crickman@umn-cs.UUCP (Robin Crickman) (03/02/86)
My poor mouse is afflicted with itchy fur, so much so that he seems to be getting near bald. It is especially bad just behind his head. We have tried varying his diet, but he does not improve much. Can anybody suggest something that might help him? He is not very tame, cannont be handled, so treatment would have to be dietary or administered through cage. He is about 7-8 years old.
PUY@PSUVM.BITNET (03/13/86)
Rodents pets (and perhaps their untame counterparts) seem to be really
Lines: 10
sensitive to the bedding. Gerbils will get a severe rash when kept in cedar
bedding. Almost any animal will get a rash when exposed to soiled bedding.
If your long-tailed pet is loosing fur, it could be a bad allergetic
reaction, or it could also be mites and/or fleas. In any case, destroy all the
bedding, and try a different type of material. For all my furry roomates
I've had best success with the pine bedding sold in petstores and supermarkets.
Changing the bedding often (every other day for mice), I never had problems
with fleas or mites on small pets (cats and dogs are another story).