Help!! My Squirrel when peeing is a redish Orange Color!!

[Michelle1]

Hi I have a year an five month foxer squirrel he has been scenting I believe do to the time. But his pee looks redish orange. I was wondering if he might have a urine track infection. He is very active and eats very good for me he not sluggish. He will pee and rub his cheeks on stuff when he is out I think when they rub their cheeks he is trying to scent as well. This is what made me think he just was scenting. So I am confused by the color of pee. Is it possible that this is normal color for squirrel pee? Normally he potties in his cage so you cant really see color due to the colored bedding. If someone could please tell me if this is normal or if he might have a urine track infection.
Thanks

[SammysMom]

Is he by chance eating acorns? If I am not mistaken others here had the same sort of discolored urine with males who were at "that stage". Someone more informed will be along soon!

[Michelle1]

Hi No he hasnt had any acorns. I give him two- three henris healthy blocks, fresh veggies, a few fruits and 2-3 unshelled nuts a day. I do sprinkle vitimins, and a little calcuim powder over his veggies because he picks at his blocks and he wastes quite a bit of it he is a very picky eater. So I was concerned he isnt getting enough calcium so I sprinkle half a tea spoon on veggies. For snacks I will give him either punkin seeds, pine nuts stuff like that. Im just concerned that he might have a UT Infection. Thanks for emailing back about this so quick.

[CritterMom]

Any number of things can bring on reddish pee. I would monitor it over the next few days.

If your squirrel is eating anywhere near two of the HHBs per day and consuming them, stop adding calcium to the veggies. I have no idea what strength calcium you are sprinkling; what I buy has the entire requirement per day in 1/4 teaspoon. Too much calcium is NOT GOOD and it will cause problems with kidney stones.

[Michelle1]

Hi thanks for replying to my concern it is glider cal says Calcium carbonate 96.5% Magnesium carbonate 3.5%on package. I get it at www.exoticnutrition.com store online. He seems to waste a lot of the the henris blocks which is why i add a little calcum powder to veggies.I was so worried that he would have calcuim deficency thats why i did that. So I shouldnt add this then? Even if he doesnt seem to eat all his HH blocks?

[SammysMom]

What about FV boo balls CM?

[Michelle1]

Hi thanks for replying to my post. Is there certain syptoms he could have if it is a UT infection that I should be looking for? Is the redish orange pee a sign of UT infection? Is there anything that I can give him to help flush his kidneys out to help?

[SammysMom]

Blood in urine is, but it may not be blood. Is he peeing a normal amt or straining when he is going? Does he seem otherwise normal?

[Michelle1]

Hi I am not familar with what FV boo balls are? Is that another block similar to Henris healthy blocks?

[SammysMom]

Here is the recipe and instructions (it is equal amounts of powdered rodent block, FV dry formula, crushed pecans):
FV is Fox Valley formula.

50 grams rodent block (crushed to a fine powder) I use two (25 grams each) , Kaytee Forti-diet and Harlan Teklad 2014 or 2018.

50 grams powdered Fox Valley squirrel formula

50 grams crushed pecans

Mix ingredients together.

Mix organic baby food fruit (100 grams) and 20 grams Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil together and warm for 20 seconds in the microwave. Add this wet mixture to your dry ingredients until well blended. It will seem very wet. (I use Earth's Best Organic Apples & Plums).

Put in the refrigerator for 5 hours (Overnight is even better). This lets it set up. It softens/moistens the rodent block and dissolves the FV.

Once you are ready to serve it take out about a 1/2 tsp (5 grams) of the mixture and roll is in your hands but not so much that it will melt the coconut oil. Give it to your squirrel. This recipe feeds two squirrels for about a week.

