# Dark urine?



## chaos_emerald (Jan 26, 2009)

Hello all, 

So my 4 year old baby has dark, browinish urine (maybe). I have only seen it on the wheel, and it may have been mixed with poop it's hard to tell. I've been suspicious for a few days, but she's eating fine, drinking loads of water, running, poop is nice and solid, not losing weight (she gained a lot this summer, in fact.) Some nights I was beginning to worry because I wasn't finding hardly any urine in her cage, and I'd check on her a few times a night and there was a dark puddle on the wheel. But other nights she peed normally on the paper towel. The little champ wasn't always peeing on the paper towels under the wheel so it was difficult for me to distinguish whether it's mixed with poop or her urine is really dark. I don't THINK it's blood, as I've mopped it up with a paper towel and the color doesn't seem quite right for it to be blood. 

I may be too anxious, but she is getting old and I don't know how common UTI, kidney failure, kidney stones etc might be in a hog of that age. 

Advice?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I can't help much without having much experience with this kind of thing. Just wanted to post that if you do decide to take her into the vet, it'd be best to get a urine sample drawn directly from her bladder - it's the only way to distinguish for sure whether there's something wrong with the bladder/kidneys or if it's something coming from the uterus. I think I would personally go ahead with a vet visit to be safe, since having dark pee while still drinking fine sounds rather off to me. I'm sure you'll get more, and probably more helpful, answers tomorrow though!


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

do you not take her out of her cage or she just doesn't pee when you take her out? probably be easier to see the urine in a kiddie pool or a white shower curtain or even the bathtub. i would put her on a surface easier to see as soon as you take her out so you can get a better idea of what's going on. you can also put a white fleece blanket in her cage(or other safe white blanket without any strings). 

uti's and kidney diseases are pretty common, but usually will be accompanied with an increase or decrease in water intake. was there any crystals on the wheel in the urine? have you heard her squeeking when peeing or squatting to pee, but can't get anything out? 

i'd check today and if the urine is indeed dark then a vet visit is a good idea especially with her age. if nothing else it will be a good check up for her to make sure everything is good.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Like Shawnwk1 said, if you can put her so you can see her pee when she's not on the wheel it will be easier for you tell if it is dark. You can try taking her wheel out and using white sheets or even white papertowels on the bottom of her cage. She may be mad about the wheel being out but at least you'll be able to see for sure what her urine looks like. I know my hedgies rarely pee outside of their cages so that can make it hard.


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## chaos_emerald (Jan 26, 2009)

Ah, great advice thanks. I'll take the wheel out and put some paper towels down tonight. She rarely pees outside the cage, so I rarely catch her doing it, unfortunately. But I she is definitely drinking and I've heard her lap it up about two nights ago, too. Thanks everyone! Fingers crossed there's no problem.


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