Short stays.

Last week I brought two girls home from work with the hopes of nursing them back to health. The first little girl was a female agouti mouse. She had somehow gotten smooshed under the food bowl. (I'd guess she was hanging out under there and some other burrowing mouse cause the bedding to shift and crush her?) In any case she was physically flattened, but there was no hemorrhaging and she seemed to have full control of her limbs, her eyes were bright and she didn't even seem to be in pain. She did not make it through the night, and that surprised me. At least she died with some comfort and dignity.

The other was a little black hooded rat girl. She was suffering from a severe respiratory infection. (She was awaiting pick-up, hence not having been taken to the vet.) She was having a hard time keeping her body temperature up and would not eat. We dosed her with baytril and wrapped her up, but she too was gone by morning.

I really hate when their stays here are so short, but it makes it worthwhile to know that they had a little comfort and a little love before they passed.