[Gpdd] HEALTH:dark colored urine

[mtjaffe at verizon.net]

I'm sharing with the lists some information provided by my vet.  I know this question has come up a number of times -- both from stone-piggy and non-stone-piggy ownsers. Hope this is helpful to anyone concerned about this issue. His reply about dark-colored urine is below:

GP's normally have a lot of crystals in there urine as a reflexion of
calcium content and this can make it look colored when combined with
natural pigments in their food, usually the color is yellow to a tan or
orange color, the tan/orange color is sometimes mistaken for blood,
especially when it is seen already dry on bleached paper or paper towel
material as the rxn with these materials can make it look a bit more
red.  The colors are not always just a factor of the foods they are
eating although some foods like carrots can make a orange urine color.
If I remember correctly bacterial processing of the food in the GI tract
can produce various pigments that can then be absorbed and secreted,
this can explain changes in pigmentation when the food does not change.
Sometimes owners report changes in urine color after antibiotic
treatment is started or finished.  Hope this helps.




>From: <merle.jaffe at thomson.com>
>To: <exoticsdoc at hotmail.com>
>Subject: Question on dark colored urine
>Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 10:01:21 -0400
>
>Dr. Boutette:  when I was in for Lucky's (guinea pig) check-up on 
>October 10th, I was so thrilled that the x-ray showed no stones that I 
>forgot to pursue the question of why he occasionally has dark-colored 
>urine.  The color (on a light cloth or in the corner of his cage) is 
>"reddish-brownish", which looks to me like old blood. You mentioned it 
>might be something else (I can't remember what you said) but I had the 
>sense that it might be related to something he is eating .  Could you 
>shed any light on this?
>
>Many thanks,
>Merle Jaffe