Metal in a mouse...My Poor Festivus

I'm still shaking as I write this. Yesterday morning I thawed some mice to feed 2 of the rosy boas (Sadie and Bernice), 4 of the "big snakes" (Sniper, Snafu, Calvin and Kate), and my 3 male 07s (Lugosi, Voldermort and Festivus). They all ate, and I went to work.

When I got home I thawed 5 more hoppers for rosys Annie, Edison, Ed. Fred and Buddy. Ed and Buddy decided to refuse, so I gave the hoppers to BRenda and Snafu, The hoppers were small and next week is their last meal til bru, so I didn't feel like I was stuffing them.

This morning when I walked into the snakeroom, I was greeted by "that smell". The smell of a dead animal. I didn't panic...I was thinking regurge (which is bad, but not an immediate emergency). I had my coffee and decided to check all the cages to track down where the smell was coming from. I got to Festivus and immediately saw the putrid mouse laying there. Then I got a look at my boy. His mouth was crooked, like when they realign their jaws, and his head was to the side. His whole throat was swollen and I saw metal DOWN HIS THROAT. It appeared to be Y shaped and the points were stretching and distorting the skin of his throat, with the points piercing through to the outside. It was AWFUL. I ran to the phone and called my vet and they had me bring him right down.

I had to leave him there so I went home and checked the other snakes I had fed yesterday. All seemed just fine and Lugosi gave me a nice tail rattle for disturbing him. I called my supplier, a guy I had been dealing with for 13 years. He is going to alert his suppliers, because he gets the mice frozen from a few places.

I use newspaper bedding and clean his cage all the time. Somehow, the metal wire was inside the mouse! My boy had surgery, the vet had to make 3 incisions and the metal had to be cut into pieces to get it out of him. I just picked him up. His whole head and neck are swollen, and he is carrying the front half of himself off the ground, it must hurt so bad! He is on endroflaxin twice a day, and the syringe has to be put behind the incisions, so the antibiotic doesn't leak out. The wire was old and really rusty and I am really afraid of infection.

He has a followup appt on Friday....I'm really scared I might lose him.
Tonight is feeding night for the majority of the corns.....I am running a powerful magnet over the mice and examining them closely before feeding.

Festivus is a sulphur that I got from Rob and Louise last February. I don't know what I'll do if I lose him....

OMG, Beth!!!!!!!!! I can't believe it. Poor little Festivus! Please provide daily updates. I will pray for the little guy. At least he made it out of surgery and has a chance!

D***!!!! I'm so sorry for what happened! I'm glad that you got him to the vet. Please let us know how Festivus does and keep us up to date.

Now we have to "fear" what we feed them????

OMG, that's so bizarre! I'm sorry to hear that.. I wonder if it was something the mouse ingested? Or is it way to big for that?

wow! I'm so sorry to hear what happened! I am glad to hear that he made it out of surgery and I will hope for the best. my thoughts are with you.

Originally Posted by tom e

OMG, that's so bizarre! I'm sorry to hear that.. I wonder if it was something the mouse ingested? Or is it way to big for that?

It was about 1/4" or 1/3" before it was cut up. I didn't see it when I thawed the mice, but I wasn't LOOKING for it either...it was like cheescloth, I think it's called. Like part of an old rusty mousecage.

Thank you Nanci, and everyone else for your well wishes. I really appreciate it, guys. I know you'll send some good Karma to my little one....

That's terrible..not to put down who you get feeders from, but I'd like to personally know. Chances are I don't get mice from him, but I'd lke to be sure, expecially if he gets from another palce also. If you don't want to post his name/company just PM me. I just want to make sure, that's all. I hope he makes it through ok.

Where on Festivus are the incisions? Do you have to tube the antibiotics, or give him shots? Although I still feel like vomiting and crying, I feel a little better knowing the length of the wire. I had imagined inches long chicken wire.

Oh Beth, I'm so sorry! I'm typing this with my mouth still hanging open in disbelief! You and Festivus are in my prayers. I'm glad your vet was able to remove it, and I hope he recovers fully and soon.

My supplier is a local guy who lives down the road from my business. I have been dealing with him for 13 years, and his mice have always been top notch. He sells live rodents to pet shops in the area, and buys his frozen feeders from a few places. I know he gets alot of his mice from New York.

Nanci, the incisions are on 3 places on his neck. I have to put a syringe down his throat, past the incisions, to give him the antobiotics. I have the wire in a little baggie, the bits look like very very long rose thorns, kind of like spikes.