What is the reason my mouse had diarrhea?

Question

I was holding one of my pet mice and let her go inside my shirt, one of the things I normally let her do. Rue, my black mouse, tends to poop a lot while she's out of the cage, and although she's gotten better recently, she still sometimes forgets to hold it in. Today, she had grey, loose droppings inside of my shirt and it smelled very bad.

I BELIEVE I know why this has happened, but I would prefer to have a more professional opinion, due to the fact that this is the first time I've owned mice. My other mouse has not had diarrhea that I've noticed. Last night, I put leftover bread crust that my friend did not finish eating in their food bowl. Is it possible that I simply fed them too much bread, or that they are allergic to it?

I would very much like an opinion, and if you think it may be something else, PLEASE tell me! I love my mice to death and it made me very upset to see that one of them is sick :(

? · Accepted Answer

It shouldn't be a problem, when you add something new to a mouse's diet they usually experience a bit of diarrhea if they eat too much of a new food. Sometimes the stomach could react badly to it if she ate too much and she's not used to it. 

When ever feeding a new type of food, human food especially, make it in smaller amounts. Mice are small so they shouldn't be eating anything too big, your little girl should be fine in a day or two, bread is typically an okay treat but their body needs to get used to a sudden new food if they're usually on something specific.

? · Answer

I don't know much about mice, but I do know a lot about hamsters. Which should be fine in this situation.

The hamsterific illness guide says this about diarrhea:

"Diarrhea is generally the result of overfeeding fresh vegetables and fruit, a sudden dietary change or mild stress. (Improperly cleaned water bottles with a build up of green algae can also cause diarrhea.) Symptoms include loose droppings that are lighter in color than normal and a wet or dirty "bottom." Remove all fresh fruits and vegetables and keep him/her on a diet of dry grains, burned toast and plenty of water. Fresh produce can be introduced after the condition has subsided for two or three days. If the diarrhea does not improve within a few days, veterinarian advice should be sought."

The fun mouse has a great section on diet. They mention fruits under the "Treat" section and discuss how it can cause diarrhea:

http://www.thefunmouse.com/info/diet.cfm

Hope I helped!

Linda Montavon · Answer

idk about mice except that they can be mean (that's why I get rats) the last person is right mice are small so letting it play in your shirt can get dangerous for it if you accidentally fall or you if it decides it doesn't like where it is and bites you. have you ever fed it bread crumbs before? I don't agree with the person before, experimenting with foods can be a good thing. but before you give the mouse something look up online or if you have any books on what they can eat and make sure that its okay for them to eat it and what are good for them and bad for them. If the bread is wheat bread it will be better for them, but if its white bread, just like us it isn't as good for them. think of things that are good for us and give that to it. experiment, just like with a baby. You need to find out what it can eat and what it can't so you know what not to let get around your mouse.

Anonymous · Answer

Just feed it it's normal food...don't experiment, and don't let it play under your shirt! Sounds risky for both you and the mouse.... Good luck!

What is the reason my mouse had diarrhea?

4 Answers