Have you noticed your guinea pig’s pee is white? Do you know Why Is My Guinea Pigs Pee White and what it means?
Is it something to be concerned about, Do you need to do anything?
I will cover all these points and more below.
Why Is My Guinea Pigs Pee White?
Your guinea pig’s urine appears white due to the traces of calcium present in the urine. A diet high in calcium may be causing this. However, there is no need to be concerned unless other symptoms are indicating ill health.
What Color Should Guinea Pig Pee Be?
The color of a normal guinea pig pee can vary from a light yellow or clear color to shades of orange and brown. Guinea pig urine can also have a cloudy appearance due to calcium carbonate present in the urine.
The texture of a normal guinea pig’s urine should not be gritty.
Should guinea pigs Pee be cloudy? A guinea pig’s pee may be cloudy due to the presence of calcium deposits in the urine. Guinea pigs absorb most of the calcium in their diet but excess calcium is excreted in the urine, giving it a cloudy appearance.
The following steps can reduce the cloudy appearance of your guinea pigs pee:
- Revise your guinea pig’s diet if you are giving a diet that is too high in calcium.
- Avoid high-calcium vegetables like spinach and parsley.
- Opt for low calcium vegetables such as tomato, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, and carrots.
- Alfalfa hay pellets are not recommended since they are very high in calcium and protein as well. A diet that is too high in calcium can eventually lead to the formation of bladder stones.
- Veterinarians recommend timothy hay pellets due to the lower calcium content.
- You can not completely eliminate calcium from your pet’s diet since it essential for healthy and strong bones.
Can Guinea Pigs Pee Blood?
There may be traces of blood in your guinea pig’s pee called “haematuria” indicating that your guinea pig is unwell and needs urgent medical attention. Take your guinea pig to the vet’s office for proper treatment.
If you are alarmed due to the bloody spots in your pet’s bedding, first eliminate any other possibilities. For instance, check if your guinea pig is wounded from fighting with his pet mates.
Secondly, eating red-colored food can also cause a normal but deep red pee that only looks like blood.
If your guinea pig’s pee is indeed bloody then the following can be some of the causes behind it:
- Bladder or kidney stones
- Cystitis
- Cancer
- Cystic Ovary Disease
- Pyometra
Bladder Or Kidney Stones
stones composed of minerals like calcium can block any part of the urinary tract including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra. These stones in the urinary tract can cause irritation, painful urination, and blood in the guinea pig’s urine.
Cystitis
Cystitis means bladder inflammation that usually involves inflammation of the entire urinary tract. It may be sterile inflammation, or triggered by bacterial infection i.e. a urinary tract infection. Good hygiene, adequate water intake, and a balanced diet can prevent cystitis.
Cancer
Some cancers can also cause blockage in the urinary tract leading to bloody pea in guinea pigs.
Cystic Ovary Disease
Normally, the ovaries of a female guinea pig release follicles which break open to release eggs for fertilization. When these follicles do not burst as they should, they grow into large, fluid-filled cysts that cause cystic ovary disease.
Excretion that looks like bloody urine is a symptom of cystic ovary disease.
Pyometra
Pyometra is a disease that inflicts non-spayed female guinea pigs only. In pyometra a bacterial infection causes the uterus to fill up with pus. A red discharge is excreted, which mixed with urine appears like blood although it is not.
Spaying is recommended in adult female guinea pigs to prevent this disease.
It is completely normal for a guinea pig’s pee to be yellow. This is most commonly seen in young guinea pigs. The color may even change to a deeper shade or orange color because of oxidation.
If you are concerned about what your guinea pig’s pee should not look like, have a look at the following symptoms for signs of illness:
- A gritty texture in the urine is a sign your guinea pig may have developed bladder sludge or bladder stones that need the medical attention of a vet.
- An overwhelming smell coming from your guinea pig’s pee may be a sign of a UTI or bacterial infection.
- Blood in the urine is a common indicator of various illnesses.
Do Guinea Pigs Pee Stain?
Guinea pig’s pee can leave stains on the cage, other spots around the house, and on the guinea pig’s fur. The stain can be removed following some easy steps listed below.
Steps to remove guinea pig’s pee stain:
- Use a gentle baby shampoo and a guinea pigs brush to remove the pee stains from its fur. Be very careful not to let water get into your guinea pig’s ears.
- Put your guinea pig in a sink filled with shallow water such that it is not submerged completely.
- Guinea pigs love to groom and clean themselves which is why excessive bathing is not needed and does more harm than good.
- Make sure you dry the guinea pig with a hairdryer set on the cold setting.
- When dealing with pee stains on the floor or the cage, a solution made of vinegar and water can be effective at removing the pee stains.
- Vinegar being an acid neutralizes the naturally alkaline urine to remove the stain and also serves as an antimicrobial agent.
Find out more about guinea pigs peeing on their human companions and potty training guinea pigs here.
Why Does My Guinea Pig’s Pee Smell So Bad?
Are you noticing a foul odor coming from the urine of your guinea pig that is out of the ordinary? What causes this change in smell from the normal urine you are used to smelling as their primary caregiver?
You are accustomed to the odors of your companion, but are thrown off by the sudden change. Here are some possible explanations:
- Urine is left in the cage for too long
- High ammonia content
- Poor diet
- New foods added
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
It’s time to eliminate some foods from their regular diet and see if this changes the smell of the urine tomorrow. Clean up the cage once more for a full smell test. If this continues a UTI might be present and needs medical attention.
What Color Is a Healthy Guinea Pig Pee?
A guinea pig’s pee may not be a color at all. It might be translucent or clear. Sometimes it is:
- Cloudy
- Thick
- White
Why would the color change from clear to cloudy or white? This is due to calcium carbonate and ammonium phosphate crystals in their urine. Too much calcium is not a positive sign.
Look closer at the urine to make sure you do not see any red or pink stains. This is the worst case scenario or blood in the urine.
At this point a vet must be alerted to a negative appearance. When the urine is white or cloudy, do not be too concerned. These are normal colors.
Why Is My Guinea Pigs Pee Cloudy?
The first time I noticed the cloudy appearance of my guinea pig’s urine, I was concerned. I realized from members of the guinea pig community and those who I know that care for guinea pigs, that it is quite normal.
You are not wrong to feel worried, but you can be assured that we have felt the same as you before in this community. Your guinea pig’s cloudy urine is fine. The calcium carbonate and ammonium phosphate crystals are flowing out through their urine and this is absolutely normal.
The only issue would be if you see gritty chalky or powder residue leftover from the urine. If you do not see that, then there is a normal amount of calcium being expelled.
Is Guinea Pig Pee Supposed to Be White?
White colored guinea pig urine is not a cause for concern. Think, cloudy or white urine is commonly witnessed in guinea pig urine. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t healthy.
What you are seeing is calcium being expelled from their body in an efficient way. They are specifically calcium carbonate and ammonium phosphate crystals.
The only issue is when the white urine leaves a powdery residue. This could be due to a Urinary tract infection (UTI) or old age.
The gritty urine might indicate bladder damage or excess calcium that isn’t being processed well. White urine alone is fine and should not be a worrying factor any longer.
Thank you for visiting PocketPetCentral.com for the best information to help you enjoy the life of your pocket pet companion in a fun, safe & healthy way.
