the end is near :c

charcobain · 01-24-2016, 07:20 AM

Hey guys, I know she isn't a hamster, but one of my elderly mice has hit a holt the past few days.. I don't think she will make it through tonight, I've inserted a photo of her and her sister, I think you can tell the white one is the one I'm about to lose, it's so scary to think less than a month ago they were the same size and weight.. 2nd rodent to pass in 2 months.. this is the hardest thing about having pets.. I probably won't feel like posting after, so I figured I'd write now, I'm keeping her warm, but she can't walk and wont eat, she's just bone, I think she might of had an illness hit her quite quickly with her being elderly.. Goodbye dear Luna

Shared a year of love with her.

racinghamster · 01-24-2016, 07:32 AM

Charco, have you tried feeding her soft food? It`s tricky to say what is ailing her (is she older than the other female?)

Try her with some porridge, wet a Weetabix, try a small piece of rich tea biscuit and keep her hydrated if she does take food in this way. She does look rather bedraggled compared to your other mouse, but all you can do is try her with small amounts of soft food to tempt her and if she`s just weak and can`t eat or drink, then she may be too ill to try, poor love. Do give it a go though and the best thing you can do now is leave her to sleep with her friend and keep an eye on her. If she`s too ill chances are she will pass. But if you feel she`s clinging on for the sake of it and you don`t want to have her go on for days like this, it may be best to take her to your vet to say goodbye. Although some mice can rally round. I she`s very thin, has this been a gradual decline? x

charcobain · 01-24-2016, 07:39 AM

I've tried soft foods and water, I think she may be a bit older than the other but not by much

I don't want her suffering so I think I might take her to the vet if it carries on like this through tomorrow, she just lays with her eyes open, that's all she does lately. & I noticed her slowing down gradually but the weight seems to of dropped drastically over a couple of days, she had more weight on her yesterday but today it's just nothingness.

charcobain · 01-24-2016, 07:40 AM

Her tail has also gone limp in the last hour or so.

racinghamster · 01-24-2016, 08:35 AM

Right, so she`s quite listless then and has gradually gotten thinner and is now not eating at all? Has she shown any signs of respiratory problems? Is she making any breathing noises? If the answer is yes, then she may have stopped eating due to trying to breath and her energy will be concentrated on doing that. If her breathing pattern is okay but her body condition has deteriorated, she may have an underlying condition. Baytril may have helped with any respiratory ailment early on, but a vet would really give you a better answer upon seeing her. Some mice just become ill for no reason while old age and respiratory ailments can cause them problems.

Does she walk around at all and try to get about or is she just looking frail and quite ill?

charcobain · 01-24-2016, 10:40 AM

Her breathing pattern has been fine, it's slowed down though, she isn't trying to walk around at all, infact I actually fell asleep and had a nap for a couple of hours and I've awoke, she's
laid in the same place with her eyes open, still breathing, she just hasn't moved at all.

charcobain · 01-24-2016, 10:41 AM

Not sure if this has any significance at all but her sister isn't wanting to sleep with her, she's gone and slept elsewhere in the cage.

charcobain · 01-24-2016, 11:07 AM

I believe she has passed, she had a tiny little fit or seizure, urinated (which she needed my help by slowly rubbing down her belly) and now she's unresponsive and no sign of breath

racinghamster · 01-24-2016, 11:08 AM

Hmmm, are they both in a single level cage? No high shelves or anything stubborn she can`t reach? If her sister is choosing to sleep alone that`s not unusual, although an ill or old mouse will usually try and cuddle up with her cage mates IF she can reach the nest the other mouse/mice are in. I take it she can get to where the other mouse is easily?

Keep things low for her and easy access, just as you would a hamster who wasn`t 100%. Crush food up for her if she`s not interested in larger pieces. Is he washing herself or how is she when the other mouse approaches her? Keep her comfortable and the main thing is, try not to handle her too much as this is a bit like someone annoying us when we are not well. It`s better to leave them alone to either recover or pass, but if she deteriorates overnight and still hasn`t touched any food and hasn`t moved position and looks or feels cold, she may already be shutting down, so if that`s the case, leave her alone as lifting her up could trigger a fit. Monitor her and talk to her though. x

racinghamster · 01-24-2016, 11:09 AM

I`m sorry Charco, we posted at the same time. Is she gone?