Hi. I am a new chin mom for about a week. A few days ago, I decided to switch to fleece lining when I got the FN cage (I used aspen shaving before in a smaller cage when I first got Candy). Very quickly, I started smelling urine from the cage and recently on Candy as well. Then last night, I noticed that she's got something that looks like urine stain on her bottom part (yellow/orangish color) when she stood up. She also licks that area occasionally. I am hoping it's just simple urine stain (she is not pottery trained yet and is only 11 weeks old), but I am concerned about the fact that she smells a bit (again, could be b/c of urine on her). She still eats and plays. Should I be concerned about possible urinary tract infection/kidney stone, etc.? How can I get rid of the stain on her fur? She's so young and new and we are just beginning to bond so she wouldn't let me pet her much, let alone hold her (it's very hard to catch her w/t scaring her off too) so it may be hard for me to wipe it off her. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Urine stain on fur
- Thread starter hqt5009
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Before I jump to the conclusion of being an illness or infection I would first look at the fleece itself.
-How often are you cleaning it? If the chin isn't pee trained it needs to be cleaned at least a couple times a week, some people even need to change it daily. Some chins pee more then others, and some just have smellier pee then others.
-What are you using to wash the fleece? If you are using laundry detergent and/or fabric softener the fleece will not be absorbent so the pee will puddle. If the chin pees and sits in it they will get pee on their butt, I'm guessing being so fluffy they might not feel the pee puddle under them. It's best to just use vinegar in the wash no detergent, and no fabric soften in the dryer.
-How many layers of fleece are you using and is the middle layer fleece or something else? You need 3 layers to be effective at absorbing the pee, top layer that should dry soon after the pee soaks though, a middle layer were the pee gets soaked into, and the bottom layer so the pee doesn't get to the pan below if it soaks though the middle layer too.
If she is already peeing in one spot, try putting a pan full of shavings there, some chins take to potty training quickly. Others, like mine, don't pee in one spot, so I gave up. Potty training one that doesn't pee in one spot is possible, but takes time.
To clean her off you can try using unscented organic wet wipes, and dust baths. Once the reason for the staining is gone dust baths alone will get rid of the staining over time though. Mix some (about a tablespoon) cornstarch into the bath dust will help get the area white again.
If she does start having more symptoms of an issue like if she gets lethargic, or suddenly starts drinking a lot, or stops drinking or eating, or smells like something other then just pee, or there is blood, get her to the vet.
-How often are you cleaning it? If the chin isn't pee trained it needs to be cleaned at least a couple times a week, some people even need to change it daily. Some chins pee more then others, and some just have smellier pee then others.
-What are you using to wash the fleece? If you are using laundry detergent and/or fabric softener the fleece will not be absorbent so the pee will puddle. If the chin pees and sits in it they will get pee on their butt, I'm guessing being so fluffy they might not feel the pee puddle under them. It's best to just use vinegar in the wash no detergent, and no fabric soften in the dryer.
-How many layers of fleece are you using and is the middle layer fleece or something else? You need 3 layers to be effective at absorbing the pee, top layer that should dry soon after the pee soaks though, a middle layer were the pee gets soaked into, and the bottom layer so the pee doesn't get to the pan below if it soaks though the middle layer too.
If she is already peeing in one spot, try putting a pan full of shavings there, some chins take to potty training quickly. Others, like mine, don't pee in one spot, so I gave up. Potty training one that doesn't pee in one spot is possible, but takes time.
To clean her off you can try using unscented organic wet wipes, and dust baths. Once the reason for the staining is gone dust baths alone will get rid of the staining over time though. Mix some (about a tablespoon) cornstarch into the bath dust will help get the area white again.
If she does start having more symptoms of an issue like if she gets lethargic, or suddenly starts drinking a lot, or stops drinking or eating, or smells like something other then just pee, or there is blood, get her to the vet.
The fleece that I used was just 1 layer so that's probably why the pee would stain on her. I am having customized fleece liners with 3 layers (1 extra absorbent pad in b/t) coming in tomorrow so hopefully that will help resolve the smell and stain problem.
I did change the fleece last night and put a litter box in her most frequently pees spot (but I think whenever I put anything in a container, including shaving, she just thinks it's food and eats there so I am not sure if she will pee there).
I also tried using baby wipes to wipe if off her but since I was not able to hold her for long, it didn't remove the stain. I also gave her dust bath with cornstarch in it but am still seeing the urine stain on fur afterward. Hopefully the stain will be gone in time. I managed to take photos of the stain when she was standing up. Hope someone can take a look and see whether this looks just like a simple urine stain or something else. Thank you!
I did change the fleece last night and put a litter box in her most frequently pees spot (but I think whenever I put anything in a container, including shaving, she just thinks it's food and eats there so I am not sure if she will pee there).
I also tried using baby wipes to wipe if off her but since I was not able to hold her for long, it didn't remove the stain. I also gave her dust bath with cornstarch in it but am still seeing the urine stain on fur afterward. Hopefully the stain will be gone in time. I managed to take photos of the stain when she was standing up. Hope someone can take a look and see whether this looks just like a simple urine stain or something else. Thank you!
The staining isn't going to come off with one bath, that is why I said "over time", like over the course multiple baths over the weeks. Each bath will lighten the staining a bit more until it's gone. The wipes would just get rid of any actual pee still on the fur, not the staining itself.
