What to do if my mouse isn't eating, drinking, or acting herself?

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Rey and including photos. By the pictures, the back appears arched and would be concerns about scoliosis and pain. A veterinary visit is recommended, ASAP since not eating. Try offering food and water via a syringe, might be easier to swallow. Good luck.

If he will allow, check his teeth for overgrowth or misalignment. Also, look for obvious signs of infection or injury. This may include redness, swelling, bleeding, bruising or discharge. If you see anything suspicious, he will need to be seen by your veterinarian for confirmation and treatment. If his teeth are fine, clean his cage and sanitize bowls, water bottle, toys and hides. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Maintain a stable temperature and keep him as stress free as possible. If his symptoms persist, a veterinary exam will be needed.

When you trimmed them at home, you may have cracked one of the teeth or made them jagged- this would cause her pain or rub on her tongue or cheeks.. Also, sometimes they have other teeth in back that grow long that you can't see. She needs to have a vet look at the back of her mouth with a scope to see what is happening in there and then give her some pain meds that are safe for rats. In the meantime, keep trying to feed her soft food like baby food, cooked egg, non dairy yogurt, oatmeal etc to coax her to eat.

If your mouse is very lethargic and feels hot to the touch or feverish, it'd be best to seek vet care ASAP. it is possible there is an underlying illness or infection present, which should be examined and treated as needed by a vet in person. Keeping the mouse warm and hydrated as much as possible may help, but if it is already this ill, care is needed.

If Fatty will allow, check his teeth. They could be overgrown or maloccluded. If so, have him examined by your veterinarian. The teeth can be trimmed or corrected so that he can eat normally. If the teeth are fine, an exam would be recommended to diagnose other illness or injury.

Yes, unfortunately she looks very ill and she may be dying. There is not really anything you can do except take her to a vet. If you can't do that all you can do is keep her calm and quiet and if she is not drinking you can syringe some water into her mouth every few hours. Be sure she is warm. You can give her one drop of Children's Paracetamol liquid if you can find it. You can give that every 8 hours.