Tinted Urine!!

[thomasmuffinsRgood]

I'm at a loss. After brutus passed, i found out mack is haviing weird pee. he isnt squeaking or anything, but sometimes (not every time) his pee is tinted pink. i have only fed him 2 grape tomatoes since i saw the tinted urine 4 days ago. i will call the vet tmrw. but do you have any suggestions to prevent this in the future? i want to cry

 

[thomasmuffinsRgood]

i give him as little calcium as possible. a normal day of food is a strip of romaine, bell pepper, and or celery/tomato

 

[Swissgreys]

Urine will oxidise and turn a red/brown colour on contact with the air.
So if the urine you are looking at is more than a few minutes old it might just have oxidised (which is a natural process).

If your boy is otherwise well and not loosing weight then please try not to panic (easier said than done I know).
A vet check is always a good idea if you have any worries but hopefully it will be fine.

 

[thomasmuffinsRgood]

Urine will oxidise and turn a red/brown colour on contact with the air.
So if the urine you are looking at is more than a few minutes old it might just have oxidised (which is a natural process).

If your boy is otherwise well and not loosing weight then please try not to panic (easier said than done I know).
A vet check is always a good idea if you have any worries but hopefully it will be fine.

Yes but it dries red and stays red. I’m also seeing some white calcium spots in his cage

 

[Piggies&buns]

Its normal for urine oxidisation in that it will go red/brown and stay that colour
Seeing some calcium deposits is also normal - it is how they excrete excess calcium. If you see a lot and it is gritty then check the diet and ensure you aren’t overfeeding pellets (one tablespoon per day), that drinking water is filtered and high calcium veg kept to a minimum. Otherwise see a vet.

If you are concerned then do see a vet as we can’t confirm whether what you are seeing is or is not blood and certainly not from a written description

 

[thomasmuffinsRgood]

I think I’m going to see the vet. I know you guys are pretty trustworthy, but after the whole Brutus thing I’m not taking any chances

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

I am ever so sorry for your loss.

Whenever you have concerns about the companion after the passing of a piggy please see a vet, if only to ease your own mind, which is what the previous posters have also been saying.
You can find this recommendation also in our guide on how to look after a newly bereaved piggy: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

We can certainly not tell you what is going on just from a description based on the filter of your own perceptions and totally sight unseen because all we can do is guess.

Please be aware that intense red porphyrine coloured (and NOT fresh blood) and also calcium pees can signal the very start of a urinary tract infection or cystitis. It takes however in this case several days before any symptoms become more than on/off (i.e. a clear pee can follow a red pee and either may or may not test for blood) and the squeaking that should appear over the coming week if you were dealing with an infection/cystitis will also be rather on and off and can make an early vet diagnosis somewhat hit and miss in my own experience.

The next few days should show whether that is the case with your boy. It is very normal to be more jittery after a recent loss, but it tends to be worse if you are suffering from anxiety issues.

All the best! I hope that it is just a false alarm.

 

[thomasmuffinsRgood]

the vet sid they are booked up for 6 weeks, so we should call every morning to see if mack can get in (because of cancellations)

 

[Wiebke]

the vet sid they are booked up for 6 weeks, so we should call every morning to see if mack can get in (because of cancellations)

All the best.

 

[thomasmuffinsRgood]

All the best.

i never brought him to the vet.. i suck t making decisions i havent seen any squeaking or unusual pee colors, so i think it will be fine. keep on the lookout for a new post ( getting mack a friend soon! )