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very white pee stains?

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Deleted member 145032

recently my female piggy, who is around one years old, her pee has been smelling alot worst and she’s been leaving white marks around

i think it’s her pee because she usually does that but it’s alot whiter and looks thicker?
D19BF859-A050-4AC3-A993-0A01DF10EACD.jpeg

one from this morning^
E3EA2D91-D39B-4680-AFE5-DFDF086BD065.jpegmore recently ^
 
I'm not certain, but it could be due to excess calcium in her diet. Sometimes they pee out any excess calcium. If you are in a hard water area, are you filtering the water?
I'll tag @Piggies&buns @Siikibam who maybe able to advise you further, as I'm not certain.
Best wishes
 
My Piggies said:
I'm not certain, but it could be due to excess calcium in her diet. Sometimes they pee out any excess calcium. If you are in a hard water area, are you filtering the water?
I'll tag @Piggies&buns @Siikibam who maybe able to advise you further, as I'm not certain.
Best wishes
Click to expand...
yes i always give her filtered water to drink! hopefully they can help out
 
As you say her pee is smelling more and as this looks quite thick, then a vet check is necessary.

A certain amount of white stains are normal as it is excess calcium excretion but if it starts to happen a lot, then action needs to be taken - seeing a vet, reviewing the diet (although any diet changes do take several weeks to have an effect).

Pellets and drinking water are the major contributors of calcium into the diet so ensuring pellets are limited to one tablespoon per pig per day and that water is filtered (which I see you are doing) is the best thing to do. Also ensuring pellets are low calcium and Timothy hay based and ideally grain free. Also ensure high calcium veg such as kale, parsley and spinach are also not fed often - one small amount once per week only.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
 
Piggies&buns said:
As you say her pee is smelling more and as this looks quite thick, then a vet check is necessary.

A certain amount of white stains are normal as it is excess calcium excretion but if it starts to happen a lot, then action needs to be taken - seeing a vet, reviewing the diet (although any diet changes do take several weeks to have an effect).

Pellets and drinking water are the major contributors of calcium into the diet so ensuring pellets are limited to one tablespoon per pig per day and that water is filtered (which I see you are doing) is the best thing to do. Also ensuring pellets are low calcium and Timothy hay based and ideally grain free. Also ensure high calcium veg such as kale, parsley and spinach are also not fed often - one small amount once per week only.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Click to expand...
she’s only left the two marks that i’ve sent you pictures of.
could i try and wait a week to check if she has stopped? i do feed her multiple different veggies daily but what would you say are the best ones?

image.webpthis is the hay i use ^
E029539A-0B25-4FA6-8083-7FE636968D80.webpthese are the pellets i use^
 
Keep an eye on the patches but if her urine is now smelling stronger than normal then you do need to a see a vet.

The hay is fine.
The pellets are also fine but ensure you keep them limited to one tablespoon. However, if she is having issues with frequent calcium pees then, and I am definitely not saying there is anything wrong with these pellets, but they do contain alfalfa (on the ingredients as Lucerne) which is high in calcium.

The guide I linked in my first reply shows a sample plate of safe daily veggies
 
Piggies&buns said:
Keep an eye on the patches but if her urine is now smelling stronger than normal then you do need to a see a vet.

The hay is fine.
The pellets are also fine but ensure you keep them limited to one tablespoon. However, if she is having issues with frequent calcium pees then, and I am definitely not saying there is anything wrong with these pellets, but they do contain alfalfa (on the ingredients as Lucerne) which is high in calcium.

The guide I linked in my first reply shows a sample plate of safe daily veggies
Click to expand...
ok thank you i’ll have a look at the guide!
 
Please have your girl vet checked; not necessarily for stones but also for a potential cystitis (infection) that is not yet so high level as to cause the classic symptoms. I would however not worry too much at this stage.

Just keep the pellets to 1 tablespoon per piggy per day.
 
Wiebke said:
Please have your girl vet checked; not necessarily for stones but also for a potential cystitis (infection) that is not yet so high level as to cause the classic symptoms. I would however not worry too much at this stage.

Just keep the pellets to 1 tablespoon per piggy per day.
Click to expand...
with the pellets should i not refill her bowl for the night, even if she has eaten them all?
 
Bon Bon :) said:
with the pellets should i not refill her bowl for the night, even if she has eaten them all?
Click to expand...

No, don’t refill. Pellets should be just one tablespoon per day and once that tablespoon is gone, no more given until the next day. They shouldn’t have pellets constantly as they are the least healthy and least important part of the diet. Too many pellets reduce their hay consumption as well as contributing to too much calcium. The only food they need constantly is hay
 
Just keep adding a handful of hay here and there throughout the day and she'll stay interested!
This is Louise, George and Flora. I put my water bottles right next to my pellet bowl (low Ca water) as piggies eating pellets often drink at the same time. I've added extra water bottles around my enclosure too. You can see in this pic the two bottles next to the hiding areas so they can drink day or night without having to come out if they want to stay hidden - I found that this increases drinking round the clock with shy pigs especially. You can also see one in the open area which is where we dump a big pile of grass every morning. My pigs might or might not take a pellet or two during the day but in the evening everyone has some before settling down for the night so that is the time when I give pellets - spot clean, fresh bedding hay, pellets. I also use those Burgess pellets. Try and see if there is a time when your pigs go for the bowl and match the offer of pellets with that time.

three little pigs.webp
If her wee is smelly it might just be very concentrated but there might also be bacterial infection present. I've usually spotted UTI by blood-tinted urine, pain when peeing (chirping, squeaking, hunching up) and a wet bum area as pain and inflammation makes them drip urine. If you don't see these signs and if the calcium deposits were a one-off try adding water bottles or adjusting the positions to encourage drinking, pre-soaking veg to increase water intake, and offering watery veg like cucumber. Avoid trying to syringe liquid into them as they can inhale far too easily with disastrous results. Good luck ☺️
 
Free Ranger said:
Just keep adding a handful of hay here and there throughout the day and she'll stay interested!
This is Louise, George and Flora. I put my water bottles right next to my pellet bowl (low Ca water) as piggies eating pellets often drink at the same time. I've added extra water bottles around my enclosure too. You can see in this pic the two bottles next to the hiding areas so they can drink day or night without having to come out if they want to stay hidden - I found that this increases drinking round the clock with shy pigs especially. You can also see one in the open area which is where we dump a big pile of grass every morning. My pigs might or might not take a pellet or two during the day but in the evening everyone has some before settling down for the night so that is the time when I give pellets - spot clean, fresh bedding hay, pellets. I also use those Burgess pellets. Try and see if there is a time when your pigs go for the bowl and match the offer of pellets with that time.

View attachment 184742
If her wee is smelly it might just be very concentrated but there might also be bacterial infection present. I've usually spotted UTI by blood-tinted urine, pain when peeing (chirping, squeaking, hunching up) and a wet bum area as pain and inflammation makes them drip urine. If you don't see these signs and if the calcium deposits were a one-off try adding water bottles or adjusting the positions to encourage drinking, pre-soaking veg to increase water intake, and offering watery veg like cucumber. Avoid trying to syringe liquid into them as they can inhale far too easily with disastrous results. Good luck ☺️
Click to expand...
thank you! this was very helpful! i’ll get my piggy some more water bottles like you said :)
 
I should PS and just add that if she has a friend (and they all need a friend) it will stop her munching pellets from boredom? I'll leave it there ☺️
 
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