>From:    Alicia <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: green pee -- Pro plan
>I am replying to your post-- green tinte3d urine is a sure indication of
>urinary tract problems / infection.  Please take your ferret to the vet.
>Ferrets require food constantly... also it is
 
While Alicia makes a good point about a good quality food, our boy "Cedar"
(4yo MF Cinnamon colored sable) has had bouts of green tinted urine off and
on for about 3 years.  We feed him Iams Kitten Food and now Iams mixed with
Eukanuba Kitten Food plus he gets his 1-2 raisins and a few Cheerios a day
(I try to discourage my wife from giving too many treats - she likes to
spoil them).  He has never been painful on palpation, nor have we ever
caught him straining to urinate.
 
A year ago, I discussed his condition with one of my schoolmates who is now
a vet that is trying to specialize in ferret medicine and we came up with a
plan to try to increase his water consumption.  The result: we have had
fewer incidences of green urine since we switched to a water bowl in both
the cage (from a water bottle) and the kitchen (nothing) - both of which
are changed everyday.  The bottom line is that, at least in our case, I
think that the green urine was simply highly concentrated urine and not a
urinary tract infection.
 
This is not to say that this other case of green urine is not a sign of a
UTI or another problem, I simply don't know enough about this case.  My
recommendation would be that as long as there isn't any straining,
lethargy, in and out of the box action, pacing and can't get comfortable,
and that your ferret is on a good food that has a good source of animal
protein (eg.  Kitten or Ferret food) to try multiple water bowls (fresh
everyday) and see if there are any changes.  On the other hand, you can
never go wrong by consulting your regular vet and taking your ferret in for
a physical examination - especially if you are worried.
 
Again: make sure that your ferret is urinating, not straining, not in and
out of the box multiple (say greater than 4 or 5 times in 10 minutes), not
lethargic (more than a normal ferret) and if you have any indication that
your ferret isn't urinating in a 24 hour period, take him immediately to
the vet as you may have an emergency.
 
**On an aside, we noticed Cedar's green tinted urine one day when my wife
was wearing a white T-shirt, picked him up right after he had urinated and
ended up with a big green spot on her shirt - that was good for a couple of
chuckles.
 
******************************
Sean D. Sawyer V'00
University of Pennsylvania
School of Veterinary Medicine
SCAVMA Treasurer
 
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[Posted in FML issue 2598]