What Does Hedgehog Pee Look Like? (Owner’s Guide)

Everybody pees! And that includes Hedgehogs. And, just like humans, Hedgehog urine can vary in color and consistency depending on their diet and hydration levels. But what about red pee? Or white pee? That can’t possibly be normal, can it?

A healthy Hedgehog’s urine is quite thicker than humans and is light yellowish in color. However, it may vary with changing factors. Consumption of certain food can lead to reddish urine. Pinkish urine stains indicate the presence of blood. If you have suspicions about your Hedgehog’s health, take them to a vet.

If you do not clean your Hedgehog’s cage timely, the urine build-up could lead to an unbearable smell. This, in turn, could make your pet fall sick.

As a responsible owner, you should check your Hedgehog’s pee regularly to detect health problems, if any.

What Does Healthy Hedgehog Pee Look Like?

The look of Hedgehog’s urine depends upon various factors. In general, a healthy Hedgehog’s urine is yellow in color.

However, if you are over serving your pet Hedgehog with calcium-rich food, then their pee might be unusually thin and cloudy. You must not ignore this.

If you notice any such thing, bring back your pet’s diet on track. Delay in treatment could lead to further health problems.

Sometimes Hedgehogs even pass red urine. Many owners often mistake it to be as blood, but this is not always true. The pigmentation from your pet’s bladder can even lead to reddish urine.

If you feel your little one is sick or unhealthy, you must visit a vet for medical advice.

Hedgehog Urine Chart

The color of a Hedgehog’s urine may vary from time to time. Sometimes, we even see changes in color every other day.

The following chart will help you understand different shades of your Hedgehogs urine:

ColorSignificance
Bright YellowIf your Hedgehog’s pee is yellow in color, there is nothing much to worry about. Yellowish pee is quite common in Hedgehogs. There should not be any problem until your pet eats and drinks well.
Milky/Cloudy YellowThis is mostly due to overconsumption of a calcium-rich diet. Consult a vet, if necessary.
ReddishMost owners often mistake red urine in Hedgehogs to be blood. However, the reddish urine may be due to some food. If you are suspicious about your Hedgehog’s health, visit a vet.
Pinkish-RedPinkish urine often indicates the presence of traces of blood in your Hedgehog’s urine. However, the pinkish color may also be due to the consumption of strawberries or cranberries.
BrownBrown urine indicates a defect in your Hedgehog’s liver. Deep brown indicates more reddish urine. Keep a check on their diet and water consumption. Visit a vet, if necessary.
OrangeIf your Hedgehog is dehydrated, then he will pass orangish-colored urine. Sometimes, the orangish color of the urine may be due to certain medications.
Transparent/WhitishIf your Hedgehog’s urine is clear or transparent, then it indicates that your little one is consuming too much water. Although water is essential for our Hedgehog, overdrinking may cause kidney problems in them.

Can Hedgehog’s Pee Be Cloudy?

Cloudy urine can be a matter of concern for Hedgehog owners.

If your Hedgehog is suffering from calcinuria, then it might release excessively thick and milky urine. If left untreated, it could lead to serious problems in our little ones.

The kidney is responsible for filtering excess calcium consumed by our pets. This excess calcium is passed through our Hedgehog’s pee, making it look cloudy.

Although Hedgehogs require a decent amount of calcium to keep their bones and teeth healthy and strong, we must avoid serving them food that has an excessive calcium content.

Furthermore, Hedgheogs often produce sludy urine when they are dehydrated. Lack of water in your pet’s body will make it difficult for them to pass urine.

Therefore, it is important to encourage your Hedgehog to drink more water.

How Do You Know If Your Hedgehor Has A UTI?

It is very common among Hedgehogs to suffer from Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) . Also, you must learn that both male and female Hedgehogs are susceptible to UTIs.

You must observe your Hedgehog intently to understand whether your pet is facing any troubles or not.

Most urinary infections can be treated without any worries. However, early detection is essential. Early detection can help to prevent serious infections in Hedgehogs.

What Causes UTI In Hedgehogs?

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in Hedgehogs is caused due to bacterial infection. Listed below are the cases for the same. Have a look at them:

  • Lazy Or Obese Hedgehog: If your pet Hedgehog is lazy and shows no interest in activities, then he would probably be obese. In most cases, obesity leads to UTIs in Hedgehogs.
  • A Diet Low In Fiber: It is very essential to feed your Hedgehog with a diet rich in fiber.
  • Stress & Anxiety: Stress often leads to UTIs in Haedgehog. An abrupt change in your pet’s daily routine can lead to stress in them, which in turn, can lead to UTI.
  • Overconsumption Of Calcium Or Other Vitamins: Overconsumption of any nutrient will cause more harm than good to our Hedgehogs. Therefore, it is essential to serve your pet a well-balanced diet.
  • Poor Living Conditions: If your Hedgehog lives in an unhygienic living condition, then there are high chances of bacterial build-up. Therefore, it is important to clean our pet’s cage timely.

