How should one use Revolution?

[anielka]

So about a year ago we cared for a friend's mice whilst they went on holiday..... and of course, even though they never came into physical contact with our mice they had mites which spread to our cages. Since then it's been a one-woman and three-triplet battle with the arthropod world. At one level we accept that mites are endemic and that only occasional older and less healthy mice that are not in peak form show any symptoms. On another level I would gladly exchange our current situation for a totally sterile mite-free set-up.

So we have the few mice that show symptoms in a sanitarium/quarantine tank. The mites are in their ears only. The first symptom is a reddening and an itching of the ear (one ear only usually...odd...) then both ears, then the back of the head. This is often followed by fur loss and if not treated promptly, autosomal ear-damage (they scratch their ears so badly they hurt themselves).

Effectively we have controlled it by regular changes of bedding and substrate, sterilising all the natural inclusions (coconut houses, branches, leaves, water bottles, everything) either with boiling water or in the oven. Also we used a proprietary spray for rabbits, guinea pigs and small mammals such as mice (and I don't have the bottle here to tell you the brand) to treat the mice.

Now all these seem to have worked and the mice who were affected seem to be on the road to recovery. But I'd like to stamp out The Evil that Is Ear Mange Mites once and for all and the product I've seen recommended is Revolution.

So now I have my three-pack revolution for puppies and kittens and I would like to apply this. But I want to do it just right. Can anyone who has ever used Revolution talk me through it? Where on the mouse should application be? Back of the neck? How much? How do you get the dose right for such tiny creatures? How often should treatment be applied to REALLY stamp it out? And how long? What age should I apply this to our babies in the nursery (none of the nursery mice seem affected but I'm not fooled: mites are endemic and I know that there could be a population explosion.) Should I treat mice prophylactically (like a kitten or puppy would be treated) or should I only treat mice that actually show symptoms? Does Revolution have any risky side-effects?

All guidance welcomed. Healthy mice are happy mice and best quality of life is our goal at Natural Mousery.

[greydawnbreaking]

Responding mostly so that I'll see any advice that gets posted here, you've asked the same questions I had about treating mites (although thankfully I haven't had to deal with them in person).

[andy]

I have never used it before either and would be interested to get dosage amounts

[mousekateers]

ok, this is where I greatly miss the old AusRFS forum. We had someone there who was a vet (I think his name was Dave Brown? from Qld) and gave dosage rates for these type of things.

Basically his advice was to syphon the Revolution into a syringe with a 22 gauge needle (I think it was that size), then cut off the tip of the needle, and apply one drop to the back of the neck.

When I've used these products I've found that the Revolution works better than the Ivermectin, but that's just my personal experience. I've never had any side effects with this product, but be warned not all of these types of products are safe for exotics. And, as an aside, Cathie (Mojo Mousery) has had a terrible experience with those small animal mite sprays. She treated some young mice with it prior to them going to their new homes and they died within minutes of being sprayed.

As for how often etc, because it's "off label" for exotics I would use it as per the instructions and I wouldn't use it on anything under two months of age (my preference). I would probably start prophylactically and see how you go treating all your mice.

[mousekateers]

Wow, I found it!  This is the original post that I saved off the AusRFS forum.  Hope it helps.

"It seems frightening to me that virtually every post I have read results in mice being overdosed with medications, either knowingly and with impunity to the risks, costs and wastage involved, or unknowingly.
Here is a simple dosage technique that I use for my avian, reptile and pocket pet patients to allow correct dosing without the guesswork.
Needles come in different sizes or gauges as they are called. Each needle has a different external and internal diameter meaning that when a droplet forms at the needle tip, it will be a different volume for each needle size. With this in mind, a simple dosing needle can be made to deliver a precise dose to a mouse (or rat). All I do is take a standard needle and snap off the tip by holding the base and twisting it backwards and forwards a couple of times. The end result is this :"
  

[anielka]

Thank you Mouseketeers. Everyone regardless of age or quarantine or anything else has been treated. No scratching visible - just normal cleaning routines.

Anyone any idea how any times I should repeat the treatment and how often? With puppies or kitten I'm told it's every six weeks - how often with mice?

[mousekateers]

I wouldn't go overboard. I'd probably go every 3 months which is what I look at, but obviously if you have a problem dose more frequently.

[anielka]

Really? Just every three months? That's amazing. I thought it would be every seven to nine days. All mice seem well and happy other than the older mice who had already had symptoms and had scratched their ears. I'm just going to keep a sharp eye out. Meanwhile can anyone recommend anywhere I can read about the mite lifecycle as I want to ensure I use every other safe hygiene practise possible to eradicate mites in and around the Mouseries - where do eggs lurk? How long can they remain dormant? etc. etc.

That reminds me. If a mouse ever does have a wound or a scratch how should one treat it What solutions/creams are recommended/not recommended?

And has anyone ever used Fullers Earth? I used to care for some chinchillas about 30 years ago and their natural method of parasite control is to bathe in fine earth/Fuller's Earth (often used for face-masks). I wondered if the fact that our substrates are so dust-free and the fact that caged mice never have access to soil might inhibit what could be a natural instinct to rub/roll in dust?

Say goodbye, arthropod vermin!

[mousekateers]

I have no idea about mite lifecycles but would be interested to read about them too.

As for wound/scratch treatments, I've always had success with Betadine either straight or diluted to a "weak tea" looking solution.

I've never heard of Fullers Earth.

[Blaci136]

Glad I read this, I was just about to ask what people used to control/eliminate lice/mites etc on their mice!
I've been using Aristopets Small Animal Mite and Mange Spray, but I don't know if it's actually doing anything, that and Blaci dosn't exactly appreciate being sprayed. Is there any difference between revloution for Cats and Dogs? Which one do you use and how? Sooo confusing.....

[mousekateers]

Have not used the small animal mite and mange sprays for several years after Mojo Mousery lost several juvenile mice after spraying them before they were due to go to their new homes.  Quite a horrific experience for her and I believe the company didn't offer much in the way of explanations.

Also you don't need to spray them if they don't like it.  Alternatively spray some onto a gloved hand and massage it into the coat, avoiding the eyes and mouth.  A lot less stressful for them.

Use the Puppy/Kitten Revolution in the pink pack.  You can buy it as a single tube (approx. $15) cheapest way to go.  You don't need more than that.