[miss.understood]

Fidgets litter is a week old now. I check them daily and there has never been a problem until now. I spotted this baby (gorgeous little thing, who i now call Gimpy)... his/her foot is really swollen (filled with fluid). Upon close inspection, it appears some fine threads from the fluffy nest Fidget had made has wrapped itself around this poor little guys foot, causing it to swell.

I painstakingly sat with a magnifier and carefully unwrapped the threads, and i am hoping the fluid will drain. This baby is still using it's foot as a normal baby would, but i'm naturally really worried.

What do you think?

Gimpy - 7 days old - pic taken before removing the threads

 

[Rhasputin]

Ouch. I hope that the swelling goes down. What kind of material was in the nest?

 

[miss.understood]

I dunno what it's made of without checking but it's literally just fluff. i know people that use it with their mice and rats with no problems at all. I've removed all of this bedding from my tanks and replaced with shredded tissue paper.
I really hope the swelling goes down. I feel so **** about this it's unreal. my Fiance has been consoling me. xx

 

[Rhasputin]

The only fabrics I would give mice, are polar fleece, and felt. Anything else, can it can cause this problem.

There are many 'fluffs' that are sold for mice and rats that can cause these problems, but are sold anyways. Fibers, and cotton fluff is fine, but it -can- cause problems, so I say it's best to juse avoid it all together. Good nesting materials that is also safe, are: Fleece, felt, newspaper, carefresh bedding, and hay.

I think your mouse will be fine. The leg hadn't turned colours or anything, so I don't think the leg was in too much trouble, just swollen.
Do you mind if I save this picture for future reference? I think photos like this are extremely usefull in helping to identify medical problems, and show other people what can happen to mice in this situation.

I think your mouse will be fine, just keep him away from fibers!

 

[moustress]

That nesting fluff foundin stores is notorious for doing this kind of thing. Just give them an old sock, or some TP instead. It's hard to say but I think there's a good chance the little thing will be OK.

 

[miss.understood]

Rhasputin: not a problem on holding onto the image.

I'm at work in a bit, but when i finish work i'm going to hunt this baby out and have a check see how it's leg is doing today. I have changed the bedding to shredded paper, and fidget has made an awesome nest xx

 

[WillowDragon]

Oooo yes, the fluff pet stores sell advertised as bedding for hamsters and other small rodents is really no good at all.

Shredded kitchen towel all the way for me!! Safe, absorbant and soft!

W xx

 

[unicorn]

I used it once on a long haired hamster and it got so tangled we had to cut the poor creature free. That stuff should be banned.

 

[Rhasputin]

Stick with felt, and polar fleece.

 

[miss.understood]

I've stocked up on cheap loo roll to shred up for the girls
I had a look at this baby today, it's poor little foot is still swollen, though not as red/pink as it was, and the line where the bedding had been tangled doesn't appear to be as deep set as it was yesterday.

Will check again tomorrow

 

[miss.understood]

Update: Would just like to let you all know that I checked 'Gimpy' today, and his/her foot has just about returned to normal size and colour. So it looks like I managed to remove the tangled fibre's from that stupid bedding. I've since stocked up on shredded paper, and his/her mam (Fidget) has made a lovely doughnut shaped nest for Gimpy and their 11 siblings.
Happy me. xxxx

 

[Lizzle]

Wow - a very similar thing happened to my friend's real life infant son! He got a thread wrapped around his toe and it swelled so much that no one was able to even see the thread anymore..

Thankfully, in that picture, your little baby meese's foot doesn't appear discolored (by this I mean a bright red, bright white, grey, or purple), which would indicate that not enough blood was getting to his little foot. I'm glad you were able to get the threads off! Grats to you, seriously. I'm sure that it will drain soon enough - just be sure that there is no breakage of the skin that could lead to infection. It sounds like everything is all better, though!

I always use shredded tissues for my mousie nest bedding - the unscented ones, of course. I'm so glad I saw this post, just in case I was ever tempted to buy that kind of fluff material.

 

[moustress]

Glad to hear the baby is doing well.

 

[Yelena]

I use J cloths on my boys and shred it up myself.

Its the stuff they use in bars so its really absorbent (as their dirty little monkeys) and doesn't cause any problems. Very cheap too

Hope your baby is ok

 

[miss.understood]

Yes baby mouse is all back to normal now xx

 

[The secret garden]

I use hay for bedding, smells yummy 'polishes' the mouse and its dinner!

 

[Jack Garcia]

I'm glad to hear the baby is better!

I use hay for bedding, smells yummy 'polishes' the mouse and its dinner!

"Polishes" is a good way to put it. I use hay, too, about 1/4 of the bedding in each cage (more or less 1/2 aspen, 1/4 shredded paper, 1/4 hay), and I've also found that it both helps with smell and serves as a snack for the mice.

Isn't it strange how things marketed to our pets (like "small animal fluff") can easily kill them?