Everything's Going Wrong

by CinnamonPearl Tue 17 May 2016, 8:09 pm

I hardly know what to do anymore. No matter what I do, things just keep getting worse and worse for my girls. Mabel's weight isn't getting any better, her OCD is back on the downward trend, and now the unthinkable's happened. Little Cow has a big lump behind her left ear that grew pretty much overnight (I would know- I just did a lump check yesterday and found nothing on anyone), and even though I can shift it around, it feels like cancer.

I just.... it makes you feel like a big screw up, when everything just goes to s***. Everyone's sick with something! Egg's cataract is getting bigger, Little Cow's down for the count, and Mabel's got an unholy conglomeration of god knows what. The vet thinks she knows what's up, and they're all being treated, but knowing my luck and ineptitude it won't do anything. Rosie's the only one untouched, but based on the pattern, I'm just waiting to walk in one day to find one of her legs have fallen off in another one of the universe's attempts to show me how bad I am at this.

Everyone's still happy? I guess that's all I can ask for. But Mabel's stressed out because I have to keep taking her out for meds or eye flushings, and she pretty much can't stand the sight of me anymore because I have to keep prodding her to get her to stop ripping apart her eye and ear. But everyone else takes care of her. But d***it, I just want them all to be healthy. Which makes a bad combination, because I suck at keeping animals healthy. Now little Lilith's gone, and I can't help but keep wondering who's next.

Sorry for the rant.

by Peachy Tue 17 May 2016, 9:16 pm

Goodness, you've got a lot going on. Does the vet think Little Cow's bump is a tumor, too? Or did I read it wrong and she hasn't been yet? Sad

Taking care of sick animals is HARD, and I know the indescribable disappointment and heartache when it just won't go your way. I'd say our pets being happy counts for a lot, though. I hope things will get better for you and your girls.

by Soren Tue 17 May 2016, 10:01 pm

I'm sorry to hear about all the thing going on! That is a lot of mouse illnesses for such a short time. You are a great mouse parent, you're doing everything right, you take them to the vet, and treat them. It's unfortunate that you are experiencing so many problems, but don't blame yourself. Chances are, it's beyond your control.

I had a similar experience last year when i started having mice again. I bought 5 mice from different petcos within a few weeks of each other. All but one died within a month of me having them. I bought the best carefresh bedding, fed them top quality food, had them in a room with temperature control, yet they all got some sort of illness and kept having to be rushed to the vet, and they eventually died. The one that is still alive has permanent URI symptoms (she still clicks and sneezes even though shes already recovered from a URI). I thought I was doing something wrong, that I was an awful mouse parent! Until I bought a mouse from a small local pet store, and realized it wasn't normal to have all these health problems everyday. I bought 2 more from that local store and they are all healthy every month that passes, and haven't experienced any illnesses actually.

I don't know where you got your mice from, but it could be genetics or poor breeding. The mouse's background make's a HUGE difference in their health and longevity. If you've had them for while maybe they are aging. But it's not your fault. You are a very attentive and loving mouse parent, and I am sorry you are having a rough experience. You have our support.

by CallaLily Wed 18 May 2016, 6:49 am

Soren wrote:I'm sorry to hear about all the thing going on! That is a lot of mouse illnesses for such a short time. You are a great mouse parent, you're doing everything right, you take them to the vet, and treat them. It's unfortunate that you are experiencing so many problems, but don't blame yourself. Chances are, it's beyond your control.

This. I remember how tough it was when everything went down hill quickly with my last group. hugs. Less than a year into keeping mice I had been to the vet with sick visits waay more than I ever have with any other pet. They're so fragile. How old are your mice now?

by CinnamonPearl Wed 18 May 2016, 7:33 am

Not even that old. Rosie and Mabel are a little over a year and a half, Cow is around eighteen months, and Egg is gonna be a year next month.

by MouseLover Wed 18 May 2016, 7:49 am

CinnamonPearl you clearly do your best for your mice, no one could ask for more than that. You love them. You take them to the vet. There's nothing more you can do, so don't feel guilty. Just keep loving them and taking care of them.

Mice have such a lust for life, as long as they can explore and play and run, it's all worth it for them.

by CallaLily Wed 18 May 2016, 9:15 am

CinnamonPearl wrote:Not even that old. Rosie and Mabel are a little over a year and a half, Cow is around eighteen months,

I think for the average pet shop mouse, that is getting up there sweetie. I don't remember where your mice are from but I think it's pretty normal for their vet care needs to increase at this age. I'm so sorry it's all at once. You mentioned the vet had an idea about what's going on?

by CinnamonPearl Wed 18 May 2016, 12:30 pm

CallaLily wrote:You mentioned the vet had an idea about what's going on?

