Bright orange pee

[Andy33335]

Hey! Any ideas why my boy's pee is orange? Not pink, not red,light orange. He had a bladder stone removed 2 weeks ago. Since then he never peed blood anymore.
It's true, my boyfriend gave him a piece of orange to eat but since then he peed multiple times. I though the yellow/orange from the orange would have gone away in a few pees, but he keeps peeing orange. When he peed it seemed like i squeezed an orange on the towel, a light, pleasant color of orange. After 30 min it turned darker. Sorry, i am just concerned taking into consideration his health history, he is 3yo


* the red in the second photo is from a tomato

 

[Spoink]

It just looks oxidised to me, hun.
I’m no expert but that would be my take on it.

 

[Wiebke]

Hey! Any ideas why my boy's pee is orange? Not pink, not red,light orange. He had a bladder stone removed 2 weeks ago. Since then he never peed blood anymore.
It's true, my boyfriend gave him a piece of orange to eat but since then he peed multiple times. I though the yellow/orange from the orange would have gone away in a few pees, but he keeps peeing orange. When he peed it seemed like i squeezed an orange on the towel, a light, pleasant color of orange. After 30 min it turned darker. Sorry, i am just concerned taking into consideration his health history, he is 3yo


* the red in the second photo is from a tomato

Hi!

Urine oxidises when in contact with air. That is a normal process. The colouration can vary as to concentrated the urine is or how long it has been in contact with oxygen. So any yellow, orange and rusty patches are nothing to worry about. The outside ring of a puddle is darker when the patch has dried, but essentially the same colour. The urine is clear when it leaves the body and discolours only afterwards.

Blood doesn't have same specific weight as urine, so it doesn't mix; in smaller amounts (i.e. in most cases) it dries as reddish spots in the middle of a urine puddle. In larger quantities it will dry as a reddish or later on brown ring on the outside in a different colour to the pee puddle.

Bright red urine at the start of a urinary tract infection or cystitis is not fresh blood but porphyrine. The urine can test free of blood at this stage despite being intensely red white seemingly clear urine can test high for blood. Initially symptoms are not consistent so red and clear pees can follow each other and not every pee will test for blood; it usually takes a few days for things to really get going. While you should not panic when you see a bright red pees, please see a vet for treatment during regular opening hours in the coming days.

If you see sheer drops of blood from the anus, then please see a vet promptly (i.e. ideally within 24 hours or as soon as you can get an appointment afterwards). If your piggy suddenly takes a turn for the worse, then this is an emergency (in many cases a stone being stuck in the urethra or ureter and blocking the flow of urine); this should be seen asap.

I hope that this helps you?

PS: Milky pees and powdery dried puddles are the normal and harmless way of the body to excrete excess calcium.
Sometimes you can see a cluster at the very start of a cystitis, especially a recurring one.

 

[Andy33335]

Thank you so much! My mind is at peace now

 

[Andy33335]

Sorry that i come back, but it seems he doesn't stop. His pee never oxidized so much before. Is this normal?

 

[Andy33335]

He just peed on the floor and i picked it up with a paper towel, the color seems ok

 

[Andy33335]

He just peed on the floor and i picked it up with a paper towel, the color seems ok

A few minutes after it turned orange.

 

[adussiaQ]

A few minutes after it turned orange.

Seems like it’s oxidized from the last two photos. It can sometimes be diet too. My piggies tend to pee bright orange when they had too many carrots.

Is he pooping okay?

 

[Wiebke]

Sorry that i come back, but it seems he doesn't stop. His pee never oxidized so much before. Is this normal?

Hi!

Pee can oxidise more or less; it should be clear when leaving the body and the colour should however always be yellowish, orange or rusty when when drying in contact with air; the longer the darker and rustier the pee will become. The out ring will always be darker but it should still be the same colour.

Please be aware that seemingly clea urine can actually contain quite a high amount of blood whereas a deep red porphyrine pees that are typical for the onset of a urinary tract infection or cystitis and that alarm many people can test blood-free (I've been there more than once myself).
However, blood doesn't have quite the same specific weight to urine and doesn't dry evenly. If you find reddish or brown spots in the middle of a urine, then that indicates a small amount of blood in the urine. In a large amount (which rare without any other symptoms), the blood will dry in a reddish/brown rim that is a different colour to the rest of the pee puddle.

In this case, keep an eye out for other symptoms in the following days as it can often take several days to a week for symptoms to stabilise and become diagnostible. Please see a vet promptly during regular opening hours if you see deep red pees or your boy is starting to vocalise when peeing or pooing.
See a vet asap if your boy is looking suddenly very ill, is squeaking loudly with every pee and is stopping to eat; in this case you are likely dealing with a stone blocking either the ureters or more likely the urethra, which in boars has got an awkward inglenook in which passed bladder stones of fetch up. this is an emergency as the urine could back up into the kidneys with fatal results; it is something you should know about but not worry; just so you can act appropriately in case it ever happens.

