Urine Change in urine

[LadyAkilah]

We've recently adopted two one year old girls about a week ago. When we first got them, urine was yellow and hazy but has recently turned a more milky white tone. It's not sluggy or gritty. And their behavior hasn't changed (except for the better). They were eating a very poor quality food and no veggies at all but are now getting Oxbow adult pellets and appropriate veggies every day. The poop is normal. They are active and popcorning all over the place whenever they see us now. Is this normal or do we need to worry? (Vet visit when we got them was okay. They just needed a bigger cage and some loving per the vet.)

 

[kathlaaron]

WELCOME and HELLO !

It sounds normal, according to guinea lynx below. Just keep an eye on it, but if it isn't gritty or sludge like, it's normal. Their system is probably just adjusting to the new and better healthy diet of fresh veggies, however it might be that they are getting too much calcium in their diet, not sure !

Have you had a chance to read and look at Ly& Pigs nutrition charts, poisonous plants list and sample daily diet menus ? Ly is our Adm/Mod/Nutrition Expert on here. Here it is below:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition/24770-sample-veggie-menus.html


NORMAL:
Urine may be clear to cloudy in color. Calcium compounds in the urine cause this cloudiness. Normal urine is not gritty in texture. Dried urine may leave powdery white calcium compounds. Very young guinea pigs often have an orange or brown tint to their urine. Urine sometimes changes to an orange color on standing (this may be the oxidation of porphyrins in the urine).

NOT NORMAL:

Gritty compounds: may indicate sludge in the bladder. Strong smelling urine may be a sign of dehydration or infection. The gritty deposits are sometimes called sludge, which feels coarse and sandy. Powdery deposits are normal. Rub the deposits between your fingers to determine if they are powdery or gritty.

Blood in urine is not normal and may be due to a urinary tract infection, bladder stones, or (in females) reproductive problems like pyometra (an infection of the lining of the uterus).

Incontinence is not normal. Your guinea pig should be relatively dry. If its fur is constantly wet and/or there is an odor, be sure to have your pet checked out for a urinary tract infection or other problem.


Hope I have been helpful ! Kudos to you too, for choosing to adopt-Yipee !

 

[CavyMama]

We've recently adopted two one year old girls about a week ago. When we first got them, urine was yellow and hazy but has recently turned a more milky white tone. It's not sluggy or gritty.

That sounds pretty normal to me. You said their diet wasn't that great before you got them. That could be the reason for the change but it was a change for the better. It was probably the change in diet that led to the change in urine.

 

[LadyAkilah]

Thanks for the information! I'll keep an eye out. I did find out my son has been sneaking them baby carrots on the sly before bed to hear them wheek and watch them popcorn. I've explained about how important their diet is to him and cut up some thin bell pepper slices to give them instead. So I guess I need to watch him too!

 

[kathlaaron]

What would our families do without us ( The Mama Piggie Parent) I wonder ?! (Hehehee) I mean that in a loving way of course !

Below is also Ly&Pigs nutrition chart and poisonous plants list. I have both the samply daily diet menu and the nutrition charts/poisonous plants printed out, and up on my fridge for easy reference !

Make sure too, that they have quality timothy grass hay 24/7, and quality plain pellets. I buy Oxbow Cavy Cuisine pellets and Kleenmama's Hayloft 2cnd or 3rd cut timothy hay.

Just in case you are not sure, they also will need 1 cup of fresh veggies every day, per piggie, and 1/8th cup of pellets, each, every day. Its best to break up the veggies into two meals, breakfast and dinner. Mainly to keep the veggies fresh, and also the fact that piggies are "foragers" by nature, and eat throughout the day.


https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...g-nutrition-charts-poisonous-plants-list.html

 

[LadyAkilah]

We make sure they have a nice full loft of Timothy hay all the time and put at least two extra small handfuls in each piggy house since they seem to like to snuggle in it as well. We moved them to a bigger cage today. I had originally thought a loft counted as overall space so we needed to enlarge their diggs somewhat. So now they are in a 2x4 grid cage and next week we will tack on their old 2x3 home as an L play "yard" space. We may have to add another piggy!