Chin with lots of clear pee...UTI or stone?

[Dustbunnies]

Hi. I am new here. I have been reading this forum since I got two Chinchillas 3 weeks ago. I have been following advice from experienced members after researching almost every topic I can think of. My girls, Bunny (beige) and Pepper (gray) are about months old. They are on Oxbow food and Oxbow Timothy hay, both unlimited. They are drinking filtered water and have a wheel. They have only been given acidophilus and mylicon (one only eats the acidophilus if mixed in mylicon, so both get it) and maybe two oats (total) as "treats." They have been to the vet once after having them for two weeks. I was very ill and had them tested for parasites and giardia (negative on all) to help figure out why I was sick (never found out, but I am better now). The vet didn't seem great, but he wasn't horrible. If anyone knows of a great chin vet in the north Dallas area....let me know!

They have been gaining weight but not a whole lot this past week (no loss though). Bunny weighs 410g and Pepper weighs 427g. Pepper's poos have had hooked ends since before I went to the vet ....he wasn't too concerned as I haven't had them too long. The amounts are good mostly. They both don't leave droppings during the day, which we thought was constipation at first, but they are eating many of them during that time and leave maybe 150 each over night.

This morning I cleaned the liner (they currently have a wire bottom cage, but I am fixing up a ferret nation cage) and noticed that one of the urine spots was very light and large....didn't know what to think. Pepper spent most of the day sitting in her wheel, but would romp around if I took her out. A little it ago, she did a pee but repositioned herself a couple times first and then took a while, looking strained to do it. It was a large, clear puddle. She does not seem to drink an abundance of water or anything.

Has anyone else experienced clear urine? I hope it is not a stone. My vet opens at 7am. I will be there at 7am, but I need someone's take on the situation.

 

[ChinchillaSteve]

I can't help you dustbunnies i'm sorry.
If i'm right your vet opens within 1 1/2 hours so it won't be that long anymore.
Can you see if she's in pain?

 

[alli713]

I'm sorry, I haven't experienced this either, but if she's looking strained when she's peeing, I'd have to say something may be up. And my girl's pee has always been a very dark color.
Perhaps you've already been to the vet, so please let us know how it goes!

 

[Dustbunnies]

We went to the vet but we have to take a pee sample later because we couldn't get one. He didn't seem too concerned, but of course urged me to keep an eye on her and bring her back if anything looks bad later. He felt her bladder and didn't find anything of concern.

Last night she peed on a fleece item and it was a milky or cloudy yellow (looked like orange juice). That concerned me more than the clear..anyone have experience with cloudy pee?

She ran on her wheel all last night, so she isn't doing too bad. I am probably just over analyzing. Will update you when we get urine to him...which might be tomorrow. I almost got some this morning but she peed to the left of the container (currently has wire floors, with plenty of covered areas).

 

[mishellyshel]

my chins pee ranges from dark yellow to clear ish, one time it was so dark i thought it was blood! now that my one chin is handfed and gets lots of fluids his pee is almost clear. if i am trying to monitor their pee, i lay white paper towels in the bottom of their cage or where they usually pee and can see the color. the only thing that would concern me is if they are struggling to pee, so keep an eye on her.

 

[Dustbunnies]

Well, I thought she was straining last night, but I may have read too much into it. She has since peed without repositioning. She just had a full bladder last night, I think. SHe is laying in her wheel again today, trying to scare me. I caught a little pee (clear yellow, in the fridge), but I can't take it to the vet right now, so I will probably get some fresher pee later to take. I know most people don't get to see if the pee is cloudy or not, but Bunny's pee is clear orange and Pepper's is clear or milky yellow. It is the milky pee I think is the most weird, but it may be fine. It was a fluke I even noticed. She happened to pee somewhere I could see that. The clear pee is strange, though, because she doesn't seem to drink THAT much. I will take pee to the vet no later than tomorrow morning (and her if there is any other problem). Anyone else seen milky urine?

 

[ChinchillaSteve]

Possible she ate something wrong?
Who knows. I wouldn't be concerned too much, keep a close eye on her like michelle said.

