Neurological Problems in Mice

Anyone have any idea why a perfectly healthy mouse would go from breeding one day to the next being able to barely walk?

One of my younger female mice I've raised up for a breeder just went into estrus and went through a long day of breeding yesterday for her first time.

She seemed fine (other than extremely touchy) when I left the polebarn at the end of the day's work. And when I came back the next day, she was wobbly and very uncoordinated. She could barely crawl 6 inches. Every attempt to walk would meet in her falling over and shaking.

I separated her from the rest immediately and let her have her own tank for the day. She never improved and would have periodic seizures where she'd stiffen up and her tail would go up and down like a jack lever.

Nothing had changed in that particular colony that I can think of. The only thing was that they were out of water by the time I got out there. But the others didn't seem to have any problems whatsoever. Seems to be whenever you have a slew of pinks, the water bottles just empty themselves. The only clue I have is that this colony still had food blocks in their bowl. The other 2 colonies' bowls were empty. I immediately threw out the food blocks and replaced with fresh.

So far, none of the other mice have shown any problems thus far. All fat and healthy and running around like usual. None of the other colonies are showing either.

It just shocked me because she was just becoming an adult and then to have this happen. =/

Well I've had another female come down with a mystery illness. She is the sister to the aformentioned female. Although she doesn't seem to be as bad off.

On Wednesday in a different colony after breeding for her first time, the female rapidly lost weight and seemed very listless. She can still move fine and eats..but she's always huddled up and fluffed up. And I'm guessing she's pregnant...but its weird, the plumpness associated with pregnancy seems to be only on her left side?

But the 3rd sister from this same litter in the same colony with this second problematic female is very pregnant and quite healthy and twice the size of her sister. They were the same size prior to going into estrus.

The two problematic females were bi-colored: one was white and black and the other is white and beige. The healthy sister is white and dark brown.

I remember reading somewhere on a rodent forum of some sort that bi-colored rodents seem more predisposed a particular health problem. Where if they have a stripe down the face it means they more than likely will develop the condition. I don't remember if they were referring to rats or mice. But I think it was strange. I don't even remember the name of the disease. But its usually marked by a swollen and painful abdomen.

Blah. These mice are only my 3rd generation with the two new males. So I doubt that they're inbred THAT much to cause problems so early. I've been trying to keep track of who fathered who, so when I need to add another female to the mix I don't place her in with her father.

And clues on the issue would be greatly appreciated.

I've had some mice with sudden problems like this, I've usually attributed it to an ear infection. Those usually go to the brain quickly and the mouse looks like it has decided to try to eavesdrop on china. That they both just bred for the first time and then got sick and were sisters suggests that they have some genetic problem such that they get infected when bred. I would suggest that that genetic line is a dead end.

It could be labor problems. Did all the mice come out?

I'm not sure, she could have had a stroke, she could have some sort of nerve damage, or she could have a genetic disease. A friend of mine had rats that had a disease that caused them and all of their young to drop dead when they were a few months old, the parents lived a few months longer than the babies, though. No symptoms, the only thing she noticed was that the father was no longer really fat, then a few days later....

BTW, the disease you're thinking of is megacolon, it only affects rats that are around 3-4 weeks old. Megacolonic (is that a word?) rats can't pass feces, and die very early.

I'm sure this problem has resolved itself one way or another since this thread was started a YEAR ago.

BeckyG said:

I'm sure this problem has resolved itself one way or another since this thread was started a YEAR ago.

Click to expand...

Oh dear, I didn't notice, since it was already on the first page when I read it.