[Michelle1]

He seems to be otherwise normal he just pees and it is redish orange color. It is like he is scenting when he is out he smells and then pees and kinda just rubs his cheeks on things. He doesnt seem to be straining he just pees in certain areas as he is running around. He started acting different in he stays closer to his cage and will play in cage and I have cage door open for him to come out. He will come out for a little bit and go back to cage and repeat this the whole time I have cage door open until I close cage door. I thought it to be wierd, but didnt know why he started to did this. He shuffles in cage and runs up and down it like crazy having a good time boucing around and he will pee in different areas when he is out. Normally when I open cage for him to come out and play he runs out and doesnt want to go back in. But not recently so I thought it possibly might have to do with scenting.

[CritterMom]

HHBs are formulated differently than other rodent blocks. They are higher in calcium because they are intended to be fed in conjunction with additional healthy foods. Though they are healthy in other ways, many of those healthy foods are quite high in phosphorus. Since you are shooting for a 2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the diet, the additional calcium in the HHBs offsets the high phosphorus amounts in otherwise healthy foods (feel free to jump in here if I am hamhanding this, Leigh). Other rodent blocks are designed as a complete diet - only those, no veggies, no fruit, no nuts, nothing but blocks. Adding other foods to that diet skews the calcium:phosphorus ratio.

So, You say you feed 3 and he crumbles them. If you are pretty sure he is consuming close to two blocks total, which is the recommended feeding amount for HHBs then do not provide further calcium supplementation. You are providing what your squirrel needs.

[Michelle1]

Hi thanks for the recipe I will have to try it see if he likes it.

[Michelle1]

Hi where can I buy the ingredients? The recipe says 50 grams rodent block (crushed to a fine powder).So what brand of rodent block crushed does it matter which kind I use.
Also you wrote :I use two (25 grams each) , Kaytee Forti-diet and Harlan Teklad 2014 or 218.
Where can I buy this stuff?

[I Love Lucy]

There are many foods that can cause reddish orange urine. Kale and other green leafy veggies can. Also too much calcium can cause hypercalciuria which shows itself with reddish/orange urine. Too much calcium can be as dangerous as not enough. To check if there is blood present in the urine, pour peroxide over it.

[Michelle1]

Hi thanks for replying to my post. When I pour perioxide over it what should I see If it is blood? Or if it isnt blood what should I see?

[astra]

Hi thanks for replying to my post. When I pour perioxide over it what should I see If it is blood? Or if it isnt blood what should I see?
i think it should bubble if it's blood.
Also, for the Boo Balls you can use pretty much any rodent block or a mix of rodent blocks.

[Michelle1]

Ok thanks I will test it to see if it is blood. Thanks for replying back.

[Skul]

Just a thought.
If you try the peroxide, be sure to do a control spot check.
In other words, put some on a place where he has not gone potty.
An inch or two away from the urine stain would probably work.

[4skwerlz]

HHBs are formulated differently than other rodent blocks. They are higher in calcium because they are intended to be fed in conjunction with additional healthy foods. Though they are healthy in other ways, many of those healthy foods are quite high in phosphorus. Since you are shooting for a 2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the diet, the additional calcium in the HHBs offsets the high phosphorus amounts in otherwise healthy foods (feel free to jump in here if I am hamhanding this, Leigh). Other rodent blocks are designed as a complete diet - only those, no veggies, no fruit, no nuts, nothing but blocks. Adding other foods to that diet skews the calcium:phosphorus ratio.

So, You say you feed 3 and he crumbles them. If you are pretty sure he is consuming close to two blocks total, which is the recommended feeding amount for HHBs then do not provide further calcium supplementation. You are providing what your squirrel needs.

That's right. As long as your squirrel is eating some of the HHBs every day, I wouldn't worry. And definitely do not add any extra calcium or vitamins. It's normal for them to crumble and waste part of the HHB. They pretty much all do that, and seem to do fine. They really seem to know how much they need.

You might try cutting the HHB in half to reduce waste. Some squirrels prefer a smaller size.

If he's already eating HHBs plain (even though crumbling), then there is no need to mix them with other ingredients, which can unbalance the nutrition, and all the extra fat can block calcium.

[Michelle1]

Hi thanks for all your advice everyone. I checked his pee this morning to check for blood no bubbling thank goodness.so it must just be all the veggies he is eating.