 

[Dustbunnies]

I just got some cloudy yellow pee from her. Am taking it to to the vet in a bit here. From my experience, cloudy pee often means infection in humans. But, the vet didn't seem to jump to that. I hope there are no stones and that he doesn't give Baytril. I would hate for her to quit eating. Will update later.

 

[Dustbunnies]

Alright...well her urine had a lot of protein in it....but no white blood cells or blood. So....it could be a kidney infection....but that would usually cause white blood cells. The vet suggest we watch her and recheck in a week or so. He didn't feel it necessary to give antibiotics without more evidence of infection. Thankfully, he doesn't suggest giving Baytril as the first drug of choice even if she does have one.

If it were my body....I would take antibiotics in case....but for a fragile gut like a chins.....I think it warrants more proof.

Anyone have experience with this? Kidney problems with no infection or no blood (he said no stones because no blood in pee).

Let me know if you have had a chin with similar findings. I could have spied an infection super early.....but it could be I imagined something and happened to find an anomaly in her pee that would have gone away anyhow.

Is this perhaps a finding of a diabetic chin? Or is that unlikely? (Vet did not imply, however).

 

[Tanya]

Maybe what you see is just calcified urine (calcium excretion). Urine is cloudy, when it dries on wood you will see white stuff.
If you think it may be the reason, let us know. Many members have lots of experience and can help if you say what is your chin diet,what pellets, hay, list all treats and how often you offer. Does your chin get calcium blocks, salt licks, grains?
Urine may vary in color, but usually it's yellow, sometimes light yellow or slightly brown/orange

 

[Dustbunnies]

I wrote all that above. No treats besides what is mentioned. The protein in the urine is worrying me a bit....but it isn't necessarily indicative of much. I hope she isn't diabetic or anything.

 

[AZChins]

I think she's probably just fine. I wouldn't worry. The urine always has some protein in it, urine contains all the things from the blood that are waste products and protein can be one of those things.

I don't think she's diabetic...she probably just drank more water than normal and she peed more than normal. Some chinchillas drink more water than others and make more urine.

 

[Dustbunnies]

I guess the vet felt there was a lot of protein (more than should be). She really normally doesn't drink that much...so it would be a change for her. I have often given her a spoon full of water or two because I haven't seen her drink that often and she liks drinking from the spoon.

She is the overall grumpier of the two, so I am frequently worried about her (they have a way of scaring you...especially since you see them mostly in the daytime all sleepy and stand-offish). She is a bit more moody than Bunny and it causes me to think that something is wrong. One night she will really want out...another she won't particulary want out at all....then she'll want out again. Sometimes she enjoys playing in a mesh sided play tent with us, other times she wants out of it but not into her cage (she would rather run off and explore where she isn't supposed to, of course). Silly.

She eats a little more slowly than Bunny and I am hoping that is just her and not a tooth problem. There have not been any signs of malo though....but one is always paranoid about that. She has had hooked poos from the beginning and the vet thinks that is just "her." I give them acidophilus often (up to 1/4 tablet per day/chin) since they are very still during the day and sometimes eat less hay than I would prefer. Pepper hogs the wheel all night, but Bunny seems to have coped with it. Maybe for e that reason she hasn't gained a lot lately (but no losses yet....I am weighing them a lot). Pepper is a fur chewer and has made a mess of Bunny's fur....but Bunny like to cuddle with Pepper and I believe she would rather look funny than be lonely. They are getting a ferret nation cage in a couple weeks and hopefully two wheels before too long....I think that will help.

These critters have worried me to death!!!! There is so much that can go wrong and they can apparently act completely normal even when they are in bad shape. My fiancee keeps saying "How the **** do these things survive in the wild?!?" I say "I have no idea."

 

[AZChins]

Awww...you worry too much! It'll be alright. Chinchillas will drive you crazy, it's best to try to not worry so much about them.

In the wild the chinchillas still have natural instinct. Our chins are just lazy! They have no instinct except for the one that makes them territorial and greedy.

