[lindberg4220]

Found poor Caramia limping around - both her hind feet and one af the front feet is very swollen and she seems to be in pain.

Front leg:

Hind leg:

Both:

What could cause this and is there anything I can do for her? I can't call a vet right now, its almost 3 AM in the morning here, but i will call one tomorrow, off course.

So far i have her in a box on her own (she was housed with a male until i discovered her poor feet), she has food, water and a little house. I haven't given her any nestmaterial and not much bedding, since she bearly can walk and i don't want her struggle too much when she's moving around.

 

[moustress]

Sounds like an infection of some sort, or an allergy. You should see a vet. Bumblefoot is a common name for this sort of condition; you could probably find info on this sort of thing on this and other websites.

 

[SarahY]

I had a rat that had a balloon foot once, oral baytril cleared it right up

ETA: I never found out what caused it by the way; his bedding was clean, nothing had changed in his cage or diet, and he wasn't injured. I just went in at feeding time and his back foot was huge just like the picture you've posted. I think Bumblefoot is open sores on the bottom of the feet, not just overall swelling.

Sarah xxx

 

[Norman's Mom]

Is there some sort of that cotton-type fluffy bedding anywhere near her? Does she live or have to walk on bars?

Sometimes the fibers from that cotton-fluff junk they sell as "bedding" can get wrapped around a foot like that and cause that kind of swelling...and you can't see the fibers, they get pulled so thin and tight they are like looking for fishing wire, and it's *hard* to cut off....that stuff is so dangerous to have in a tank...

as for walking on bars...bad for little feets and cause the same condition...def. take her to a vet. At the least it is an infection and she'll needs meds to clear it up and to help with the pain.

 

[lindberg4220]

My mice goes on beechchips or hemp. No bars except if they jump to climp in the bars in the top of the dunacages.

I had to put her to sleep since treatment didn't have any effect, and her feet actually got worse, very dark and even more swollen. She was in a lot of pain and i didn't want her to suffer anymore

 

[moustress]

I have wondered myself how many of the chronic ailments one sees in mousies are related to stress from diet and environment. Other mousies in a group are part of the problem as well. Inflammation of the skin is sometimes linked to stress of the kidneys and liver, especially the kidneys, which are often suspect when skin problems occur, as it's part of the same system as the kidneys. When the skin is affected it stresses the kidneys, which stresses the skin even more. Things that start as simple irritation build to inflammation and, as the condition progresses, is spurred by scratching and grooming from other meeces. In the case of this kind of problem, antibiotics just don't do much good most of the time.

It's really hard to know what to do in every case and euthaniasia is often the only sensible solution. I'm sorry you lost your little buddy. *hug*