My pet mouse is limping with a deep wound on her hip. What to do?

Hello there! I'm sorry to hear that Marvin is having some health troubles. The lip and the leg issue are probably unrelated, but depending on the age of your mouse, several things may be going on. If he's a young dude, I strongly suggest checking the length of his teeth, as overgrown teeth can poke into the lip and cause swelling and abscesses. The lump could still be an abscess even if he's older, and especially if he lives with other mice that may have bitten him. It is also possible that the lump is a cancerous tumor. While the location is uncommon, older mice can develop cancers anywhere. The best thing for him is to visit a vet to determine the cause. They will likely palpate the mass, and may take a small sample of cells from within the mass using a very small needle. These cells may then be examined under the microscope, which may help determine what is causing the mass (bacteria, cancer, etc). Treatment will depend on the cause - he may need antibiotics, or the vet may recommend removal of the mass. Limping in mice is usually caused by injury. Take a look at his foot pad to check for redness or lesions, especially if he's housed on a grate or wire mesh as these can cause pododermatitis (a skin infection of the foot). This should also be evaluated by the vet to determine the cause and to get him some pain medication, if needed. Good luck, and I sure do hope that Marvin the mouse recovers!

Poor Math! I would limit his activity for a bit as best as possible and if he continues limping for more than a day, seems in pain, or new symptoms appear, seek out veterinary care in person to have him examined and treated.

If you can, I would suggest you take Tofu to a veterinarian for an exam and possible x-ray. If the leg/foot is broken they may be able to splint it to help it heal. Vets have medications they can dispense for the pain and swelling. There are no over the counter medications I can recommend you give him. I am not sure any are safe to give and even if they were, it would be impossible to get a correct dosage for a mouse that small. The only recommendation I have other than taking him to the vet is to try and soak the affected leg in an epsom salt solution (~5 minutes 2-3 times a day). Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I think an immediate check up is required as the most likely problem is that they got into a fight and Lissana has an abscess on the lower back region. Possibly the limp is due to pain on the back region, but it is unlikely that spinal cord is involved (she would possibly drag the leg when she walks rather than limping on it and there would be other signs as well). If there is a bit wound, abscess must be lanced, flushed, disinfected and antibiotics must be given. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I am sorry to hear about your rat! There are numerous possible causes for this issue, including trauma resulting in skeletal injury or injury to a nerve or the spine. Degenerative disease as well as some tumors can also cause paralysis of the limbs. I would recommend having Falicity examined by a veterinarian to ensure she isn't in pain and to see if something may be done to help (for example, some tumors may be surgically removed). Best of luck to you and Falicity!

I am sorry to hear that Hammy is painful. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian. I am worried that he may have injured it. Possibly a fracture or an infection. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Poor girl. It sounds like she may have a serious injury there and could have dislocated her hip joint or tore her ligament. You really should take her to your vet now to get some x-rays done of her leg. Most cats with mild injuries won't show you that they are hurt, so if a cat is limping its usually pretty serious and should be looked at quickly. I do hope that your fur baby Mina is going ot be ok moving forward and I am so sorry that your first pet has injured herself in this way. Best of luck moving forward. Take care.