Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all:

I remember reading in this forum someone mentioning their mice getting skinny and then dying. For some reason, my mice which have been breeding is now looking skinny.

In the past, when this has happened, I just thought it was because the temperature was too hot. I went and fed off those skinny ones and took the rest to cooler temp.

Now it is happening again. It is obviously not the temp because now temp is nice and cool in the house with the A/C.

So, can anyone tell me what to do? Why are they getting skinny? These were good producers but I have only gotten one or two litters out of them.

In past threads, someone said that it is just the genetics of certain strains of mice. Does anyone else have any other opinions? I would hate to have to bring up new breeder every one or two litters.

please help.

thx.
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Longtang. I like snakes and rats.

If they are getting skinny and sort of hunchbacked....I would bet a virus and I would bet it will go through the whole group. I would just freeze them all when they are like that.
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Sonya

>>If they are getting skinny and sort of hunchbacked....I would bet a virus and I would bet it will go through the whole group. I would just freeze them all when they are like that.
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>>Sonya

Hi:

I went home last night and fed one of the skinny off and then froze the other one.

The other mice in the colony are still not skinny and some are preg. Others are fornicating to get preg. themselves.

I am hoping I don't have to freeze them.

Too bad that this virus thing sometimes comes to my colonies and disrupts it..

Do you think I am better off just freezing them all and starting over? Just clean the tanks out with bleach and start over?

cheers.
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Longtang. I like snakes and rats.

>>Do you think I am better off just freezing them all and starting over? Just clean the tanks out with bleach and start over?

If they are gonna pop then let them. If it were me I only freeze if there are symptoms. But one thing I did notice is that the last two times I had it in a tub I froze the obvious ones and then the others stopped reproducing. I replaced the male and they are pregnant again. Wondering if the male is sterilized by the virus or what. But it seemed awfully linked. Now I am just starting a couple new tubs to replace those that slowed after being sick.
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Sonya

>>>>Do you think I am better off just freezing them all and starting over? Just clean the tanks out with bleach and start over?
>>
>>If they are gonna pop then let them. If it were me I only freeze if there are symptoms. But one thing I did notice is that the last two times I had it in a tub I froze the obvious ones and then the others stopped reproducing. I replaced the male and they are pregnant again. Wondering if the male is sterilized by the virus or what. But it seemed awfully linked. Now I am just starting a couple new tubs to replace those that slowed after being sick.
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>>Sonya

That was very good info. I am glad you mentioned about the possibility that the male can be sterile after such a viral infection. I will keep a close eye on things. I noticed that my male is mating with a brown female today. I will look in the next two weeks and make sure that the brown female is pregnant.

If she does not get pregnant, I now know to try replacing the male. Thank you for the tip. This tip may well have saved me a lot of headache and time trying to figure things out, if indeed my mice stop getting pregnant.

What I mean is: if you hadn't shared this tip, then maybe I would have been dealing with months of no baby without knowing exactly were the weakness lies. You have given me a good lead: if I have a problem, the male is possibly the weakest link in the whole chain.

thx in advance. I will keep you updated.!
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Longtang. I like snakes and rats.

>>What I mean is: if you hadn't shared this tip, then maybe I would have been dealing with months of no baby without knowing exactly were the weakness lies. You have given me a good lead: if I have a problem, the male is possibly the weakest link in the whole chain.

Glad to help. It is one of the things that I noticed this winter that was making me crazy with a couple of my groups. Always glad to help you avoid having to reinvent the wheel. That is the whole point of the forums! Right?
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Sonya