How to Get Rid of Mites in Pet Mice?
Mite infestations are so common among pet mice that you can’t afford to learn more about them. Keeping your mouse on a healthy diet in a clean and spacey cage can minimize the chances of him being sick. But still, everyone can make mistakes and as a result, your mouse can get sick.
It is important to know what to do in these situations, as most diseases and infestations can be solved rather quickly. Acariasis or mite infestation is no exception and, in this article, we are going to talk about this exact problem.
Mites are insect-like organisms that live in the fur of your pet mouse in case he is infested. Since there are many of them and they are constantly eating skin debris and reproducing, they can be rather irritating. Mites will cause your mouse to itch itself all the time, feeling discomfort.
There are different species among mites and the ones that prefer mice are not going to transfer to you, so there is no need to worry. But how can you know that your mouse is suffering from a mite infestation?
How do You Recognize a Mite Infestation?
When your pet mouse has an infestation, it does not necessarily mean that there are mites in its fur. Infestations can vary and they can be quite similar to each other. There can be slight differences between one infestation and the other.
Maybe your pet mouse is suffering from a lice infestation, which is not much different at first sight. This problem is not that easy to identify when you look it with your own eyes. If you have a hard time figuring out which type of infestation it is, you can always contact the veterinarian.
You can already suspect that your pet mouse has mites if it starts itching and bald patches in its fur become visible. If you take a closer look, you might find that your mouse has red or scaly skin as well. The immune system of your pet mouse plays a huge role in this, as it gets weaker as the pet gets older.
Consequently, an old mouse usually has a large number of mites and it is much harder to remove. Other visible signs include extensive ulceration, restlessness, hypersensitivity and anemia. Mites will constantly pester your pet, which causes a lot of stress as well.
Treating Mites on Pet Mice
Once you have found out that your pet mouse actually has mites, the first step is to clean the whole cage. You need to change the bedding and clean all the equipment and the accessories as well. If you keep more than one mouse at home, then it is important to apply the treatment to all of them.
Adult mites can not only live in the fur of your pet but anywhere else near them. This is why it’s important to clean everything in your mouse’s environment. Otherwise, your pet will eventually get infested again and you need to start it over again.
Any organic material that you can find in the cage should be removed. These include bedding and other toys or accessories that are made of wood or paper. A huge part of the treatment is to thoroughly clean the cage every day.
Meanwhile, you can use shredded paper bedding that you need to discard every day. For the treatment of your pet mouse, it is best to ask the veterinarian. It really depends on the current stage of the condition. Mites in mice are typically treated with medication such as selamectin, ivermectin or fipronil.
Treating the condition with medication is never enough in itself. You still need to clean the cage and treat all the other rodents nearby. Otherwise, mites can easily find a way to survive. Meanwhile, there are also secondary bacterial infections that can develop.
For those, there are various antibiotics that can help.
Can Mites Kill a Pet Mouse?
There are different types of mites but they can all cause serious health problems. The most obvious one is the fact that all mites cause anemia. It is true that they need time to do some significant harm but still, mites are feeding on the blood of your mouse.
Not to mention that being constantly bitten causes the skin to become red and scaled. As the anemia becomes more and more serious, it will go hand in hand with debilitation. These two serious health conditions will eventually cause your mouse to die.
Of course, you are going to have time to treat it and there is no need to panic. Mites can be treated with high efficiency if you treat it the right way and your pet mouse is going to be happy and healthy again.
Are Mites Dangerous to Humans?
It depends on the particular type of mite whether it will come in contact with you or not. There is a high chance that this will never happen but in case it does, those mites can cause great irritation. People are often so afraid of mites that their skin starts itching even if they think about them.
You need to be careful about diagnosing yourself with mites, as it might be just that you are too worried of getting them. In the rare case when a human gets in contact with mites, they cause skin irritation and thus severe itching.
It is the type of itching that you are surely not going to confuse with your every day itches. Besides that, they are not particularly dangerous and it is easy to get rid of them.
Wrapping Up
Although mites can be an absolute nuisance, you can get rid of them rather quickly. If you regularly see your pet mouse, then you are going to notice if something is wrong. Maybe it is nothing serious but still, better be safe than sorry.
If you find out that your pet mouse has mites at an early stage, it will be much easier to treat it. If the condition is more severe, then make sure to follow our tips regarding the treatment and everything will be okay.
