SERIOUS ANSWERS ONLY....Mouse has hole in its ear, what is causing it?

Question

We have mice as pets & originally had 1 mouse named Jez (who we think is the father of another mouse with a problem...Blackbum) who would constantly scratch, especially his ears. We came to the conclusion, after talking to pet stores as well reading books & stuff online, that it was an allergy to corn. Jez has passed on & his daughter, 1 of the last of his kids to survive, has been scratching the same as him ... They are the same black & white coloring, however there is also another mouse (Blackbums' sister) that is pure black & does not have any symptoms. Blackbum has scratched her ears so much that she has 1 ear that has a hole right through it & the other is looking like it will start getting a hole soon as well.
Does anybody know what could be causing this & if there is anything that can help it?
Please don't suggest taking it to the vet as we can't afford it at this present time. We are looking for anything that could help.. we hate seeing her suffer like this.
Thanks...

Action Movie Star...Jon Star: We have mice as pets because that's what my husband had when I first met him and the ended up breeding (not our idea, it just happened...one came from the pet store pregnant) and they were so adorable to watch grow up that we kept them... We had another set of babies as well while we were dating and again so adorable to watch grow up.
We also have hamsters, I had one before I met my husband and now we have both hamsters and mice. People think they're horrible pets because they have short life spans and generally carry disease, but if you have a mouse that is only indoors, confined to a cage, it doesn't really have the chance to get out and find trouble and diseases.... And Jez was super friendly, the only mouse my husband has ever had that was hand trained.
It's no different than me asking why people have snakes as pets, or rats, or even cats or dogs... It's your preference and what you like.

kornlover37169: We have 4 mice remaining, 3 females and 1 male, and they are all in separate cages. We only had 2 cages originally who had more than one mouse in it...mother and daughters or the ones who got along. After one of the mothers passed away we separated the remaing girls (Midnite & Blackbum {deceased - Drippy}) as they started to fight without mom around.

Rupert Picante: Why would you answer something if you have no knowledge about the subject in the first place??? And there's no need for your smart ***, wanna be funny answer here.... try finding somebody who isn't looking for an actual answer to a question to resond to.


Pixie Girl: We actually use Pine... We've used Pine since we bought our first one... But I did know that Cedar Shavings aren't the best because of the "fumes" they give off...

Answer 1

Well,
Excessive scratching is a symptom of external parasitic infection. Species-specific mites or lice are the most common external parasites of mice. Mites or lice should be treated with antiparasitics such as ivermectin or pyrethrin. Ringworm is an uncommon zoonotic parasitic infection of mice and also results in excessive scratching. Ringworm should be treated with an antifungal such as griseofulvin. Excessive scratching often leads to scab formation and open wounds, and you may notice these before you notice excessive scratching. Open wounds associated with ringworm infection are often crusty. To prevent secondary bacterial infection, open wounds should always be cleaned at least once a day with an antiseptic such as sterile saline solution. Special attention should be paid to the ears.

If ears are observed to be inflamed and/or scabby, the antiparasitic should also be applied topically directly to the ears, as mice will, literally, scratch their ears off.

If self-mutilation is severe, glove rear feet with a small piece of masking tape folded over each foot to make dull, duck-like paddle feet. Gloved, paddle feet still allow for normal play, but will reduce the severity of self-mutilation.With prompt treatment, external parasitic infection typically clears within 2-3 weeks.

for more info go to www.rmca.org/Resources/mousefaq.htm

Answer 2

I'm going to guess it has sarcoptic mites. It can be treated.

Dogs, cats, and birds can get it, and presumably mice too, though I don't know how many people check mice.

On dogs, for instance, the hair can wear down, and the dogs will forever be scratching.

For our dogs, we treated it with Revolution, but that sounds like a pricey solution for a mouse, but that's up to you.

You certainly should clean their cage and environment thoroughly, and check your other pets (if any) too.

Answer 3

Is he in the cage with other mice? I had mice and they fought alot, often causing damage to their ears and I would clean the hole with peroxide and put some regular anti-biotic cream on it. I know it must sound crazy but it worked for mine.

Answer 4

DON'T TELL ME HOW TO ANSWER.

I was going to add a serious response, but I have an authority problem.

Na na na na neh na. I like traffic lights. A skeleton walked into a bar. He ordered a beer and a mop...

Answer 5

you are probably using cedar chips for bedding , take them off of it cedar will burn there lungs and has been found to cause cancer in lad rats

Answer 6

Why exactly do you have mice as pets?