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Pet Forum / Mammals / Hamsters / July 2009Color of Hamster urine
I've noticed over the past month that the color of my hamsters urine has changed from a light color to a dark brown. Is this anything to be concerned about? Other than that there are no changes in his appetite, activity level, appearance or demeanor. TIA Mrs. H Hallo Mrs. H. Mrs. H schrieb: > I've noticed over the past month that the color of my hamsters urine has > changed from a light color to a dark brown. Is this anything to be concerned > about? Other than that there are no changes in his appetite, activity > level, appearance or demeanor. > TIA > Mrs. H I know if a hamster eats carrots its urin becomes darker. Is that the case? John > Hallo Mrs. H. > Mrs. H schrieb: [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > John ============ Thanks, Turtle. I had considered that and cut back on his favorite treat, but still the urine is dark brown. Guess I should experiment further and not offer him carrots for awhile and see what happens. Mrs. H I am my hamsters mum. Daily treats for Gus-Gus (formerly Munchkin 'till g'son renamed him) include boiled egg - yolk only, broccoli, craisins, apple - also a big favorite, oats, nuts, corn, yogurt, cheese, and sometimes sweet potato. Any other suggestions? Hi Mrs, H. Mrs. H schrieb: > Thanks, Turtle. I had considered that and cut back on his favorite treat, > but still > the urine is dark brown. Guess I should experiment further and not offer > him carrots for awhile and see what happens. Substitute carrots with something else and see if there is a change. > Mrs. H > I am my hamsters mum. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > oats, nuts, > corn, yogurt, cheese, and sometimes sweet potato. Any other suggestions? Mine is crazy about grasshoppers. CU > Hi Mrs, H. > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > CU ================== Ugh! I haven't gone that route yet. One day - maybe. :) Mrs. H > Daily treats for Gus-Gus (formerly Munchkin 'till g'son renamed him) > include > boiled egg - yolk only, broccoli, craisins, apple - also a big favorite, > oats, nuts, > corn, yogurt, cheese, and sometimes sweet potato. Any other suggestions? Hi Mrs H. If his urine is darker it could also indicate he's not drinking enough. They should in theory get the majority of water from their foodstuffs and with a selection of freshies like his treats he should be OK. If it smells very strongly it could mean a urine infection. He would become unwell and not be doing all his usual activities though. If you get worried the best thing to do is find a vet that is hamster friendly but if he's happy and active I'd guess he's fine. One thing I would do is not give him the Craisins. I know he would probably kill for them but they are heavily sweetened and hamsters can't deal with processed sugars, which could make him a little dehydrated. The yoghurt treats they sell in pet stores usually have a lot of sugar in as well, yet they are sold as healthy treats. Also check the ingredients for artificial sweeteners as they are a definite no as well. A little fresh yoghurt occasionally shouldn't do him any harm and is useful to help restock the gut bacteria if theyve had antibiotics. If nothing changes after excluding the sweet treats I'd cut down a bit on the protein treats (nuts etc) to see if that helps. If like most hamsters he is on a complete food mix he is probably getting enough protein in already. Pregnant, lactating or recovering hamsters would need extra. I couldn't face trying the crickets either. I used to give mine a little sweet pepper, sugar snap peas, french beans, a baked bean with the sauce washed off, a tiny piece of cooked pasta, firm pear (not squishy). A tiny bit of grape but make sure there are no seeds, apple pips are bad as well, although the apple itself is safe. I have a list somewhere of all the foods, plants that they can/can't eat safely. One of the original posters Wendy ( I think) posted the link and I printed it off. Its probably in the loft with everything else since we moved but I'll try and find it or a link to it if its still on the web. > I have a list somewhere of all the foods, plants that they can/can't eat > safely. One of the original posters Wendy ( I think) posted the link and I > printed it off. Its probably in the loft with everything else since we > moved but I'll try and find it or a link to it if its still on the web. This isnt the original list I had copied but it seems to cover most of it. I hope this helps. http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=41940 :o) On behalf of Gus-Gus (known formerly as Munchkin) thank you for the list, Hilary. Mrs. H >> I have a list somewhere of all the foods, plants that they can/can't eat >> safely. One of the original posters Wendy ( I think) posted the link and [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > :o) > On behalf of Gus-Gus (known formerly as Munchkin) thank you for the list, > Hilary. > Mrs. H I hope he enjoys his new treats. :o) >> On behalf of Gus-Gus (known formerly as Munchkin) thank you for the list, >> Hilary. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > :o) ====== So far some of the new suggestions have been a hit except for celery and popcorn and have ended up in his toilet if you know what I mean. The fuss-pot but he's so cute especially when he looks at you with those eyes letting me know he's ready to have a visit and a walk-about. Thanks again. Mrs. H > So far some of the new suggestions have been a hit except for celery and > popcorn and have ended up in his toilet if you know what I mean. > The fuss-pot but he's so cute especially when he looks at you with those > eyes letting me know he's ready to have a visit and a walk-about. > Thanks again. > Mrs. H Thats one of the things I love about hamsters. When they throw something into the loo with disgust, they make their feelings on the matter very clear. They definitely seem to have very personal tastes, just like us I suppose. :o) >> So far some of the new suggestions have been a hit except for celery and >> popcorn and have ended up in his toilet if you know what I mean. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > :o) ================ The other funny thing I've seen him do is when he is housecleaning - poop, seeds and other bits of treats he has stored for eating later are sent flying out the door of his domain. While I like most animals, dogs are my real passion so it really is a big surprise to see how much me, and the family have taken to this little fur-ball and I believe the feeling is mutual. He has made no attempt to bite, and he comes when called whether in his bed or in his wheel. I have cut down on the amount of carrots I give him and stopped the Craisins so can report that his urine has lightened up considerably. I reported in my first post that the condition of his fur concerned me - well I'm happy to say he is looking very good. It's long, a silky grey color with no baldy spots now - he loves to be brushed. We figured out why he was missing tufts of fur on his head and shoulders when we changed him to another bigger/ wheel with a shorter hub/stem - not sure what it's called - with the old wheel his fur would get caught up and pulled out when he used it. I don't know how old he is but we don't mind if he's going to be around for a while. Mrs. H |
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