(no subject)

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know of a small animal vet that might be willing to try to help with a neurotic mouse?

I've had 2 mice for about 2 weeks now and one of them refuses to settle in. When ever I am home, she runs as fast as she can on the wheel, even if I'm asleep. When I was at home during the day during break, the mouse would run nearly 24 hours a day on the wheel unless the other one forced her off, but now she won't even let the other one play. I am afraid she's going to give herself a heart attack or something. She even runs while trying to eat. So I decided tonight to take the wheel out just for a few hours to give her paws a break (As she was also looking exhausted and weaving back and forth on the wheel like her paws hurt) But now she's going nuts and climbing the walls looking for the wheel and then hunching up with all her fur raised like there's a threat, and then going back to searching for the wheel. They have plenty of sheltered places and appear to be eating well. The other mouse seems to be adjusting fine and sleeps mostly during the day and plays at night.

assuming the neurotic one is fine tomorrow, is there anywhere to go to get a prescription for mouse anti-anxiety medication? and or you know, suggestions?

Comments

[c011een.livejournal.com]

i had a bad experience with Angell. i took my hamster there and they pressured me into getting an xray (i said no to the ct scan). i spent 6 hours in the waiting room, paid almost $500 and left with a still-sick hamster who now had a broken leg from the xray. there's not many vet care options for small rodents. hope your mouse chills out...

Broken leg from the xray?

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

How can an xray scan break a leg?

That's totally bizarre...

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Where did you get her from?

Re: That's totally bizarre...

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

Petco at fresh pond.

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

maybe the cage is in an area that's too bright? or too hot/cold? or happens to have been the spot the kitty litterbox was in for the last tenant?

are you often around people who own cats (or other mouse predators)?

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

perhaps it needs a "time out" at night with a towel and complete dark?

or a wee little couch, and some talking it out?

#

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

I am intrigued by your 'wee little couch' idea and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

it worked for lassie :)



oh, hey, perfect:

http://billycreek.blogspot.com/2008/07/well-this-is-something-i-can-really-use.html

''' Researchers at the Salk Institute report they have found two drugs that do wonders for the athletic endurance of couch potato mice. One drug, known as Aicar, increased the mice’s endurance on a treadmill by 44 percent after just four weeks of treatment.

A second drug, GW1516, supercharged the mice to a 75 percent increase in endurance, but had to be combined with exercise to have any effect.'''

#

I have an idea!

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Attach a little dynamo to the wheel and you may be able to recharge some batteries with the energy produced by the mouse!

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

I have no advice but, poor mousie :-(

[misterthorn.livejournal.com]

I haven't needed one for a few years, so I don't know if it's still true, but they used to have a small animal specialist at Porter Square Vet. I'd call and ask, especially since you'd probably want an appointment to see him or her in particular. I used to have a couple ratties that they were very helpful with a couple times, but this was a few years ago.

I had another friend who'd had rats and she lived in Union Square and said that the vet there was very helpful with her small animals, even had a couple rats herself. That was about 5-6 years ago, though, so your mileage may vary. Again, call and ask.

Even if neither of these places can help you, I'm sure they'll be able to refer you to someone.

Good luck, and don't worry, your mousie is probably ok, s/he probably just has a rambunctious personality. Check with a vet, yes, of course, but it's probably nothing to be concerned about!

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

medication for a mouse? really, that's where we're at? really?

Big pharma crossed the line!

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

:)

[theodosia.livejournal.com]

Does she have a couple holes to hide in? Like a tissue box that would be dark and 'safer' for her? I'm sorry to hear that she's distressed.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

yep! and there are no cats in the house and have not been (if there ever was) in a long time. and most of the time the room is pretty dark if not dark.

Any chance you could post a little video on youtube?

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

This just seems too weird. If the mouse literally runs 24 hr/day, then something is very wrong with her.

Re: Any chance you could post a little video on youtube?

[nyusha81.livejournal.com]

i imagine it would look something like that:
http://cuteoverload.com/2009/12/24/to-infinity-and-beyond/

Re: Any chance you could post a little video on youtube?

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Funny! Especially the last part, with the hamster giving up and rolling with the wheel...

[deep-shag.livejournal.com]

flower essance,flower essance, flower essance! sounds like an emotional, not physical problem, and mammials respond very well to flower essance. You have to go to a hippie/whole foods store. Most popular brand is Bach. Rescue Remedy is a good, all around chill-out, anti trauma one. Put a couple drops in their water, or a drop on some favorite food treat, and maybe a rub a couple drops on the wheel. Poor thing.

or you can order some from the web, of course. http://www.petessences.com/index.htm

best of luck. I am moving to somerville with one mouse, and am thinking of getting her a companiton. so i am guessing the mouse was not running crazy in the pet store?

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

nope! seemed fine at the store. it was also reasonably ok for the first day. or at least it wasn't as obvious since they were both stressed with the move, but then the other one calmed down and this one didn't.

[dcltdw]

We take our rabbits to Wellesley Animal Hospital; we got a recommendation for them because they have exotic pet vets (not just dogs & cats). I don't know if they have mouse specialists, but it'd be worth giving them a call, I bet.

[hoppzor.livejournal.com]

hunching up with all her fur raised like there's a threat... does she look like this all the time? hunching+puffy fur in mice can mean that they're ill or in pain. although, for being so active, this seems unlikely.

honestly I wouldn't worry as long as she's not fighting with the other mouse or being inactive, which is a bigger worry than overactive. I've seen mice run in circles and jump up and down 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they do perfectly fine. it's more tiring to watch than bad for them, but there's not much to be done, really. she'll probably be fine and live just as long as her cagemate. it could be a neurological problem, but there's not much to be done for mice that won't be really traumatizing and expensive. even giving anti-anxiety meds will cause waaaay more stress for the mouse...

I guess the other thing to think about is your light/dark cycle. an inconsistent cycle can be really bad for mice.

good luck!

[whitefire.livejournal.com]

I know an animal psychiatrist that specializes in small rodents but the hourly rate is through the roof.

Are you serious?

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

An animal neurologist I may understand... But animal psychiatrist? Where would you get such a degree?...

[arcanology.livejournal.com]

Before you medicate animals with random human things you should consider that what is fine for humans may be poisonous to animals. Dogs and chocolate ring any bells? Alternately it may have completely different effects in a different mammal.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

Fresh Pond Vets in Belmont deal with rodents..

oh MY oh my, this post is so, oh my....

[notnatalie.livejournal.com]

This post.....this post, these comments.....maybe 2010 won't be such a bad year, after all.....