Signs Of UTI In Hedgehogs

Symptoms of UTI can vary from Hedgehogs to Hedgehogs. However, there are few symptoms common in all. Let us have a look at them:

  • Excessively thick urine
  • Blood traces pass with urine
  • Hedgehog painfully squeaking or screaming while peeing
  • Your Hedgehog not being able to urinate even after several attempts

You must remember that signs of UTI are similar to that of bladder stones. Therefore, visiting a vet will give you a clear view of the situation.

How To Treat UTI In Hedgehogs?

If your Hedgehog has UTI, it is best to take a consultation from a vet. The vet will provide your pet with an antibiotic course.

You can also ask the vet from an ideal Hedgehog diet chart. Strictly following the chart will make your pet healthy in no time.

It is crucial to seek medical assistance delay in treatment could worsen your Hedgehog’s health.

Hedgehog Passing Blood In Urine?

It can be terrifying to find traces of blood in your Hedgehog’s urine. However, do not mistake the reddish urine of the Hedgehog to be bloody urine.

On the other hand, if the urine is pink in color then it might be a problem. In most cases, pink urine indicates that the Hedgehog is passing blood with urine in the diluted form.

Such situation can be life-threatening for our Hedgehogs. Therefore, it is very crucial to take your pet to the vet in such cases, without any delays.

There are several reasons due to which your Hedgehog might be passing blood in his urine. Some of the most common reasons are listed below:

  • Kidney disorders
  • Bladder stones
  • Overconsumption of food that is rich in calcium
  • Injury in their genitals
  • blood clots due to respiratory complications
  • Reproductive disorders
  • Diabetes
  • Cancer

Besides this, you will also see a significant change in your Hedgehog’s physical activities if there is a problem with their urinary routine.

In such cases, observe your Hedgehog intently to understand if he is suffering from any health complications. If your pet has a bloated stomach or any kind of swelling around the bladder, it could be a bladder stone.

Most vets will suggest an antibiotic course for a week or so. Doing the diagnosis will help you determine the exact cause for the same.

If the condition is serious, the vet may suggest surgery. In some cases, the blood transfusion might help if the Hedgehog has lost excess blood through urination.

Related Queries:

Do Hedgehogs Pee A Lot?

Every Hedgehog is different. Therefore, it is pretty difficult to specify a particular amount of pee for a Hedgehog.

In general, Hedgehogs pee a lot less than they poop. A Hedgehog can excrete for about hundreds of droppings each day.

You should not be worried if your little one is different from your other pets. However, it is important to understand that no Hedgehog should go for 24-30 hours without peeing.

If your pet Hedgehog does not eliminate within 24-30 hours, then you must take them to a vet.

Can Hedgehog Pee Kill You?

The misconception among the Hedgehog owners the their pet’s urine might kill them is totally untrue.

Hedgehog pee is completely safe for us to handle. However, it is still important to be cautious about the parasites that might be in the urine.

If you have a poor immunity power, then you must handle your pet’s urine with proper care. Also, try to not let the elderly and the kids of the house handle the urine.

Besides this, it is important to keep a regular check on your Hedgehog’s urine. If their urine looks unusually cloudy or milky, you should handle it with care.

Furthermore, the best idea would be best to consult a vet to avoid any health problems. Get your Hedgehog checked if you feel he is sick. The vet may prescribe an antibiotic treatment to cure the infection.

Why Does My Hedgehog Pee On Me?

The reason why your Hedgehog pees on you is because of feelings and emotions such as stress, fear and comfort when it is being handled.

Over time as your Hedgehog gets used to you the accidental poop should start to become less regular and then stop altogether.

However, you should not blame your Hedgehog for this behavior as this peeing behavior can be due to many internal and external factors as they do not wait to pee on you.

Why Does My Hedgehog’s Urine Smell So Bad?

Your Hedgehog’s pee can sometimes be extremly smelly. In general, the pungent smell is due to the improper maintenance of their cage or usage of below-standard bedding.

It is important to clean your Hedgehog’s cage once in a while. Not cleaning your pet’s cage timely will lead to the build-up of pee in the cage. This, in turn, might lead to a strong smell in and around the cage.

The fishy odor which you often smell near your Hedgehog’s cage is due to the ammonia build-up.

If your pet Hedgehog’s cage ever smells fishy, then it is an indication that the cage is not deep cleaned often or the bedding being used is not absorbing the pee.

It is crucial to set a routine to clean your Hedgehog’s cage.

If your Hedgehog’s pee smells even after following the correct clean-up routine and the correct bedding, then it can be a sign of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) or a bad diet.

Mohini

Hello, I am Mohini, the founder of this blog. I am a qualified Animal Nutrition. I am here to help everyone understand their pets better.

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