Advice on Looking after a Baby Orphan Field mouse

[anniebelle]

Hi I am a new member and this is the first time I have joined anything like this. I am looking after a baby orphan field mouse which was found with its nest distroyed and mum not there on Sunday afternoon. We did leave it alone for 3 hours where it was discovered but still no sign of mum coming back. Hence I have adopted it (not expecting it to last the night!) The mouse is very young with eyes still shut and only just over an inch long. At the moment I am feeding it on demand (when it gets fidgity and squeeks) with half semi skimmed milk/half double cream, teaspoon full of glucose syrup and a drop of small mammal vitimin suppliment. I warm it up and syringe feed by putting a drop on its mouth and it licks it off the syringe. I keep it in a fake fur lined box between feeds. I have also been trying to stimulate its bowels by imitating mum licking it by stroking it with limited sucess. It has now lived for three days so I am very pleased and astonded but anyone with any advice and knowledge on this please help me.

[naturelover]

hi anniebelle how kind you are,most people wouldnt even notice it let alone save it,what you are doing sounds right,i must admit i would be a bit worried about its other end,food going in nothing comeing out,you are trying to stimulate its bowls have you tryed a wet tissue as mum would have a wet toung,also try blowing on his bits you do that to babies it might work on animals too.

[naturelover]

Originally Posted by naturelover

hi anniebelle how kind you are,most people wouldnt even notice it let alone save it,what you are doing sounds right,i must admit i would be a bit worried about its other end,food going in nothing comeing out,you are trying to stimulate its bowls have you tryed a wet tissue as mum would have a wet toung,also try blowing on his bits you do that to babies it might work on animals too.

by the way welcome to the site have fun.

[Crystoculars]

I used to have mice as pets.

The mixture you're feeding the baby will be too rich, can you get some puppy/kitten milk or the like instead? Remember that has to be diluted down by half for a pinkie.

Naturelover is right about stimulating the bowels, the mother would use her tongue, so try it with a damp cotton bud instead, it may be that the baby is dehydrated from the mixture you're feeding it.

How small is the pinkie and does it have any fur? I can try and estimate how old it is (my dear Louie had a litter I raised)

[anniebelle]

Hi thanks for your help, unfortunatly the mouse died on wednesday night. With hindsite I started off by feedind the mouse milk, a little double cream, vitimin suppliment and a little honey. My friend who had raised a baby hedgehog told me I should be feeding it glucose syrup instead so I swapped honey for Glucose syrup. That is when he/she? got constapated, even with brushing/stimulation to eliminate he did not perform! However I have learnt from this experience and I valued all your help. Until a small animal needs your help you do not realise what a responsibility and how little i knew about them! But looking on the bright side I would not have found this website unless the mouse was found by me

[galanthus]

Awwww i'm so sorry, that's very sad At least it probably died in a better way than being cat-mauled at the end. welcome to WAB

[Crystoculars]

Aw. I'm not surprised that the mouse died really, double cream and honey? :/ At least you tried, it's good to know there are people like you out there

[penka]

hi my boyfriend has just brought home a baby field mouse the nest was destroyed and the mother never came back, it has a scratch to the belly but is moving and wriggling it has had a little full fat cows milk but i need a perpet, i have put him into cotton wool in a warm area.

how often do i feed him ?

[Jez]

Hi & welcome Penka can I ask what you are going to be feeding the mouse on?

[penka]

hi i only have full fat milk to hand at the moment, what should i get ?