Problem with my mice

Some of my mice seems to start missing some fur (?). I can see the skin at some place. I taught it was a problem with mites or tics or something but I don't see anything on them? Could it be a genetic problem? Or something I can't see? Could it affect my snakes if I give their babies live to them?

Thanks!



:-offtopic

I also have a mouse that has red eyes (albino) but she is brown? Do you see this often?

What kind of bedding are you using? Your mice may be allergic to it and have a skin type of allergy. Try switching your bedding. My rats were allergic to Carefresh so I switched them to aspen and they are doing better. Just my thoughts.

I use aspen actually. Thanks for the info

are any of the mice picking on eachother? If you have two males in the same cage they'll happily tear eachother's fur off.

Could be any number of things~ If you can't see any bugs on them I would say it Could be:

Mites~ You can't see the really little ones. They are species specific and will not affect you or your snake~ take them to the vet for a skin scraping if it bugs you anyway~ if they have mites vet will give Ivermectin or some other similair medication.

Protien~ Too much protien in the diet makes them itchy. They scratch~ the hair falls out.

Heat~ If it's hot~ they itch~ they scratch and hair falls out.

Pecking Order~ Someone bigger than the bald mouse has decided that mouse looks better bald.

Allergies~ Your mice could be allergic to: the bedding, the feed, something environmental that is blooming or dying in the vicinity of them.

JM :o) said:

Mites~ You can't see the really little ones. They are species specific and will not affect you or your snake~ take them to the vet for a skin scraping if it bugs you anyway~ if they have mites vet will give Ivermectin or some other similair medication.

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If they stay with mites, could this give them other problems? It seems you tell me that I can let them have mites? Is this what you meant?

JM :o) said:

Protien~ Too much protien in the diet makes them itchy. They scratch~ the hair falls out.

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I give them lab block only. Should I add somthing else?

JM :o) said:

Heat~ If it's hot~ they itch~ they scratch and hair falls out.

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What temp is consider too hot? I put a thermometer to see what temp is in this room so I will see in a couple of minutes but I don't think it is too hot.

JM :o) said:

Pecking Order~ Someone bigger than the bald mouse has decided that mouse looks better bald.

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HAHAHA! Nothing I can do for that right?

JM :o) said:

Allergies~ Your mice could be allergic to: the bedding, the feed, something environmental that is blooming or dying in the vicinity of them.

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They are in a little room about 4' X 4' X 6' and there is nothing except them in this room.

Thanks for the help. At least they seems to feel good. One even had babies.

Thank you all.

if they're picking on each other you need to seperate the ones that aren't getting along or you'll find one dead.

As far as they mites go. I've been told that if you can just leave them~ as long as the rodents are healthy they will be fine. I don't know if thats true or not~ I tried a lot of things to get rid of mites I was sure were there because my rats were itchy and losing hair.

Now I'm pretty sure it's a protien and heat problem for me. Check your lab blocks and see how much protien they have. MIne have 22%~ another breeder I know gets feed that only has 18% protien~ My rats also get leftover bones and all the people food scrap from our meals~ so even more protien in my rats diet. I thought about trying to change food and go to a lot of trouble~ but decided not to bother~ the higher protien diet seems to produce good litters.

I beleive heat contributes to my problems as well. I get itchy when it's hot and I'm sweaty~ and I see more itchy/scratching rats on hot days than on cool days. I run the swamp cooler for them~ but that increases the humidity~ which probably makes them itchier!