My mouse has a bald spot behind her ear, what should I do about it?

It could be some minor irritation or infection Keep the area clean and dry. Keep the bedding clean and dry. Monitor the spot for rapid change or growth. If necessary, see your veterinarian for an exam and treatment.

First of all, Maizy looks more like a rat in the picture, unless she is an extremely large mouse. the lesions looks like a wound at the moment, but if it started as a lump it could be an abscess or a tumor. you will have to take her to an exotic vet specialist to get this checked and treated, if it is an infection she will need a course of antibiotics in order to heal properly.

Thanks for your question about Brian. If the bald patch is growing in size that quickly, and if it is also associated with redness, flakey skin, or evidence of pain, I would recommend that he be taken to a veterinarian for evaluation. I didn’t see how old he is, but infections, cancer, and hormonal disease are very common in hamsters. Your veterinarian may take a sample of the skin and fur in the area, and depending on what they find, they may recommend medications for him. Please don’t give Brian any human medications at home, as many of them are harmful to our furry friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello! I'm sorry to hear that Mickey is having some skin problems. Skin issues are not all that uncommon in mice, the location you mention (the ears) is common for irritated skin. The eye problem probably did stem from him scratching at his ears - sometimes they accidentally scratch the sensitive tissue around the eyelids and cause irritation unwittingly. The best thing you can do for Mickey is to trim his toenails - many skin and eye issues in mice are self-inflicted, and having short nails keeps them from being able to cause further damage. A small human nail clipper works well for this purpose, but if you are uncomfortable with restraining your mouse safely, a vet's office can do it for you. They may also be able to suggest an ointment for the irritated ear tissue. Additionally, they can check for parasites that might be causing him to scratch - this is unlikely, but worth ruling out. In the meantime, to protect the eye, a plain artificial tears ointment that you can get from the drugstore can be helpful. Be sure it's made for the eyes, and that it doesn't have anything in it except for mineral oil and white petrolatum. Good luck, and I hope that little Mickey gets well soon!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Hades has some hair loss, redness, and scratches on his neck and shoulders. This can be caused by fur mites, a skin infection, or a condition known as ulcerative dermatitis. A vet will be able to take a small sample of fur or skin to determine the cause. In the meantime, I recommend trimming Hade's hind nails to prevent him from scratching and causing trauma and applying SSD (silver sulfadiazene) ointment once daily. I hope this helps!

Thanks for reaching out. Scratching to the point of bleeding and wounds, is likely fur mites, which are difficult to see with the naked eye. A veterinary visit is recommended to take a skin scraping and examine under the microscope. If positive, both mice need to be treated. Good luck.

This could be local infection or trauma caused by a cagemate. Separate him if you can and see if the hair loss resolves. Use as dust free a bedding as possible to prevent sneezing. Monitor for lethargy, nasal discharge or decreased appetite. He may need to be physically examined by your veterinarian to diagnose respiratory infection and have antibiotics dispensed.