Pink reddish urine

[squirrelfairy]

Good morning all, it’s been a long time since I have been here !
Nugget is around 4.5 years old and today had some very noticeable red/pink urine, I was able to get a sample and bring to work (vet office) and ran the urine, no blood, so I am wondering if this is somewhat normal? I have seen him have dark urine before.
He has no toys that have coloring, he has had some acorns, so I am thinking that might be it. He is crazy and nutty this morning, in his autumn burying phase.
Thanks for your thoughts!

[CritterMom]

It is absolutely the acorns - the tannin in them changes the urine color dramatically.

Be very, very careful with acorns. Like chestnuts, they are a "wet" nut - cut one open and the meat looks a lot like a water chestnut. That wet meat grows all sorts of molds and fungi REALLY fast and it is not noticable at all from the outside. Captive squirrels don't have 100 million acorns to pick from; they only have the few you give which makes them very precious, and they will eat things a wild would toss in a second. It can make them very ill. Honestly, I have all sorts of oaks on my property and there are years where I have to haul the acorns away in wheelbarrows, but I don't feed them to my guys.

[squirrelfairy]

Yes of course thank you, duly noted, will keep the acorns to a bare minimum and be very careful!

[rhianne]

Hi, my girl Matilda has had a weird reddish/pink tinge to her urine as well, but she’s never had an acorn! Does anybody know something else it could be?