Is urine supposed to smell?

[alspeari]

I just got my first chinchilla on Wednesday. I've noticed that his urine has a pretty strong smell. I've read that chinchillas aren't supposed to have strong smelling urine. It looks normal, from what I've read.

 

[Hope]

I am a new owner too and have noticed strong smelling urine only when they have a new cage, hidey house or are playing in a new place. At first I was worried that I would be constantly cleaning the cage but now it's rare that I smell anything. I think they were territory-marking perhaps? I also read that they have a strong smell when afraid and I definately notice something if they get suprised by a sudden noise. Like roasted chestnuts or something...?

 

[AZChins]

Your chinchilla most likely has very concentrated urine right now. When a chin is stressed this can happen. You have had the chin for two days and chances are he hasn't been drinking a lot of water yet.

Urine smells no matter what animal it comes from. If you think that that is bad, you need to try another small animal...the chinchilla's urine isn't anything compared to a rabbit or maybe a guinea pig or a hamster.

The roasted chestnuts smell is the anal scent gland's musk smell...it's different from urine.

 

[alspeari]

Ok. I was thinking that it might be a stress problem. It seems that when under stress different symptoms show. Chinchillas are just so different from the other small animals that I've owned, that everything I notice I'm afraid there is a problem.

 

[AZChins]

If the chin is urinating and there's no blood or any indication of pain, then there isn't a problem. In a few days you will probably notice that the urine becomes more clear and more yellowish in color.