Why Do My Pet Mice Keep Dying? Understanding Pet Mice Health Condition
A responsible mouse owner will like to know how to keep their mouse nice and healthy. It’s not as difficult as one may think, and it’s fairly easy once you get to know everything!
Mice naturally try to hide their symptoms, which is quite an unfortunate scenario and might make you wonder if you are mishandling or not treating your mouse properly. You may ask, why do my pet mice keep dying?
There are a lot of factors that contribute to their death; both natural and artificial. It might be a disease or simply because of undetected cancer, for example.
Let’s look into why this may happen and how to identify it.
Why Do My Pet Mice Keep Dying?
If you really think about it, why does it happen? Why do my pet mice keep dying? There are a lot of factors in play here. The most common reason is a viral or bacterial disease of some sort.
Tyzzer’s disease, a spore-like illness that occurs in the liver, is often 100% fatal; killing a mouse within a week without any signs or symptoms of it beforehand.
More possible reasons include undetected cancer, a weak heart, a lot of stress, and more. Stress is very harmful and may cause diarrhea, so ensure you accompany them for a healthy amount of time! They may even bite you to get time from you.
Also, check if the bedding is as clean as possible since mice are very susceptible to mites. As a mouse can get infected with human diseases too, ensure your hands are bacteria-free and not contaminated.
The best advice would be to visit your local vet to know the true reason for your mouse’s death. This might help identify the cause of the most common health issues in Rats and Mice:
Taking Care of Pet Mice
Keep an Eye on It
Let’s begin with how to tell if my pet mouse is dying? If you suspect your mouse may be dying, you need to be super cautious and closely examine the mouse’s health.
There are many things to look out for, like weight, breathing, activity, heart rate, and more.
Make sure it’s fed quality food properly and isn’t behaving strange or erratic (Doing repetitive actions, for example).
Also, check when your mice sleep and make sure they properly sleep.
Check Body Vitals
One of the earliest signs you might notice is a gradual weight loss over time. It may be stressed and have a reduced appetite, therefore eating less food and drinking overall.
Mice always like to eat food no matter what, so it’s a significant indicator that your mouse may be sick.
In addition, subtle signs such as a decreased breathing rate and reduced body activity are
important to look out for. The mouse may act tired and refuse to interact or play with toys as much as before and instead choose to sit alone in a corner.
Since mice are very prone to mites, check their fur regularly and ensure your hands are not contaminated before touching them. They have a weak immune system and can die very easily.
Do you know if hamsters are related to mice and rats? The comprehensive writing on Are Hamsters Related To Rats And Mice? Differences Between Them will give you precise information.
What to Do if Your Pet Mouse Is Dying?
One might worry about what to do if your pet mouse is dying. Once you notice any of the
symptoms, you should book an appointment with the vet as soon as possible to diagnose them.
You should follow the doctor’s procedures and provide the prescribed medicine to relieve some pain and increase its chances of survival. If you have more pets or mice, separate them from the rest to stop the disease from spreading – you don’t want to get all infected!
It’s important to make sure the mouse stays as happy as possible. So try feeding its favorite food a lot and provide it with lots of toys. You may consider euthanizing if all else fails and treatment isn’t successful.
Euthanizing gives the mouse a painless death. But some might find it controversial.
Read More: Why Do Pet Mice Smell So Bad? The Reasons You Should Know
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does a dying pet mouse look like?
It might look uncomfortable, or anxious. Try being around it for some time. Keep a close watch on it.
2. What causes a mouse to die suddenly?
Factors such as diseases, stress, tumor, or cancer, may cause it to die. Negligence on the side of the owner may also cause the mice to die.
Conclusion
Although mice can be great pets, they can get infected or die easily. It can be really hard to identify symptoms. So, without proper knowledge, one may keep asking why do my pet mice keep dying?
Make sure to check them and give them the required attention regularly!
