Dead mouse in Oxbow hay? Any concerns?

[doodlebugger]

We found a dead mouse body in our Oxbow Timothy hay. We have already notified the company and they are replacing the bag. They claim that there is very little possibility that our rabbits will get sick, but they assured us if they did, they would pay for our rabbits to see the vet.

So, should we be looking for anything in particular? Any signs or symptoms? Should we have any concerns about this?

 

[JBun]

That's always an unfortunate possibility with hay, and most often it won't cause any ill affect. But on the slight chance that it might, I would keep a close eye out for anything seeming off. Look for signs of digestive upset(from bacteria) such as mushy or runny poop, bloating, lack of appetite, tooth grinding, belly pressing. If the mouse was all dried out then bacteria isn't likely to be an issue but parasites and viruses could be. With those, look for sudden loss of appetite, significantly increased thirst/urination, neurological symptoms like head tilt or balance issues, dandruff and fur loss from mites.

Also keep records of everything. Keep a hard copy of the message from the company saying they will pay vet costs, document any symptoms that occur(pictures, video), and get your bun immediately to the vet if you suspect anything is off.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

An ounce of prevention ......I'd just get rid of it. Don't care what the company says as they can always slither their way out for any number of reasons.

 

[woahlookitsme]

I agree that I would just toss it. No idea if the rodent was exposed to a rodenticide and I wouldn’t risk it

 

[maiyaeh]

Seems like I am not alone...
recently I found a big dry dead moth in my oat hay from oxbow, and a living yellow jacket in timothy hay from american pet diner... I got stung by the yellow jacket in hand and it hurt like crazy
but your case is the worse. please throw away those hays. rats might carry lots of bacteria and virus T___T