6 week old doe failing to thrive, please help!

1644 Views 11 Replies 4 Participants Last post by kellyc88, Jul 12, 2011

willa2602

Discussion Starter · Jul 6, 2011

Hey there, I have a 6 week old doe that i noticed yesterday seems to be simply failing to thrive. Up until yesterday morning she was keeping up with the rest of her sisters in development, but she's very suddenly gotten very slim, judging by her tail she looks very nearly emaciated, and is often hunched up. However, she is interested in food and I've seen her drinking, although yesterday she was quite lethargic today she has been running up and down her cage with the others (though not quite keeping up).
She's quite important for my dissertation so if there's any way she could get better I want to help her as much as I can, however if there is no way to help her thrive I'd rather not just prolong any suffering.
Does anyone know if a mouse like this can live through it, and if so how can i help her? Due to the speed they usually go downhill once any illness is noticed I was surprised to see that she'd perked up this morning, so I'm not really ready to give up on her

Thanks for any help.
Annie x

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kellyc88

· #2 · Jul 7, 2011

SHE CAN LIVE!!!!! get her to the vet NOW!
I had one baby, at 4 weeks go down this way, the whole process from me noticing he was quiet to him dying took about a week. I noticed he needed the vet on a friday (no vet was open) and he died on sunday so it was fast and a lot of people told me there was nothing i could do. However a few days after he died, one of my girls started showing the same symptoms aka quiet, skinny, no movement and skeletal tail and i took her to the vet - he gave her a vitimin and antibiotic injection and then a 7day course of antibiotics and she made a full recovery. I was sure she was going to die but now (2 weeks later) she is as big, healthy and active as her siblings. Have faith and get her to a vet as soon as you possibly can. Oh and my vet recommended that i treat all my mice with the antibiotics in their water which i did and none have shown any similar symptoms since

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kellyc88

· #3 · Jul 7, 2011

NB this treatment cost me £26, just so you are prepared for the cost involved

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willa2602

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jul 8, 2011

Thanks Kelly, sadly she died yesterday, but next time I'll know what to do (hopefully there wont be a next time, but I'm not unrealistic).
Annie x

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kellyc88

· #5 · Jul 8, 2011

Oh I'm sorry to hear that

I hope there isn't a next time either, good luck to the rest of the litter

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kellyc88

· #6 · Jul 8, 2011

Oh I'm sorry to hear that

I hope there isn't a next time either, good luck to the rest of the litter

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willa2602

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 8, 2011

Thanks

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Hillcrest

· #8 · Jul 9, 2011

Out of curiosity, what did the vet say the problem was and what antibiotic did they put your mousey baby on?

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Mouse Queen 96

· #9 · Jul 11, 2011

Omg i have a female baby mouse 4 weeks old who is acting like this. She is getting very skinny and looks long. I watch her eat and drink, and she looks like she is acting fine. I haven't thought she was sick just the runt of the litter, she is very active though.

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willa2602

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jul 11, 2011

Don't know if you were asking me or kellyc88, Hillcrest; but I didn't get Nigella to the vet in time, so I didn't get a diagnosis. However, thankfully all her cage mates and other siblings are doing well and haven't shown any similar syptoms, even the runt of the litter is doing fine.
Mouse Queen 96, I'm sorry to hear that, hopefully she'll be ok. My Nigella got sick very quickly, and it was obvious that she wasn't a runt because she was keeping up with the rest of the litter just fine until a very few of days before she died. I hope your mouse gets better soon though.
Annie x

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Mouse Queen 96

· #11 · Jul 11, 2011

I was out playing with my baby mice, and she seems more active then the rest. I was looking though she is quite a bit smaller, maybe it is just her being the runt.

She seems more active then the rest and i always have their food dish and water dish filled.

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kellyc88

· #12 · Jul 12, 2011

The vet didn't know what the problem was but he gave me Baytril 2.5% and im not sure what the injection he gave her was, some vitamin thing but it did the trick. I know almost 100% that she would have died because her brother went exactly the same way and didn't make it. I would definitely recommend giving the vet a try. He hasn't been able to help with my boy who wont stop scratching tho

and it is very expensive...but all worth it for one good result!

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