Bumblefoot in Mice?

by CucumberMouse Sat 30 Sep 2017, 2:39 pm

I've heard so many different things about bumblefoot in mice and I can't really tell what the correct info on the subject is. First off, can mice actually get bumblefoot? If they can I'm pretty sure its very uncommon, but I've also heard several people say that mice can't get bumblefoot. If they can't then why? Hamsters can get bumblefoot, and mice, aside from usually having slightly smaller feet, have very similar feet to hamsters. Finally, if they do get bumblefoot, what causes it? I believe that the definition of bumblefoot is "cuts or sores that become infected and inflamed on the bottom of an animal's foot" (or something like that). Many people say that having dirty surroundings causes bumblefoot, which I think is true, but there has to be something that weakens or cuts the skin on the mouse's foot, so can get infected, right? Do you think things like mesh cage floors, or maybe even mesh wheels could be what opens up the cuts on a mouse's foot? I know that people in the hamster community believe that is what causes bumblefoot for hamsters (at least some of the time). I know mice and hamsters are different animals, but in terms of feet, like I said earlier, they're pretty similar. So, what makes it so that hamsters are so vulnerable to bumblefoot (or at least many people in the hamster community think so) but mice aren't?

by Teramis Sat 30 Sep 2017, 2:56 pm

I know very little about bumblefoot, but I do know that mesh floors are not good for mice. Very tough on their little feet. Is mesh flooring perhaps more commonly used with hamsters? That might account for the frequency of occurrence. As for that condition with meeple (mouse-people), I personally have never experienced it in many years of mouse-keeping, nor encountered discussions of it (that I'm aware of) on mouse forums, so I would guess it occurs very rarely and is not one of the routine "mouse health problems".

I'm curious to see what others here might post, if anyone has dealth with this problem.

by scaredymouse Sat 30 Sep 2017, 5:48 pm

Mice are very different than hamsters. No animal should be on metal/mesh floors. Bumblefoot is a type of bacterial infection that is caused by wounds on the feet, that arise from improper flooring or inappropriate wheels. Hamsters should never use mesh wheels for this reason. However, mesh wheels are safe for mice. Mice are not only much lighter, but they have a different type of locomotion. Meaning, they run differently that hamsters do making them less prone to bumblefoot from mesh wheels. Rather than running flat footed, they cling to the surface with their toes alleviating any potential pressure spots. However, both mice and hamsters could easily get bumblefood from something like mesh flooring.

Hope that clarifies things for you.