Why is my pet mouse sleeping a lot, has a red eye, and won't eat?

I would be suspicious that Ginger may have scraped or otherwise injured her cornea. This causes squinting, pain, and swelling and irritation around the eye. A warm compress to the area may help with comfort, but she may need to see a veterinarian for definitive diagnosis and possibly antibiotics. An abscessed tooth could also Cause similar symptoms. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for your question about Bouncy. You are right, sometimes respiratory problems can cause them to squeak a lot, but there are other things that can do this as well. With a decrease in appetite and his hiding behaviors that suggests that he doesn’t feel well. These, paired with his age, would make me concerned that something serious is going on. I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian for evaluation. They can prescribe medications if it is a respiratory problem, or they can make other recommendations if it isn’t. Please don’t give him any human medications, as many medications can be harmful to mice.

If she will allow, check her teeth to see if they are overgrown or maloccluded. Either may result in a decrease or loss of appetite. Soak her pellets in warm water or a bit of fruit juice to stimulate her appetite and make eating easier. If she still does not eat or continues her aberrant behavior, have her physically examined by your veterinarian to diagnose illness or injury.

I am so sorry to hear that Cherry has an issue with his eye. Unfortunately I cannot see the issue clearly in this picture. The concern with eyes is that infections, injures, growths and inflammation can progress rapidly and may even lead to blindness. For this reason I would advise taking Cherry to see a veterinarian as soon as you can. The fact that Cherry also seems systemically unwell; not eating, drinking extra water and lethargic, also means he needs to see a vet very soon. All these signs point to Cherry being in pain and possibly fighting an issue inside his body like an infection or even types of cancer. I am so sorry that Cherry isn’t well. I hope he is able to be seen by a veterinarian soon who will start by giving him a physical exam to determine the exact cause of his issues.

A lump on the neck could be an enlarged lymph node, abscess or gland (thyroid). If your pet is weak, a veterinary visit ASAP is recommended. Small animals typically do not have much stored energy reserves, and by the time they appear sick, they have been ill for a period of time. Some of these conditions might respond well to treatments (infection) versus neoplasia, which can be treated but with difficulty.

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! From the photo, it appears that Penelope has some porphyrin staining. This is a pretty normal substance made by a small gland behind the eye. Most mice typically groom this off so most owners don’t see it. If you are seeing the staining, it means that Penelope isn’t grooming as much as she should be. Decreased grooming activity can be a sign of stress, particularly if in a new environment with a new cagemate. I recommend keeping a close eye on Penelope to make sure she is not hunched and that her fur is nice and flat.