rough coats

marisa · 05-26-03, 08:23 PM

Some of my soon to bed whacked feeder mice have rough coats...like illness wise, not actual rough coats....they look almost wet...

They are about a week past weaning. All are active, feeding, drinking, moving, no sneezing or wheezing...not lethargic, just the wet looking rough coats.

Anyone know whats up with that? I know it IS a sign of illness, but I am clueless as to what illness. Out of about 60, 10-20 have it, although some have gotten better (their coats are back to sleek)

Marisa

vanderkm · 05-26-03, 10:12 PM

What are the temps in your mouse cages and is the humidity higher than normal? Both stresses have resulted in damp, rough coats in my mice - and major problems like that with higher humidity in gerbils. I know it has been very hot and more humid here in the last week and mine still tend to pile on top of each other in the houses and end up looking damp and dissheveled.

Mice are also very prone to ringworm when conditions are humid - usual sign in mice is just hairloss or thinning, not the typical circles that are seen in other species, or the hard thickened tails that degus get. It can also appear as if the hair is clumped, though this is less likely than just the hair loss. If that is the case, be cautious about handling them as it is contagious to humans. The fungus is commonly around in soil, carried by other animals and can be in shavings, so it is hard to get rid of.

Other possibilities include diarrhea in pre-weaned mice or nutrition (high fat rations), can't think of anything else to suggest off hand.

mary v.

marisa · 05-26-03, 10:25 PM

hmmm well maybe it has been warmer than normal.

I haven't had these problems all winter so far. I normally only breed between Oct. and May but this year hasn't warmed up much so I left the colonies going. Maybe it is getting just to warm for them.

If it WAS ringworm how woudl you know for sure? Fecals at the vet from a couple of the major suspects? I don't think humidity is an issue as my house is very dry (normally 20-40% humidity! ugh dry!) and the mice are kept in very clean dry conditions.

Marisa

vanderkm · 05-26-03, 10:40 PM

Because ringworm is a fungal infection of the skin, skin scrapings can be used to confirm it by examination of the scraping under a microscope. Often it can be confirmed by examination of hairs with a Wood's lamp (UV rays) that will show flourescence of the affected hairs (depends on the fungal species). It is usually just a problem with humidity and associated stress though. The hair loss (strands break off really easily, at the level of the skin) leaving bald or thin patches especially on the neck, flanks and where legs meet the body - is the most characteristic sign, but it can produce the clumping effect. Some mice will recover on their own, but it can persist in a colony.

mary v.

marisa · 05-26-03, 10:46 PM

hmm thanks for the info. I am suspecting something other than that....the hair is full and thick still just looks wet. I don't see any bald patches on any of them. But of course it coudl very well be ringworm.

Are these mice unsafe to freeze and use as feederS? I don't want *Anything* that could harm the snakes!

marisa

vanderkm · 05-27-03, 01:02 PM

If they appear healthy in every other way, they should be fine as feeders, especially if some of them have recovered a normal coat. If there is no hair loss, it is unlikely to be ringworm, but even if it was, that would not be a problem for use as a feeder, in my opinion.

hope this resolves and if you have any pictures, would be interested to see what it looks like.

mary v

tai_pan1 · 05-28-03, 08:16 AM

I've noticed this condition in my mice as well. It usually occurs when the mice are all piled on top of each other in the nest. I've done an experiment with some of these, I've washed them with warm water, put them in a seperate tank, and observed them. Their fur (hair) usually goes back to looking normal. I was thinking that their fur was "rough looking" because they were being urinated on by the other mice in the nest. I may be way off base, but it seemed logical to me.

Mike

Linds · 05-28-03, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tai_pan1
I've washed them with warm water

How'd ya manage to do that? I'm impressed...lol... I can't imagine any of my mice letting me do anything with them

vanderkm · 05-28-03, 12:20 PM

Amazingly enough, people involved in showing mice actually wash them, blow dry them and brush them with toothbrushes - and we thought herp people were strange!

mary v

marisa · 05-28-03, 02:40 PM

Well most have gotten a smooth coat back. I am thinking this was a problem of the pile up. Although no one is really crowded, the nests in my colonines can get really out of hand when the mommas have 30-40 fuzzies in a pile. LOL. But they had the roughness for like a week or less...so maybe between the time they are just too big for the pile but not big enough to be on their own grooming themselves.

Marisa