# im not having much luck :(



## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

Well 3 out of the 4 of the mice i bought before died, but 1 survived.

last wkend i bought 4 more, kept them separate from the one i had already, and now their eyes are red and they keep itching.

I know my cat has a few fleas, i posted a thread about that beofre, and he is getting sorted, as that bob martain stuff is pants.

Anyway, anyone got any ideas what it is? cant be cat fleas, as mice are in shed at the mo.

Should i try and wipe them with a lil salt water?

I so annoyed, its not hard to keep mice, but stuff keeps going wrong for me grrrr.

On a good note the babies are almost 2 weeks old now, i had a peek and there is 1 black, 1 brown and white, and 1 white, sooooo cute. Cant believe she only had 3 though.


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## CaseyM (Nov 8, 2006)

What are the mice kept on?


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

oh dear, not doing so well with your mices and snakeses.

Have you tried frontline?


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

im getting some advantage stuff from the vets 2 moz. 

Im useing woodchips, for sub. and kitchen rool like stuff for bedding, hampster was fine on this, and so were all the other mice i bought before!! and mom mouse and babies doing well in the same kind of set up.


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## baby_jabba (Jun 28, 2007)

do u have any pics at all cos i never have this problem with my mice and just want to see if the person ur buying them off are keeping them well

also mice will itch alot as thats what they do i have a set up on my site under the mice info to what i have my mice on and in if you would like to look (website is in my signature below)

2nd little 3 mice, what breed eg: lab, fancy ect.. are the mice cos i have never had a litter with under 6 babies, i now they can have less like unless she is eatting some

many thanks Dale:smile:


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

they are fancy mice, she ate the first lot, this is her 2nd litter, soon as i noticed she had given birth i didnt bother her at all, or look in much, just to feed and water. As i didnt want her to eat them again. 


I will take some pics soon as i can, im running around feeding/bathing kids at the mo lol.


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## bosshogg (Nov 19, 2006)

baby_jabba said:


> also mice will itch alot as thats what they do i


not true my mice hardly itch groom yes itch no, i would say your shavings are very dusty and that is casuing them to rub there eyes i have all my mice and rast on megazorb.


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

what is megazorb??

Its weird as my other mice are fine on it.


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## bosshogg (Nov 19, 2006)

its like people some people are allergice to certain things overs arnt same in mice mega zorb is recyled egg cartons can be bought in big sacks from any local equine/ food suppliers

http://www.megazorb.co.uk/about_megazorb.htm


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

ahh cool, il go have a look at the site.


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## baby_jabba (Jun 28, 2007)

when i ment they itch is when they have a scratch now and again yes mine will also groom there self thats what u see there doing most of the time, ow dont worry i now what good for my mice for the saw dust if not i would see them all dieing one by one which i never see and i do no what i am doing with mice cos i have been doing this for queit a bit

many thanks Dale:Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Well one of mine has just had her second litter so fingers crossed she keeps this litter!!!!!!!!


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## bosshogg (Nov 19, 2006)

baby_jabba said:


> when i ment they itch is when they have a scratch now and again yes mine will also groom there self thats what u see there doing most of the time, ow dont worry i now what good for my mice for the saw dust if not i would see them all dieing one by one which i never see and i do no what i am doing with mice cos i have been doing this for queit a bit
> 
> many thanks Dale:Na_Na_Na_Na:


whats quite a bit i've been doign it for 20 years:lol2: there wouldnt die didnt say there would die what i said was there eyes would become red and sore as as i said in a previuos post mice i like humans there allergic to differnt things!!

same with rats... rats should never be kept on shavings as it can cause respiortary problems.


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## baby_jabba (Jun 28, 2007)

ow right well u deffently been doing longer than me then :lol2:

well glad they dont have sore eyes as well then they all healthy and fit and never had a customer complaint about them when bought off me so thats good as well :lol2:

Dale:mf_dribble:


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## hermanlover (Jul 8, 2007)

can i ask what type of shaving they were on? if they are on pine or cedar shavings that is the reason this is happening. pine and cedar doesnt go well with mice as it is toxic to them. if you research it you will find a lot mor info about it. with my feeders i just use shredded newspaper as it is warm, dust free, safe and best of all FREE!!! 

hope this helps,
lee


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## 1949_sam (Jan 21, 2007)

punky_jen said:


> Well 3 out of the 4 of the mice i bought before died, but 1 survived.
> 
> last wkend i bought 4 more, kept them separate from the one i had already, and now their eyes are red and they keep itching.
> 
> ...


Aww hun i'm so sorry 



punky_jen said:


> they are fancy mice, she ate the first lot, this is her 2nd litter, soon as i noticed she had given birth i didnt bother her at all, or look in much, just to feed and water. As i didnt want her to eat them again.
> 
> 
> I will take some pics soon as i can, im running around feeding/bathing kids at the mo lol.


