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The older mouse could be allergic to something like a cleaning solution/air freshener that’s used around her habitat.
Know that baking soda will aggrivate a mouse’s respiratory system. A lot of people put it under the bedding because it’s recommended for other rodents. Mice are a different case.
Also avoid bedding with baking soda or a scent, corn cobb bedding (breeds mold), cedar shavings and pine shavings that are not kiln dried.
http://www.petmousefanciers.com/t36-cleaning-odor-and-bedding
If the habitat is near a floor/ceiling vent or window move it to an interior wall without a vent. Windows can be sources of mold.
I invested in a Honeywell HPA 200 hepafilter air purifier. It helps their sensitive respiratory systems…and mine. You can find them on ebay or amazon used.
Cheaper alternative to an air purifier is deep clean the room, vacuum the room every other day and change the furnace filter to better MERV rating and at least every 3 months or more of your home has a lot of pets/smoke.
Deep cleaning involves washing walls/base boards, window casements & glass, doors/casements, dusting all surfaces including drawer faces on furniture, lamps, light fixtures, pictures, mirrors, knick knacks, blinds, books, TV/monitor, speakers, air vents, and vacuuming behind furniture, under the bed, and in crevices.
Use a natural cleaner like Method, Cleanwell, Meyer, Seventh Generation or just vinegar and water.
I didn’t catch what the problem was with the younger one…. A URI or something else?
If it’s a URI go back to the original protocol. If the antibiotic you got from the vet is Baytril, he/she can try giving a shot of doxycycline too. If the vet gave you Bactrim and not Baytril, he/she needs to step up to Baytril. I hate to say it but I’ve been to some vets who just don’t try when it comes to a mouse because they either don’t have the experience or don’t see the point since mice don’t live long.
These are things I do to fight a stubborn URI…
Give their habitat a thorough cleaning by washing all surfaces and accesories with soap and hot water.
Wash their water bottle the same way. Rinse 8 times to remove soap residue.
Use a q-tip to swirl around the inside of the nozzle. If black residue comes out, clean out with multiple q-tips and soak in white vinegar for 15 minutes. Rinse 8 times from both directions…or buy a new bottle.
If they are in a wire cage move them to a tank or clear plastic storage tote to keep them warmer. If it’s cold by you, place a heating pad under a small section so they can walk on/off if they get too hot/cold.
Change their bedding to paper towels lying flat (several layers to make it cushy).
Remove any pourus items like wood or lava rock. Replace lava rock items with new. Replace or boil wood items and let them dry 12 to 24 hours. I use a blow dryer on them after about 5 hours to speed up dry time. But, you don’t want them to get moldy and make them worse.
Add a vaporizer or humidifier to the room. Adding humidity to their environment helps them breathe and makes their coughing more productive. Here is a personal humidifier under $20…
Richgv Cool Mist Humidifier Desktop Humidifiers Mini with Night Light for Bedroom, Car, Travel, Office, Auto Shut Off Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZJFQ7N8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BfumEbJ463RDV
Up their vitamin C with fresh broccoli and berries. Mine prefer blueberries over others and they like the broccoli when its lightly steamed (put in microwave with 1 tsp of water for 1 minute…just enough time to turn bright green). FYI…don’t give mice citrus fruits.
I add a supplement called Sambucol to the water to help boost their immune system (1 teaspoon per 7 ounces of water). Give your vet a call to see if he/she is OK with this. Make sure you get the supplement syrup and not the cough syrup of the same name. It is NOT the same thing. Here is a link to the product I purchased…
Sambucol Black Elderberry Syrup Original Formula, 7.8 Ounce Bottle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ESA36I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KptmEb1CHJ2FV
Avoid foods high in sugar. Sugar feeds infection and inflammation which weakens the immune system.
If the other mouse has something else, hospice is what I do as opposed to euthanasia unless they are miserable. Talk to your vet. I know you mentioned money is tight but maybe they can work something out since it is end of life care.
Other resources for vet bill assistance are:
Gofundme.com (crowdsourcing)
Waggle.com (like gofundme but pays vet directl)
ScratchPay.com (no approval/pay installments).
CareCredit.com
..or just google. “Help with vet bills”
If you have questions, send me a DM.
