pink bedding

Charbeaner · 10-08-2019, 08:24 AM

So a few days ago we noticed our hamsters sleeping area was pink (the kleenex bits she was sleeping on were all pink tinged). We had given her a raspberry the day before so I thought nothing of it (assumed she had eaten it in her bed and made a mess) and I changed the bedding in that spot and all was good for a few days. Today though we woke up and her bedding is pink again and she has not had anything pink to eat since.

I am currently trying to find a vet to see her (the two vets in town only see cats and dogs and going to one of the out of town vets is going to take some serious schedule juggling today.) so while I try to get her in I thought I would see if anyone has any advice. Also not sure how hamster knowledgeable the vet will be so any info I can bring would help.

She is alert, and eating/drinking/pooping normally, and I can see no signs of blood or injury anywhere on her body so I am thinking it is coming from her urine? I currently have her in a small carrier on just kleenex to see if she pees red. Are they prone to stones or UTIs? Any other ideas on where it could be coming from?

Pebbles82 · 10-08-2019, 08:37 AM

It is possible she had pouched some of the raspberry and eaten it later, or hoarded it secretly and dragged it out again. As an aside, I tend not to give raspberries as they can be a bit acidic. Strawberries tend to go down well though!

Yes they can get urine infections, and female hamsters can also get uterine infections. Do you have a photo of the bedding? How much pink was there? And had it been pee'd on?

Good that you are getting a vet appointment. For now I would just observe and see if it stops, in case it was the raspberry. Check her pee area and see if that is pink or stained. Does she use a litter tray? If so you could put some toilet paper on top of that and check it.

As it's been a few days since the raspberry though, it might be an idea to have a vet check anyway. How old is she?

Charbeaner · 10-08-2019, 08:51 AM

Good to know about the acidicness, I doubt I will give another one after this anyways haha

There was quite a lot both times. I couldn't tell if the bedding had been peed on, it didn't seem like it but I'm just not sure. I saved it in a bag in case I needed it so I can post a picture if I can figure it out. It did look more pink than red too.

Her back end is completely clean, and she doesn't use a litter tray though we have tried

She hasn't peed yet in the little carrier, so still waiting to see what happens.

Charbeaner · 10-08-2019, 08:53 AM

Oh and not 100% sure on her age but she is somewhere between 3 and 6 months old.

AmityvilleHams · 10-08-2019, 08:55 AM

Actually strawberries and raspberries have fairly similar pH(which indicates acidity). I would not be concerned at all feeding reasonable amounts of either, and if we need to be concerned all of a sudden about feeding those we definitely must stop feeding apple as well then since it's even more acidic potentially!

I would keep an eye out on her urine and make sure she's definitely not peeing blood, but it's important to stay calm and not jump to the worst possible conclusion. A vet check from someone who at least has some level of hamster knowledge would be great, but if the vet you see mostly deals with dogs/cats and isn't too hamster knowledgeable they may not necessarily be the most helpful(even if they deal with other "exotics" or even general small animals, hamsters are different than rabbits for example).

It's also worth considering that foods whether artificially dyed or naturally high in pigments can impact the color of urine and waste in general, which can often lead to some terrifying poops and pees(mostly pees in hamster cases) even if nothing is wrong. It's hard to say how long after ingesting something this could cause red or even pink urine in any particular species though.

Charbeaner · 10-08-2019, 09:07 AM

Oh I never thought about it actually changing her urine colour too! I give all fruits and vegggies in moderation anyhow as I'm never sure which she will like. (she gets a reasonable amount but a variety)

Thank you both for your reassuring posts. Still waiting on a pee from her.

Pebbles82 · 10-08-2019, 09:08 AM

She is quite young then. Have you tried putting the litter tray in the place she normally pees? They will only use it if you put it in the right place! Is she a Syrian or a dwarf hamster? Syrians will usually use a litter tray if it's in the right place. Dwarf hamsters can pee in a number of places so it can be tricky.

I wouldn't leave her in the pet carrier for any length of time, that could stress her.

Charbeaner · 10-08-2019, 11:14 AM

She thankfully wasn’t in there too long before she finally peed and it was totally normal looking so she’s back in her cage.

So now I feel really really dumb, I am not sure why didn’t notice this before, (panicked and not thinking straight I guess). I pulled red bedding out and examined it more thoroughly and it wasn’t peed on and I sniffed it and it smells like strawberries. She must have had one stashed that I didn’t see before. I’m going to keep watching but I think she’s ok.

Thanks and sorry ☺️

flowerfairy · 10-08-2019, 12:16 PM

Always better to be safe than sorry. She is lucky to have such a vigilent caring care giver.

Charbeaner · 10-08-2019, 01:57 PM

Haha thanks, she is the love of my daughter's life and my daughter would be crushed if anything happened to her.