -4
I know that a ten gallon tank can easily hold 4 mice, if given enough toys and tubes and a few wheels.
Hang the wheels from the plastic lip! Drill holes. That way it can not get jammed with bedding! The mice love it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dezzi on Apr 14, 2010 23:59:44 GMT -4
Yeah, I'm going to take a bunch of tubes and make a maze for 'em (inside the tank) and she has a few hammocks a friend of mine made. One of the hammocks is a prototype she's considering doing, it's the square hammock on top with two little tube-hammocks underneath it. So much fun! There is a 7' mesh wheel in there right now that she hasn't managed to stuff with bedding. I'm cage cleaning tonight so I will take pictures of the setup and hopefully get some of my sweet girl.
|
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 15, 2010 0:35:47 GMT -4
If you hang the wheels from holes in the plastic lip of the tank, or whatever, they will never stuff it with bedding.
Good luck!
I am tired! I spent much of the day hiking taking some great photos. More on that later. Everything is blooming!
|
|
|
|
Post by Dezzi on Apr 15, 2010 3:46:56 GMT -4
OH NOES! I had her out with me earlier today and I go to check on her before bed. She hasn't touched her dinner or her water. I forced her to drink with an eyedropper but I'm afraid she's not going to make it through the night. I'm worried I'm going to be rodent-less by morning. Don't think I'll be getting any sleep...
|
|
|
|
Post by Andrea on Apr 15, 2010 12:42:32 GMT -4
Start feeling better Spyder!!!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by Dezzi on Apr 15, 2010 14:22:53 GMT -4
Apparently staying up all night with her paid off. By about 3am she was eating and drinking so I went to bed. Woke up this morning to the squeak on her wheel... she wasn't as eager to get out of the cage (possibly because she was out all night) but after doing a quick check of her she seems okay. I HATE when they freak you out like that...
|
|