Have you got her on own or with the others? As i was told by a petshop to take the females away before they gives birth and leave them in a tub on there own and i was doing this and the babies where getting eaten so i thought thats it so now i just let them get on with it now and the other females help out and one of mine had 16 and only 1 died and she didn't eat it she was still trying to feed it  



bosshogg said:


> whats quite a bit i've been doign it for 20 years:lol2: there wouldnt die didnt say there would die what i said was there eyes would become red and sore as as i said in a previuos post mice i like humans there allergic to differnt things!!
> 
> same with rats... rats should never be kept on shavings as it can cause respiortary problems.


Wow 20 years weldone : victory: yea i keep all my mice on shavings/sewdust and none of mine have died or had respiortary problems, but i know rats can so for them i use carefresh by supreme science can also be used for reptiles too and it's pertty good stuff :no1:But my petshop always runs out so i have to buy loads lol


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## bosshogg (Nov 19, 2006)

thanks got my first mouse when i was five it was alittle white one and have kept them on and off ever since longest i went without was 5 years but i was still working with them.... still get muggles with the colours though


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## Vase (Jul 14, 2007)

Sorry to hear of your bad luck 

What do you feed your mice on and where did you get them from?


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

I have put them on kitchen roll and shredded newspaper now, to see if its the saw dust thats doing it or not.

The mouse babies are 3 weeks old now and so cute! lol, the new females seem to be pregnant now also.


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## baby_jabba (Jun 28, 2007)

that brill news then, you can all so if they are dead on 3 weeks old they can be split up from the rest to new tank but you can them with others and they will just breed again. If you have any males from that litter you dont really wont them as the father to yours will do the breeding to any females which are in your tank

Dale:smile:


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## yellow_rat_gal (Mar 24, 2007)

you may just have been unlucky with your mice jen. sorry I haven't had a chance to bring you any but no free time at the moment (looking for 2nd job now to make ends meet) to drive down


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

thats ok hun, it is quite far lol. your gona be worn out with two jobs!!


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## VieT (Jul 10, 2007)

not read everything so some1 might have already said...

check your wood chips... maby dust in there... it will cause them to be red and itchy... because they get cold like feelings...

seperate all your mice... scrub your tank they are kept in (i do suggest a tank not a cage) and lay fresh woodchips or shavings (i recommend shavings) or if you have it for your reps... aspen 

check what you are feeding them... although hamster food is good... look for a small rodent mix... rather than a hamster specific.. and dont use Wagg for gods sake...

mix in a few cat/dog biscuits if you have spare they love them...

dont feed them green crap.. (lettuce) as it gives them a dicky tummy... but they like a gnaw on a stump of carrot 

give them plenty of toilet roll tubes... i gave mine hamster running wheels.. but they wore them out  ended up making a frame from mettal and a bolt.. they sheered the bolt off with friciton 

and finaly introduce only the males to a tank... and females.... if you plan on breeding them get a spare tank and set it up.. always place the male in the tank first... females will defend their teratory 

peace

James

[edit] also use shredded paper for their bedding.. the soft stuff does them no benefit... the paper will also give them something to play with 

i used to put a few sheets of rolled up paper.. let them shred it themselves


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

cheers for all the advice, what is wagg? is it a brand name? i just get it in plastics bags from local pet shop, its cheaper than the big pets at home places. 

I give them all the loo roll things lol, they do get chewed to bits though lol. They look like they are improving on the newspaper and kitchen roll bedding, but im not gona hold my breath.

Gone separate mom n babies soon, im having real probs telling males and females appart at such a young age tho. and god arn't the babies fast lol


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## greenlikegecko (May 18, 2007)

if your looking for cheap food u can get 15kg bag of hamster feed here for £11ish and they deliver now Burgess Supafeeds : victory:


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

cheers hun, il take a look


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## Vase (Jul 14, 2007)

Feeding mice a food containing peanuts will make them itch. Rat food is better for mice.


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

i buy the universal one, for hamster/rats/gerbils etc......... all the other mice i have had were ok on this too


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## VieT (Jul 10, 2007)

wagg is a brand of hamster/small rodent food... they make dog food and cat food also.. it sucks...

-------------------

telling male from female... obviouse but look for a penis  if it sticks out u got a boy...

alternitivly... place them in a nice warm room.... let them play in a large area on their own.. pick them up by their tail and look... males (over 4 weeks) will have rather large testicles 

also females nipples are more definitive


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## Vase (Jul 14, 2007)

You can also tell by the ano-genital distance. The 'holes' should be fairly close together in females and further apart in males. Its easier to see by holding the mice at the base of their tales.

I've had various mice over the years but I found that more 'itched' when fed hamster food than rat food.
My current mice have the Shunamite Diet that I make up for the rats


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## hermanlover (Jul 8, 2007)

the easiest way to determine the sex of a mouse is by the nipples. you can tell the sex of them from 10 days. a bit obvious but ill say it anyway females have nipples and males dont. the hole distance is also useful, but i disagree with one thing you will only see testicles if the mouse is very relaxed and that is often not the case when they are picked up. 

good luck and glad to hear the bedding is making a difference


lee


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## greenlikegecko (May 18, 2007)

male mammals have nipples too :lol2: ... there just very small


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## VieT (Jul 10, 2007)

thats why i said females are more definitive


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