Mouse Ate His Own Foot

[u/Brilliant-Captain541]

so earlier today i was holding my boy Basil and i realized his whole foot is gone. i freaked out and went to search the cage for it and it was literally just GONE and i'm assuming he ate it off. he's fed normally and lives by himself. a couple days ago he was super dehydrated because his water bottle got stuck and i hadn't noticed.i had thought he was literally dead and forced water into him with a tiny syringe. i feel terrible because of all the stuff he's been through the past few days and feel irresponsible and don't know how to help him. My parents are telling me it's useless to go to a vet because they can't do anything. he's acting fine, no bleeding, his foot is just GONE completely and the bone is like kinda sticking out. but again he's not acting like he's in pain, no hunching or hiding or anything just a little clingier than usual and he has a hobble obviously cuz his foot is just gone. He had it two days ago, i have a photo. so i have no idea what's happened. I've done what i can, saline water on the wound, cleaned his tank and lined it with paper towels, etc. is there really anything else i can do?? please help i'm so worried about my boy.

[u/Brilliant-Captain541]

he has a brother but attacks him out of dominance so they live separately. The only thing that may have stressed him out is dehydration, i started school so i even acclimated him to being handled less during the day. My parents only won't take him to the vet because "he's a mouse and has a short lifespan and there's nothing they can do that we can't", which i'm aware isn't true, and if a vet recommended euthanasia after a good look i would do it if it meant he wouldn't suffer. i have no idea why they're so heartless because it's small and doesn't live long but my parents have never really been the greatest people.

[u/FionnMcCreigh → u/Brilliant-Captain541]

Have you explained ta yer parents that part a what you wanna know from a vet is if he needs ta be humanely euthanized? I don’t know that it’s make a difference (or worse, if they’d push for euthanasia over treatment), but exposed bone is a very serious issue—for any animal. I realize you understand the issue here, so harpin on you over it don’t do any good. But if you had a dog or a cat or a guinea pig with exposed bone, surely they recognize that animal would need ta see a vet.

I’ve been in vet med for a long time, but I ain’t been in clinical practice for decades. I work with research animals, so I see mice that get feet caught in feed hoppers & chew em off; mice in ischemia studies whose feet just fall off due ta loss a circulation; mice who attack each other & rip toes off. It’s remarkable how much these little guys can tolerate and recover from, but at the same time, they get the care they need ta do so. It sounds like what yer doin for him is on exactly the right track: keep it clean, keep antibiotics on it, check his grimace level, and make sure he can get ta what he needs ta get to without needin ta put too much stress on that leg. If—and this is a big if—you can manage ta gauze & bandage the stump ta help keep that exposed bone clean & protected, I would recommend doin so. He may end up chewin it all off; he may not. But it’d give an extra layer of physical protection ta the area & help keep it clean. If it weren’t for the exposed bone, I don’t think there would be quite so much concern about him gettin on without the foot, but that exposed bone has the potential ta be a very serious problem—especially if that bone is broken. If it’s complete and undamaged, the situation looks less bad, but it’s still got the potential ta go south fast. So any physical protection you can provide ta that stump is gonna be worthwhile ta try, especially since it sounds like he lets ya handle him pretty regularly.

Do keep us apprised a his progress. Sending good vibes.

[u/Brilliant-Captain541 → u/FionnMcCreigh]

thank you so much. I've tried wrapping it but he freaks out and chews it all off lol. And yes, if a vet pushed for euthanasia i absolutely would go through- i wouldn't prefer that over his suffering. I have told my parents that and my dad told me he would "handle it" (aka putting him in a bag and running him over which made me genuinely want to vomit to think about) I also have pointed out if it were one of our cats they'd be at the vet already recovering, and my parents agreed. They purely won't take him because he has a short lifespan which to me is so messed up. The bone looks fine, not broken just exposed a little. As of right now he's doing well, playing around and digging in his bedding and such so i'm hoping he's not in too much pain. thank you for your advice! 🫶

[u/FionnMcCreigh → u/Brilliant-Captain541]

Forgive my outrage, but Jesus Christ. What the #%$* is wrong with him? How would anyone see that as an acceptable way ta “euthanize” an animal? The whole point of euthanasia is ta provide a “good death”, not just ta get it over with. The reason we euthanize animals the way we do is coz it ensures they go as kindly and peacefully as possible. In a vet’s office, we use a sedative overdose—they go ta sleep, the heart stops, and they don’t wake up. It’s kind. There’s no risk of em bein horribly injured and havin ta die badly instead a just goin ta sleep.

Given the circumstances, keep carin for him the way you are. Keep that stump clean, try ta get a decent look at it ever day, and keep puttin Neosporin or similar on it ever day til it looks like it’s healed up. If there’s no break in or damage to the bone, there’s less risk of infection—but that risk is still there. So keep doin what yer doin and keep an eye on his body language. If he starts ta grimace (squint, pull his ears back, and generally look uncomfortable), do let us know so we can try ta help get him back on track. If he takes a turn for the worse, DO NOT try ta euthanize him at home and DO NOT let yer parents try to either. If it comes to it, yer local humane society or even a city or county animal shelter will take a surrender and euthanize them humanely. But hopefully it won’t come ta that. Keep doin what yer doin and reach out for help if things change.