Malnutrition or Just Tiny?

by Hope4Allwhobreathe Tue 19 Jun 2018, 9:52 am

Hi again (I know I've posted like three times on this whole thing)
But I have 3 mice, all females, and one is smaller than the other two! They're all from the same "lot" at a pet store, and they get along quite well (they all have the occasional squeak and squabble from time to time- no blood is ever drawn) but I'm concerned as to why is she smaller than the other two mice?

This is the same mouse that is moving more slowly than the other two, but she is also the most tame. She's not afraid of me in the slightest. (See post "One Slow Mouse" for more on that). I see that she's eating, but I wonder if she's not getting enough food with the other, bigger mice around. They all share a large food dish that is filled every day with a pellet mix, sprinkled in are some treats (meal-worms, yogurt drops, extra seeds, fresh veggies or fruits) every few days.

During feeding, should I separate the smaller mouse into another bin to ensure that she is getting enough nutrition? Or are some mice just smaller than others?

^^^ here she is, sitting around.

Again, any and all advice is always greatly appreciated Smile

by Hope4Allwhobreathe Tue 19 Jun 2018, 3:45 pm

For reference, here is Otter compared to the other two- Skunk and Badger:

Otter^

Badger in back left, Skunk front right^^

Again she might just be a smaller mouse, but I just want to be sure Smile

by AnonymousMouseOwner Tue 19 Jun 2018, 8:56 pm

Unless she seems lethargic, stops eating/drinking, has trouble breathing, or other symptoms of illness, there's no need to worry! I used to have a very tiny mouse named Holly, she was 19 grams her whole life, which is quite tiny for a full-grown adult mouse. She had a few strokes, and lost her tail, but she lived a normal lifespan of 1 and a half years! Now that's a strong little mouse. So despite being the "runt" of the group, your girl should be fine as long as she's not looking like she's sick. My Holly was really slow too, she used to eat very, very slowly and would sit in the bowl for a very long time, but it never seemed to cause her any health issues.

by Hope4Allwhobreathe Tue 19 Jun 2018, 9:02 pm

She doesn't seem lethargic, she just seems more relaxed than the other two mice. She runs less but she hasn't stopped eating or drinking. Maybe she's just a tiny gal <3

by Hope4Allwhobreathe Wed 20 Jun 2018, 11:01 am

AnonymousMouseOwner wrote:Unless she seems lethargic, stops eating/drinking, has trouble breathing, or other symptoms of illness, there's no need to worry! I used to have a very tiny mouse named Holly, she was 19 grams her whole life, which is quite tiny for a full-grown adult mouse. She had a few strokes, and lost her tail, but she lived a normal lifespan of 1 and a half years! Now that's a strong little mouse. So despite being the "runt" of the group, your girl should be fine as long as she's not looking like she's sick. My Holly was really slow too, she used to eat very, very slowly and would sit in the bowl for a very long time, but it never seemed to cause her any health issues.

She is definitely eating- I watch her eat and drink, but she doesn't ZOOM around like she used to when I first got her (she's also very tame)- so that could be it. She is much smaller than the other two mice, but she's also the most "nest"-ing. She makes a nest every day and carries bedding in her mouth. She seems nice and bright and healthy, but I'm going to keep a close eye on my tiny gal

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