Topic: Little Mouse

[manicscousers]

well, babies have rusk, how about that instant porridge, very thin..I'm trying to think of something that would bulk up the milk without putting lumps in ..mashed potato, can't think of anything else, sorry..hope the little 'un gets better soon  :)

[greenscrump]

 Rain, I'm afraid I don't know what's causing the mouth thing with your little mouse, but it must be very distressing  :(  I hope the little thing hangs in there and doesn't wear you out.  We have a designated mouse B&B quality street tin that we keep for any mice that the cat brings in.  We put bird seed in it to keep them going and then let them out when the cats snoozing during the day.

Your mouse sounds very young, I do hope it pulls through, and you must be a wonderfully compassionate person - good on you.  A natural Buddhist maybe ??

[greenscrump]

just a thought - maybe the mouth thing is just a natural reflex suckling thing and doesn't mean the poor thing is particulary distressed ??  Also , if it is v young maybe put a hot water bottle (just above body temp) wrapped in a towel in its box for comfort, it might help it settle .......  Very best of luck with it - we a re rooting for it.

[Jeannine]

Keep the food very thin and not sticky at all, it sounds like it is may be gagging but it is hard to know from a distance, all I can say with any surity is it would be dead by now if you were not getting enough nourishment in to it. Let it have some clear water too. It may have it's mouth open if it is too hot too.

Bear in mind even a couple of drops will probably fill it's tiny tummy.

Hang in there, this is another day it has survived, you may still lose him though but he is certainly a fighter with a blooming good nurse.

XX Jeannine

[Rain]

Thanks a lot for the replies. Thanks Jeannine, I think you may be right, but it doesn't explain why it's doing the mouth thing with the apple and the dry toast... do you think I should just stick to giving it the warm goats milk with the syringe? Thank you for your kinds words of encouragement. x

[Rain]

Hi,

    Just thought I'd let you all know that very sadly, the little mouse died. I'm even sadder to say that I think it's my fault. I'd continued to feed it with the syringe and it seemed happy enough, hungrily feeding from it and no sign of the open mouth thing that it had done before. Last night it was running around and very lively and fed quite a lot at its feed at 1:30am. I'd gone to bed and thought I'd be able to leave it for three hours, I'd read online that you feed it every two hours and once in the night, but I was trying to do more than that. Anyway, I'd set my alarm for 4:30am but I was so tired, I hit the snooze button a couple of times and didn't get out of bed until 4:50am. I found the poor little thing only just alive. I'd been leaving a hot water bottle under its home for warmth and a gel heat pack wrapped many times in the actual enclosure iwhich it would snuggle into, but the heat doesn't last all that long. When I got up there wasn't very much heat in there at all. I held it in my hands and tried to feed it. It drank a little but it didn't suckle, it made a few gasps in between, then it died. I wasn't sure at first and tried to revive it with heat and stroking it.
   I can't tell you how upset and angry I am at myself, it had seemed much stronger and livelier only last night and had drank quite a bit and had snuggled down to sleep. I know that it's notoriously hard to handrear a baby mouse, but up until this point I think it had been showing great signs of improvement. Unfortunately, I really think I let it down when it needed me most, because I was tired, what a sorry excuse.

  Thanks so much for all the help and encouragement people gave me on here, particularly Jeannine, your advice was very helpful and thorough. I'm glad I've met so many people on here with compassion and respect for life, no matter how small. Many thanks.

[MPG]

Am very sorry to hear about your little mouse,you have done so well in this past few days, there is nothing wrong with being tired and needing that bit more sleep dont feel guilty about it, i dont think you could have done anymore than what you was doing, RIP little mouse.     mpg

[greenscrump]

So sorry to hear about little mouse, try not to beat yourself up Rain you did everything you possibly could and much more than most.

Take care x

[Grandma]

Rain, I'm so sorry to hear that your little mouse has died - but no one could have done more for it than you did.

I don't think flies lay eggs on healthy animals so I'd guess it was dying when you found it. And those eggs would soon have hatched into maggots.......

At least its last days were spent in warmth and comfort - thanks to your loving care.  You did a great job. xxx

[Trixiebelle]

Awww  :( You did a great job Rain. Don't feel bad XXX

[Biscombe]

Rain I'm so sorry the mouse died, you did much much more than most so don't feel bad. Chin up

[Jeannine]

Rain, you must not beat yourself over this..I will get really cross with you if you do.I have reared lots of things and it happens, even with hourly feeding and in controlled little incubators wild babies still die.You have no means of knowing what had happened to that little one before you came upon it, it may well have been a runt  and never destined to live right from the start,it is sad and I really do know how you feel but you can only do what you can do, you cannot change any internal damage it may have had.

I am frankly surprised it lasted this long, it is easier to rear a nestful than a solitary baby in any species.

You have absolutely nothing to reproach yourself about, you have done an excellent job and you should be very proud of yourself.Frustration you are allowed to feel, sadness of course, but no guilt. He would not have died from 1 late feeding anyway and the temp in the house would have been warm enough to sustain him.

 I did many hours as a volunteer in a animal sanctuary  in Canada and have seen animals cared for round the clock in superb conditions die after everything could be done to save them.  You must not reproach yourself.

You are a very sweet person to try, most everyone would not, especially for a mouse who to many is something to stomp on,it makes my heart warm to know someone who cares as much as you.

Now you just stop with the guilt thing....and give yourself a huge pat on the back.

With love XXX Jeannine

[mc55]

awwww, poor little thing, as others have said Rain, don't beat yourself up, you did your best by the little fella.  What a sad ending. xx

[Rain]

Thank you everyone, as you can imagine, today has been a very sad day.
  We burried the little mouse on my allotment and laid some flowers. Poor little thing, it was so lovely.  :'(