Anyone with pet rat experience!?

Question

My rats are almost a year old. Should they have dark urine? What does that mean?

Answer 1

Using this link as a reference
http://www.iwsinc.net/igc/yellow3.html
The normal color of a rat's urine is the same color as the yellow square, bottom row, second from the right. It may be darker or lighter throughout the day depending on how much water the rat has been drinking. Water consumption of a rat is about 1 ounce a day. Rats do drink more water then other rodents.

An indication of dehydration, or kidney disease, is a dark yellow to orange, concentrated urine if the rat is not peeing enough, or clear, if the rat is peeing too much.

Bladder infection results in blood in the urine and depending on how much blood there is, the urine will be pink to brownish-red.

See more about dark urine at Rat Guide
http://ratguide.com/health/figures/urinary_tract_infections_figure_1.php
http://ratguide.com/health/urinary_renal/hematuria.php

spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"

Answer 2

Sometimes feeder rats are fine. The mice typically aren't. The difference between feeder and pet rats/mice is more in amount of handling than anything else. The pet rats are handled more as they are developing to get them better associated with humans. But if the rat is young enough then you may be okay. And I recommend a rat over mice any day. Do not use an aquarium, period. Auariums hold in moisture and reduce air flow, causing health issues. The best is an rabbit or rodent cage. Make sure the bars are closely spaced. The size of the cage is dependent on how you are going to treat them. If they are going to be in there most of the time, get a larger one. If you are going to train them for shoulders or pockets or being out, then a smaller one is fine. Rats are very trainable and intelligent creatures. Rats can also be trained to use a litter box and would suggest doing so. Care should also be taken as to having two of them. They are not quite as bad as hamsters, but fighting can get pretty bad and one could potentially kill the other. Just watch them.

Answer 3

My best answer to you is to ake them to a vetrinarian. We used to have a rat and I don't recall him ever having dark urine. But this has been a long time ago. Call around to the local vet clinics and ask which one has the most experience with rats and take him there to get checked out. It might be nothing at all, but I don't know. Maybe rats can get Urinary tract infections or you could be feeding them something they are not used to.

Answer 4

Animals urine can change in color just as humans urine does, for a variety of reasons. Reaction to change in nesting material or food if you've switched lately? Are they REALLY drinking all their water or is their water bottle leaking out before they get enough water? Or is it clogged up so they're not getting enough? If it's not those things & their behavior changes, like they sleep more, eat, drink & play less, they might have a urinary infection or some other rodent related condition & you probably should call your vet.

Answer 5

Most likely they are just dehydrated. Check to see that they have enough water. Also, it might depend on what they are eating. My rats had different color urine occasionally. It does not necessarily mean that there is something wrong, but if you are worried then see a vet.

Answer 6

Take them to the vet. Dark urine is not normal.

Answer 7

Dark urine may mean there is blood in the urine. I would say get him checked out to make sure everything is ok.

Answer 8

as long as you are giving them water they should be fine, my daughter has two dumbo eared rats,

Answer 9

I don't know??