I hope so much that the fur chewing stops. But, don't feel bad if it doesn't. Some chins just like to chew. I have noticed that with a few they aren't really chewing they just like to overgroom their friends a bit more than they should. I have a pair of males where Hank just decides he wants to groom on Sam. The next day there will be just a little bit of fur chewed here and there on poor Sam. It grows back and he doesn't do it for months.

Anyway...don't worry. You're taking good care of them, keeping them clean and keeping them occupied...that's all that matters! Cereal boxes and new hanging toys from time to time really helps to lighten the mood with the more serious chins. I made up about 100 new toys for my chins and put them in their cages this week and everyone is very happy. I still have to make about 50 more...

 

[Dustbunnies]

Thanks. I know I worry too much....but these guys seem to warrant a high level of worry. They have several little toys (most recently discovered loofah! and I got one of those wooden/loofah hamburgers yesterday for them) and are mostly occupied. I think Pepper is grooming bunny, more than stress. Bunny had a beautiful homo beige coat that is all chewed up now....but I don't think she is complaining. I would rather them get to live together, so I won't separate them unless there is danger involved. Oddly enough, I tried gently combing them and Bunny hated it (but puts up with Pepper chewing her up!). Pepper liked it a bit better. Bunny is more hyper (and a tiny bit younger).

So cereal boxes are safe to chew on (all that ink? even though it is soy-based)? I have a chube in their playtent that Bunny loves. Pepper is less bouncy but she loves that wheel.

 

[AZChins]

I've never had a problem. The soy based ink never seems to be a problem at all. They don't really eat it...they just shred it and leave little pieces all over. Brown paper bags are great. I like to fill them with hay and fold over the top. It's fun because the chins take a bit to realize that there's something in there that they want. And, the bags make a ton of noise...chins love making noises!

 

[Dustbunnies]

I will definitely try the paper bag thing! My chins seem to eat anything they bite (besides the lava bites....the shred those). I have watched them swallow card board. Silly babies. I might put a couple cereal boxes in their playtent and try not to let them obsess over them. They have a "grassy mat" in there they nibble at....but I don't like them to sit and "eat" it (instead of their good food!). I am trying to add to their toys. Thanks for the tips!

 

[AZChins]

After the first time they have something like cardboard or paper the chins don't seem to eat it as much. It isn't really all that tasty. Anything new they will try to eat, that's just chinchillas for you!

You should have seen all my chins with their new hanging toys all at once...they all went right to work buzzing them all down and it sounded like a little machine shop in there. New toys are great for chins because they want to be the first to take the sharp edges off of the wood. It's the same way with ANYTHING new, they want to destroy it and be the first to destroy it. (I love chinchillas...had to add that!)

 

[Dustbunnies]

They are cuties. We were attached to them right away! I love my animals with great passion!

I have noticed they have to get the edges off...then they lose some interest. They love the lava bites....so I bought the little lava perches....and they hardly touched them. I broke on into pieces and put some in there....they liked that better. They have cooled off their lava for now....guess it is pretty rough and they don't need that much tooth wear! I have ordered them (beyond my means even) stuff for a ferret nation cage we got off craigslist (a little rusty because the dork stored it outside, we are cleaning it up) and made sure and got a couple new toys from quality mutation chins along with some fleece items. I keep scoffing at buying warm fleece when we are trying so hard to keep them cool! Living in Texas, I am going to have killer A/C bills

Now I need to find nicer hay...the oxbow is okay....but they seem to be so picky with it...and the petstores in the area seem to have a lot of old stock. I want fresher hay. I can't buy a bale from the feedstore (worried about rat poo, also) because I live in a one bedroom apt.

 

[Dustbunnies]

Also....what causes sticky poo....not soft at all, just slightly tacky? Bunny's poo was just a little sticky last night and today (vet was unconcerned). It smell the same and is the same firmness as usual. New additions are loofah bites and grassy mat. If it gets softer or doesn't stop...I'll call vet. But it seems harmless for now. She has had acidophilus mixed with gas drops (she won't eat acidophilus by itself) today and yesterday.