Oh, yeah. I've been distracted, so I forgot to say. The vet found a protozoa from Lilith's necropsy that can cause weight and fur loss and is transmissible. She thinks that's what's up, but she isn't sure. The girls are on a five day round of a drug that's supposed to take care of it. Metro-something. There's a Z in there. I wanna ask her more about it at Cow's appointment today to see if I can figure out where it came from, but odds are I just need to be more diligent about hand-washing when I get home from Petco.

by Artistwolf Wed 18 May 2016, 5:55 pm

I have nothing to add, but don't beat yourself up over it. I'm sorry you have to go through this.
Hug

by CinnamonPearl Wed 18 May 2016, 6:07 pm

Well we know what it is now, officially. The vet was gonna call me today, but she just told me at the appointment. They found tapeworm eggs from the necropsy. It's tapeworm. There's not a doubt in my mind. It just all adds up!

I already got the (very expensive >.<) drugs to handle this. They finish the medicine for the mystery protozoa on Friday, and a week after that they finish the tapeworm medicine. Then this'll all finally be over! ^.^

In other news, the vet is very convinced that it's an abscess that Little C has. She says that tumors rarely sprout overnight in mice, and that's just what this lump did. So she put Cow on antibiotics, and we're gonna regroup in a few days to see if it helps.

The only thing that I'm really not happy about in terms of all this is how many medications my poor girls are on. Little Cow's on three, Mabel's on two plus her eye wash, and Egg and Ro are both on two. It really is a lot for them, and I don't even know about potential side effects. I'm gonna have to make more time to dose them in the morning just so they don't have to down all of it at once.

If anyone (*cough cough* NM) has any advice or knowledge about tapeworm in mice, could you please share? Where it comes from, how to handle it, et cetera. I mean, this thing didn't come from nowhere, and the sooner I figure out how to prevent it, the better I'll feel. I'm wondering if maybe it came in in the food or the bedding? But I can't be sure. I have to try and put some research into it.

by MouseLover Wed 18 May 2016, 7:02 pm

My goodness, tapeworm?! Shocked

How on earth did they catch that?
As far as I'm aware tapeworm is caught by eating under-cooked pork?

I know it's hard work medicating mice, but hopefully everyone will be on the mend soon.

by CinnamonPearl Wed 18 May 2016, 7:04 pm

I have no idea. I've never given them anything raw or any sort of red meat.

by Ealexander Wed 18 May 2016, 8:31 pm

Hey, my Clark had a lump behind his ear too and it was just an infection. A few days on antibiotics and it reduced in size quickly after that. He always had a little scar behind his ear once it was fully gone but it never bothered him again. Hopefully it goes as smoothly for Little Cow!

by CallaLily Wed 18 May 2016, 8:56 pm

I'm glad you have answers and a treatment lined up. I hope they recover quickly.

I'm not sure about with mice, but tapeworm in cats can come from ingesting infected fleas and lice or I think infected feces.

by peas Thu 19 May 2016, 12:14 am

Worms basically come from meat and poo. Their eggs can survive for years so it's possible that something came into contact with an egg and then ended up transferring that egg into their tank where they ingested it. They're basically microscopic so you wouldn't be able to see it and they probably wouldn't even notice they were eating it.

All you can really do is wash your hands a bunch and hope for the best.

Do your mice walk around anywhere your feet touch? Cause it easily could of been tracked in on a shoe, then on a sock and then on to a bed or carpet. Or even ended up on the sock in the dryer. If it didn't come from your hands or some meat, it's probably a flukey thing.

18 months, a year, those are pretty decent lives. It sounds like if they are happy and have been happy for a year, that you have done a great job. A mouse isn't really going to know the difference between living for a year and living for 2, it's just a blur to them. As long as they are happy that's really the most important thing. It can be hard when they are all sick and dying and blaming ourselves is the only thing we can really do but you don't want to let that take the fun out of having mice, cause then you will think twice about getting new mice and some poor mouse out there will have to suffer without a good owner because we make their illness and short life spans all about us. You being unhappy isn't going to help anyone or anything.

You are taking care of them but no amount of care guarantees success. Mice get sick and die. They get old fast and die. That's just part of it. If you can get used to that part and get better at handling it then all becomes that much better.

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