Some of your pees are showing some darker spots in the middle of the pee; there may or may not be a tiny amount of blood in the pee but it is very borderline and obviously not consistent. Just keep an eye out over the next week but do not panic.

 

[Andy33335]

He was operated for a bladder stone 2 weeks and a half ago. Since then he made a full recovery, minus the super oxidized pee. He is eating, pooping a lot, drinking water. Talked to my vet, she said i should keep an eye on him for the next days and do not feed him anything orange/red coloured and if not ok, we shall do an echography next week. 3 weeks ago when he had the xray they could not find sand or other stones to his kidney or bladder, just the one that was removed

 

[Wiebke]

He was operated for a bladder stone 2 weeks and a half ago. Since then he made a full recovery, minus the super oxidized pee. He is eating, pooping a lot, drinking water. Talked to my vet, she said i should keep an eye on him for the next days and do not feed him anything orange/red coloured and if not ok, we shall do an echography next week. 3 weeks ago when he had the xray they could not find sand or other stones to his kidney or bladder, just the one that was removed

It is not usual but also not uncommon that urine can become strongly orangey oxidized in the wake of a bladder stone stone infection when bacteria in the bladder that are normally suppressed by a fully working immune system can flourish temporarily. it is also not quite uncommong that a piggy can develop a cystitis in the wake of a bladder operation for the same reasons.

Please be aware that more calcium in a diet will come from the water (especially in hard water areas) and that even low calcium pellets still contain more calcium than even the highest calcium veg. We recommend to follow the detailed diet tips for bladder piggies in our comprehensive diet guide, which looks at all food groups: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

We also recommend to give a bladder stone piggy extra glucosamine in order to protect and help heal the damaged glucosamine coated walls of the bladder and the urinary tract. A cat food supplement like cystease capsules (glucosamine is not classed as a medication) will do; mix the contents with 1 capsule with 2 ml of water and syringe either 2 ml every 24 hours or 1 m every 12 hours. Shake well before use and make sure that the contents have mixed.

 

[Andy33335]

After the pee comes in contact with the air is a bright oranga but if he pees on same spot multiple times it will turn dark orange. I've seen many topics saying this occurs due to the oxidation of porphyrins. Does anyone know if this oxidation happens because of this diet? Is there any way i can avoid it? Or that porphyrin, is there any way i can avoid it? Is it bad for the piggo?

 

[adussiaQ]

After the pee comes in contact with the air is a bright oranga but if he pees on same spot multiple times it will turn dark orange. I've seen many topics saying this occurs due to the oxidation of porphyrins. Does anyone know if this oxidation happens because of this diet? Is there any way i can avoid it? Or that porphyrin, is there any way i can avoid it? Is it bad for the piggo?

Porphyrin is a normal end product of hemoglobin metabolism. It can be bad but usually isn’t. It is naturally produced in the body but depending on how it is secreted it can be bad (for example from eyes in some species like gerbils). You can’t avoid it being in the body it is needed for blood to carry oxygen.
Porphyrins are normal to be in urine but at very high levels they could mean some issues. (But it’s not that serious in guinea pigs). Guinea pig pee should turn light orange within few days after it came out their system.

Here are some other reasons why their pee might be orange:
-it piggy consumes food with pigments, or those high in beta-carotene (spinach or carrots). Some piggies experience this more than others and it also depends on what else they eat (should be eating a variety of veg each day)
-they might be dehydrated. The darker the urine the more dehydrated.
-too much iron and/or vitamin B. This happens when guinea pigs consume too much pellets with synthetic vitamins and minerals. Try switching the brand or feeding less pellets.
-liver/blood disease. Constant vet if you think this could be the cause.
-antibiotics can sometimes temporarily change the colour.

Hope these help a little ♥

 

[KubaGuzik]

Hey! Any ideas why my boy's pee is orange? Not pink, not red,light orange. He had a bladder stone removed 2 weeks ago. Since then he never peed blood anymore.
It's true, my boyfriend gave him a piece of orange to eat but since then he peed multiple times. I though the yellow/orange from the orange would have gone away in a few pees, but he keeps peeing orange. When he peed it seemed like i squeezed an orange on the towel, a light, pleasant color of orange. After 30 min it turned darker. Sorry, i am just concerned taking into consideration his health history, he is 3yo


* the red in the second photo is from a tomato

Hi.Could you tell me what was the outcome of your piggy problem with dark orange,oxidised urine?I have boy who had bladder stone removal surgery in november.He is fine except same urine problems.It is normal clear colour without blood,i am checking for blood regularly with test strips but after some time it is changing colour for rusty brown.He also drinks more water.Vet was trying to get blood sample but unsuccessful,will try again.