Urine Orange/red pee - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**Bamysmum** · #1 09-29-09, 06:21 pm

I noticed a couple of large patches of orange/red pee in the pen this morning. I checked the girls over but they all looked fine were acting as normal. Two of them have brown and black fur so I couldn't see if there was discolouration on them and my white girl was still white down below. Could this be blood in the urine or are there other things that turn wee this colour?

**CavyMama** · #2 09-29-09, 06:35 pm

I don't know of any food that turns the urine red or orange. I would get them to a vet right away. It could be a cut elsewhere on their body (feet maybe? and it showed up when they walked over the wet spot?)

**JD In Van** · #3 09-29-09, 07:45 pm

How old are they? Guinea pig lynx says orange/brown pee can be normal in very young pigs but I would probably take them all to the vet just to be sure especially if it's red. Red usually means bad.

I had off colored urine on one of my pigs to find out which is was I put them out in the kitchen, seperated by a small barrier with their food (they seem to pee when they eat) and waited till each had peed to see which it was.

**jamie15701** · #4 09-29-09, 08:09 pm

I would recommend a vet visit, just to be on the safer side of things. Good luck!

**Ly&Pigs** · #5 09-29-09, 09:12 pm

Orange/brown/rust colored pee generally indicates normal urine that has been oxidized by the oxygen in the air. If it's orangy/red in color, that could be the case here.

Some foods such as beets can cause urine to change color. There are a couple others but I can't think of them at the moment.

If you are seeing pink, bright red or dark red urine, that would warrant a vet visit.

**Bamysmum** · #6 09-29-09, 09:45 pm

This wee discolouration happened months ago when my youngest was just 3 months old. Then it was the oxidisation process causing the colour.

However now they're all 9 to 12 months old (I believe oxidisation of urine is more usual for young piggies?) so I'm taking no chances.

My partner thinks it's the strawberry he fed them but I'm not convinced.

They have had a change of diet from alfafa pellets to Oxbow timothy hay pellets (which they love) in the last 2 weeks. They're all eating very well, popcorn like crazy twice a day when they get their meadow hay. No other physical signs of illness.

I'm keeping daily record of their weights as I've noticed since starting on Oxbow my runt piggie is gaining weight and my heaviest girlie is losing weight. Now idea why - keeping VERY close watch on this.

I'm going get each one on a white towel tonight and find the culprit piggy & get a vet visit done.

Thank you everyone for your advice.

**Porky's Mom** · #7 10-07-09, 06:05 am

If the color looks pinkish to light orangish I would definitely make a trip to the vet as I have had a pig with this and it was a UTI. This is a big deal for pigs, so once you figure out who it is, I would make a trip to the vet.

**Bamysmum** · #8 10-07-09, 08:27 pm

Well, we've gone to the vet. All the pee samples came back normal and I'm glad to say no blood was found. I showed the vet the dried red pee on the towel which alarmed me and we're all in agreement that it definately looks stained with blood.. the detective work continues. The vet thinks it could be cystitis that's causing blood in the wee intermitently when our culprit piggie is stressed. We're still trying to confirm that and watching closely.

The girls are spending the whole day at the vet's tommorrow for observation. Other than this mystery the vet was pleased with how healthy they all are so there's that to be thankful for at least.

**Bamysmum** · #9 10-08-09, 10:24 pm

Update,

Just got a call from the vet as the girls are in all day at the vet's for observation. Our culprit is my eldest girl and I'm thankful to report despite the red wee she's producing there's no blood in it and it appears to be just pigmentation from the strawberries they've had.

I asked the vet why if all the girls are on the same diet is only one peeing red and she said it's because of a difference in metabalism.

Thankyou to everyone for your advice.

**Grandmar Cavy** · #10 10-10-09, 08:50 am

Please to hear all is well.

Yorkie&ZiggyMa · #11 11-03-09, 11:34 pm

I have a guinea that is about a year and a half old and I noticed her urine was pretty orange/red and took her to the vet. The vet was said she had a UTI, we had her x-rayed for stones which were ruled out. I gave her all anti biotics that were prescribed and she still has this orange/red pee. I am feeling aprehensive about taking her back to the same vet, because of his bedside manner. I am having a hard time finding another exotic vet in Bakersfield, Ca. Any advice??

**Candy** · #12 11-11-09, 10:12 am

One of my adult pigs had this and it turned out to be a UTI. It will help if you buy some organic no sugar added 100% cranberry juice. Give a little with a syringe and that will help. The color went away within the day. I did that and then took mine to the vet. The vet says the cranberry is good because it changes the make up of the urine and kills bacteria he also gave a pink antibiotic and everything cleared up.

I hope this helps... Good luck.