Blind mouse?

by FurMommy Sat 04 Mar 2017, 6:27 am

I've tried researching "blind mouse", and of course, all I get is the "3 Blind Mice" nursery rhyme. Can anyone tell me the signs to look for to determine if my mouse is blind, or at least losing her sight? I only noticed it today that when I approach her cage, she doesn't come running over to me right away, like usual. Either she smells me, or I make a sound to get her attention, and then she comes walking over to me. She does so very timidly though, like she's unsure. She gets around her cage just fine, not bumping into things. I guess that could just be because she's familiar with the layout of her cage. I think she may have fallen once or twice from her ladder. I can't say for sure because I didn't see it, but I heard it. Also, I've noticed over the last few days that the hair around both of her eyes is thin, to the point I can see pink skin all around. Today, one of them looked runny. Does this sound like she's losing her sight, or could there be another explanation?

by CallaLily Sat 04 Mar 2017, 8:34 am

They rely on hearing, smell, and their whiskers so much more than eyesight, it really wouldn't effect her much at all if she was blind. Mice don't have great eyesight anyway.

Her change in behavior, fur thinning, weeping eye could all be signs that she's not feeling well for other reasons. Has she ever been treated for mites? How old is she? What kind of bedding is she on? Any other symptoms - clicking/sneezing, labored breathing, does she look unkempt?

by FurMommy Sat 04 Mar 2017, 10:55 pm

Oh I'm so happy to know that if she is losing her sight, it's not a big deal for her! It was breaking my heart thinking about it! She has not been treated for mites, but I had another female that was treated for mites in December. They were not kept in the same cage at the time so the vet only treated the one who did have mites. Now that you mentioned that though, the symptoms she is displaying are very similar to what my other female who did have mites was showing. Her bedding is the Kaytee Clean and Cozy paper. She's been on that bedding since I've had her and hasn't had any issues with it. I keep the bedding in the freezer to try to get rid of/keep away any nasty things that could be transferred through her bedding. As far as her age, my best guess is she's about a year and a half, maybe a few months older. I haven't really noticed any other symptoms, no issues with her breathing that I can tell, no sneezing or any other unusual noises. I probably should mention that she did have a roommate, only for about 2 weeks though. The other female I had, that was treated for mites, lived with her for about 2 weeks before she passed. She passed a little over a month ago. She had a pretty good size tumor and we ended up having to put her to sleep, but as far as I am aware, she didn't have any other health issues that could have spread. The female I have left has been living alone ever since, for about 5 weeks now. I only mentioned that in case she may be suffering from depression, having lost her roommate, and that could be contributing to whatever is going on with her. I'm not sure though, if living together for 2 weeks is long enough for them to develop a close bond. I did get a new female friend for her and she just finished her 3 week quarantine yesterday. I was going to attempt to introduce them over this weekend, but now I'm wondering if I should wait til I figure out what is going on with my "old girl". Tomorrow I'm planning to deep clean all of their cages and they'll have all fresh bedding, but if she does have mites, will that even help? Thanks for your advice!!!

by CallaLily Sun 05 Mar 2017, 7:47 am

In that case, I would try treating her for mites. You can find more info on how here: http://www.petmousefanciers.com/t17-itching-hair-loss-and-parasites.

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