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I do love our guinea pigs, but I cleaned their cage earlier today and the amount of peeing they’ve done is insane for only two of them. Is this normal though? I had to do some research to find out.
So, how often should guinea pigs pee? – It is perfectly normal for a guinea pig to urinate frequently. Guinea pigs will urinate more often if given a large number of fruit and vegetables in order to get rid of excess water and vitamins.
A guinea pig peeing as though they’re trying to beat a world record is generally normal. The most likely reason for this is that they are needing to flush out excess water or vitamins. A balanced diet can reduce how much they pee, but it is normal for them to pee a lot.
But, what if your guinea pig isn’t peeing much at all?
Guinea Pig Not Peeing Much
A guinea pig that is not peeing much or at all is a genuine concern and something you should be on the lookout for.
If you notice this you should see an exotic vet as soon as possible. Some of the causes are minor and can be easily corrected, but others are far more serious and will require veterinary treatment. Don’t take the risk!
Infrequent urination is commonly caused by one of several things:
- Dehydration – If a guinea pig is not drinking enough water they will pee less frequently, and at the same time their urine will be more concentrated and powdery.
To prevent dehydration, ensure your guinea pigs water bottles are always full and that you provide daily servings of vegetables. You should also make sure that they are not overheating, so be extra cautious in hot weather.
- Bladder stones – A poor diet is usually the cause of bladder stones in guinea pigs. It can also be caused by a urinary tract infection (UTI) or excessive dehydration.
To prevent bladder stones you should first make every effort to keep your guinea pig hydrated. Secondly, you should give them a balanced diet of pellets, hay and a mix of fruits and vegetables.
A balanced diet per guinea pig consists of:
- 30-50g of pellets (about a handful)
- A constant supply of grass hay
- Small portions of vegetables (especially leafy greens)
- Fruit as a treat once every week or two
Different Types of Urine to Look Out For
The color and consistency of guinea pig urine is a good indicator of their health and is something you should keep an eye on. The four types of urine to look out for are:
- Clear to yellowish urine – This is normal and healthy. It may sometimes look cloudy but this is usually due to small amounts of calcium buildup.
- White and powdery – White urine that dries to be powdery is a sign of excessive calcium intake. If you notice this you should make changes to your guinea pigs’ diet as too much calcium can lead to and urinary infection and bladder stones.
- Orange or brownish when dry – This is usually not a health concern and is actually common in young male guinea pigs. But to be safe, make sure your guinea pig is getting a balanced diet.
- Pink to dark pink – This is again usually normal and often caused by too many foods such as beetroot, tomatoes, bananas and sometimes carrots. Consider whether your guinea pig is getting too many fruits and vegetables, change their diet if necessary, then see if their urine color changes.
- Red to dark red – This is serious and you should see a vet immediately. Red urine that goes dark brown when it dries means there is likely blood in the urine and may be caused by a serious infection or stones. Female guinea pigs do not bleed when menstruating so this won’t be the cause.
Tips For Reducing Cage Smell
I’d like to share some tips with you for reducing cage smell that I have learned from keeping our two guinea pigs. Our cage is located in our living room so we’ve always had to be extra diligent on keeping the smell under control.
1. Make a Kitchen Toilet
Yes, you did read that right – A kitchen that is also a toilet.
That old saying of “never poop where you eat” doesn’t really apply to guinea pigs. In fact, they straight up ignore it and will poop and pee everywhere. Some owners have even reported their guinea pigs relieving themselves into their food bowls. I’m thankful mine don’t do that.
But most often, guinea pigs pee and poop more where they sleep, and where they eat.
A guinea pig kitchen (above) is basically just an area in their cage where you place their water, food bowls and hay.
This area should be lined with absorbent bedding and is recommended to have a solid base to separate it from the rest of the cage. This means you can easily spot clean the cage by just scooping out the mess from the kitchen area.
2. Use Hideaways To Make Spot Cleaning Easier
For some reason, guinea pigs’ favorite toilet spot is usually where they sleep. I know that mine are particularly bad for this. As gross as this might seem though, it does create opportunity for easier cage cleaning and reducing cage smell.
Every owner knows that guinea pigs prefer to sleep and rest in some kind of hideaway, whether this be a plastic pigloo or a simple cardboard box.
Now if you were to have hideaways with their own bases to put separate absorbent bedding in, you can further isolate where your guinea pig will pee most often.
Combining this with the kitchen area that I mentioned above should make it much easier to spot clean and reduce cage smell.
3. Too Much Fruit & Veg Means More Pee
Guinea pigs go squeaking mad for fruit and vegetables, but too much will make them have to pee more often. This is because nearly all fruit and vegetables have a very high percentage of water content.
But your guinea pig isn’t going to care that they are taking in far more water than they need. All they care about is that juicy carrot you’ve just given them.
It is important to provide guinea pigs with vegetables but do so in moderation. Fruits should be given even more sparingly as they are often high in sugar.
4. Place Puppy Pads Under Fleece
Fleece is becoming a lot more popular of a bedding choice because it is more comfortable for guinea pigs, and is more cost-effective over time.
The problem with fleece though is that it makes the smell of urine more noticeable, particularly with the cheaper fleece options. This is because the least expensive fleece that most people use don’t have an odor control layer or waterproof back.
But you don’t have to go out and buy the more expensive fleece bedding. You can get a similar effect with some puppy pads placed under your fleece.
This is what we use at the moment and it’s definitely helped keep the smell down. We fully clean our boys’ cage 3 times a week and use about 12 puppy pads each week. This is kind of a lot but you can get a pack of 100 puppy pads on amazon at a good price.
5. Sows Before Boars (Males Stink More)
Unfortunately for myself and my partner who have two male guinea pigs, boars have more potent smelling urine.
If you’re still looking to get your first guinea pigs and you think the smell of urine will really bother you, it might be worth looking into getting sows rather than boars.
Related Questions:
Is guinea pig urine harmful to humans? – Generally, guinea pig urine will not cause any harm to humans. In very rare cases it may aid the transmission of a rare viral disease known as Lymphocytic choriomeningitis. Symptoms in humans are very similar to flu.
What color should guinea pig pee be? – A healthy guinea pig should produce urine that is white to yellowy-white in color. Normal urine color may also be brown or light pink, but be extra cautious if you notice these colorations. Refer back to my urine color list, and see a vet if in doubt.
Karl is the founder of Guinea Pig Pals – a blog about owning and caring for guinea pigs. Karl has helped take care of many guinea pigs throughout his life as they were a family-favorite pet. He now owns two rescue guinea pigs that he and his partner have nursed back to health. Using his experience and knowledge, he has created this blog to be a helpful resource for new and experienced guinea pig owners alike.