mouse itching and biting tail!! help!!

by lilkitty Mon 30 Nov 2020, 3:55 pm

I'm an absolute newby to this forum and to owning mice and i'm in need of urgent help. i very recently took a mouse of the hands of a family friend whos children werent interested in it. im not even sure of its sex at the minute but they have been housed alone. they seem to be scratching a lot around the neck but i dont see fleas or mites and they are chewing on their own tail, drawing blood and it looks like he has lost a tiny bit from the end. i'm going to schedule a vet appointment right away but dje to national lockdown and me not being able to drive i'm worried it wont be soon enough. is there anything i can do to stop him doing this until then? could it be down to stress? any information would be appreciated

by lilkitty Mon 30 Nov 2020, 4:00 pm

mouse itching and biting tail!! help!! Snapch10

(i forgot to add pic)

by M O U S E Mon 30 Nov 2020, 5:00 pm

It's good that you immediately scheduled a vet appointment!

What bedding do you use? He/she could be allergic to the bedding and has irritated skin because of it.
Do you freeze the bedding before use? This gets rid of mites and fleas, but as you said you didn't see any.
Was this happening before you got him/her, or did it start after?

I recently had health issues in one of my mice. It was an eye issue, but maybe some of the things I learned can help you out.
1. Neosporin (and other antibiotic ointments) is safe to be used on injuries. Pain relieving antibiotic ointment is a controversial topic though, so I would avoid that unless it is the only thing you have access to. I would also keep a close eye on him/her after applying any ointment, so he/she doesn't ingest a ton of it. You can use saline solution to help (I got two medium sized bottles from Target for $7). However, I would use ointment for this because of the amount of area to cover. This could help with irritation and healing.
2. Use a cool compress to alleviate itchiness. Just dabbing the tail with a cotton ball will do.

Yes, it is possible that this is caused due to stress. Make sure you have plenty of toys and a large enough cage. Especially if it is a male mouse. If it is female, I highly recommend getting at least one more cage mate. Mice are very social animals. I would try to get the mouse sexed as soon as you can. If you aren't sure how to, there are plenty of people on here that can. Of course the chewing is a greater issue right now though.

by M O U S E Mon 30 Nov 2020, 5:06 pm

Here is a link listed under the Health forum that might help --> https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t17-itching-hair-loss-and-parasites

by MerciToujoursMaPetiteBoop Mon 30 Nov 2020, 5:11 pm

Some mites live inside hair follicles, and your mousie's tail looks rather like that could be what is going on. But the mouse doctor would take a sample and observe with a microscope to make sure.

Since I do not know what the problem is, one safe thing you can do is to give the tail a good bath with warm (not hot) water and Dawn dishwashing liquid. (Dawn because it is safe for wildlife and good at cutting grease, which the mites protect themselves with.) If there ARE mites, the tail bath may help to wash some away and bring some itch relief. If there are NO mites, the tail bath shouldn't have any damaging effects.

M O U S E has already given some advice on handling itching.

Not knowing your budget and local store availability, or how soon you can get the doctor appointment, I hesitate to get any fancier in my suggestions. See if your little buddy gets any relief while waiting to visit the doctor.

by chiroptera Mon 30 Nov 2020, 8:15 pm

I might suggest treating with Ivermectin for mites preventatively if you can find it before you're able to get in with a vet. It's safe (IF diluted properly!) and if it is mites, it's a pretty effective treatment most of the time. I believe it's available on Amazon, and might also be available in places like tractor supply (as it's used for farm animals as well).