White urine residue (I think); Is this an issue?

[SilverCookieDust]

My gerbils (2x male; ~2mths old) have cardboard laid over the mesh shelf section of the enclosure. They have a sandbath there, but mostly use it as a toilet, but also poop straight on the cardboad sometimes, and because the water bottle is also over it, I do change it at least twice a week.

In the last few days, I've noticed a white stain on the cardboard, in small patches, which I assume is urine. I've also noticed half the poop is a beige colour instead of brown. Is this an indication of some illness and should I get them to a vet? Or just a dietry issue I need to fix? (On regular dry food, but I haven't given them as much veg as I probably should, just a little broccoli and brussel sprouts.)

[LilyandDaisy]

I think if this is a new thing it's definitely worth keeping an eye on. I would consider whether they had any dietary changes recently that could have caused, but otherwise keep a close eye out for any signs of illness. New residue in urine could be a sign of a kidney or bladder issue and a change in poop colour can be a sign of a digestive or kidney issue.

I would put each gerbil individually into an empty carrier or container and wait for them to pee and poo, so you can check for any other obvious issues and also find out which gerbil it is (or both).

I don't think a vet visit is ever a bad idea when something doesn't seem right, but they often can't tell much when a gerbil appears well externally. X-rays can give much more information including likely early signs of illness but due to the risks involved with sedation and the expense, vets and owners tend not to want to do those unless a gerbil is definitely ill.

[betty]

As suggested above by LilyandDaisy - a sudden change in both urine and poop could well indicate an issue either with something in their environment - usually food - or the way they are biologically processing something they have eaten.

Either way - I second the individual stints in an empty carrier with only a sheet of plain kitchen roll in the bottom to see who is creating this poop and pee - as if it is just one - it would point more to health, and if it was both - more to environment.

Do keep us updated though either way...

[SilverCookieDust]

I seperated them, and both passed normal looking urine and poop. It makes me wonder if perhaps it's just small amounts of sand mixed in that's discolouring it in the enclosure. Either way, I'll continue to keep an eye on them. Thank you for your replies.

[Markpd]

One thing about X-rays, these can be done with the gerbils put under with gas (I've no idea which). This is what Avon was put under with, and apparently it's much safer than regular anaesthetic.