Post by anielka on Jul 31, 2013 23:50:53 GMT 10
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.
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.