Opo's urine smells????

[Ray--Opo]

Hey everyone, Opo has coverted from peeing and pooping in his pool to going on the ground.
Lately he does it in his nightbox sometimes.
The box is 1/2 in. plywood, 1 1/2 foam insulation and then the bottom and sides 6 in. up are formica. The box is 2'x 2' with a 18" x 18" Kane mat.
I had it all caulked around the bottom but Opo's scratching has pretty much eliminated it. So now the pee soaks thru. I have a tray under and caster wheels on the box. So the bottom dosen't get wet from the outside.
Anyways after all that. Lately when he pees there is a awful smell. The pee is discolored also.
Rose always cleans the box really well.
I don't know if the smell is coming from the box.Maybe the foam and plywood are saturated and it gets worse when wet.
Or Opo has something wrong with his kidneys. His pee never had a real bad smell before.
Any advice would be great.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Lots of dandelion will make his pee orange.

I would let him out on the grass for a while right after a soak. After he walks around a while, try (this is where it gets hard) to catch some pee when he lets it loose. Smell the pee, and try to get a whiff of him. If you manage to pull this off, at least you would know where it's coming from.

Any chance a male cat has been coming around? That pee smells awful!

Let me know when you're going to try my suggestion...I'm coming to watch! ??

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Has he been eating asparagus?......

 

[vladimir]

Vlad's pee smells pretty awful when he goes in his box as well. He's taken to doing that lately, so I've added coco coir in the night box which soaks up the urine into clumps that you can remove easier.

I think diet plays a role in the scent as well. Just a suspicion.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Yep, same here... more bodily function displays. Must be Springtime. More dandelion & lots of hydration.

 

[Bambam1989]

I've noticed that Clunkers pee smells quite horrible if he eats to much food from the brassica family. Extra succulents/cactus seems to flush the smell out

 

[Ray--Opo]

Lots of dandelion will make his pee orange.

I would let him out on the grass for a while right after a soak. After he walks around a while, try (this is where it gets hard) to catch some pee when he lets it loose. Smell the pee, and try to get a whiff of him. If you manage to pull this off, at least you would know where it's coming from.

Any chance a male cat has been coming around? That pee smells awful!

Let me know when you're going to try my suggestion...I'm coming to watch! ??

Thanks Karen, I did a smell test with some of the pee on the formica this morning. Didn't really have a smell and I wiped it on some paper towel with not much discoloration. Of course I had to do it 3 times (washing hands in between) the last test came up with a little smell. So of course I am not at ease. I am thinking the discoloration on the tray underneath. Might be when the pee leaching thru and getting discolored from what's collected in the gaps.
No cats the screen porch doors are closed at night and we don't own any.
What we do for these tortoises!????

 

[jeneliza]

Thanks Karen, I did a smell test with some of the pee on the formica this morning. Didn't really have a smell and I wiped it on some paper towel with not much discoloration. Of course I had to do it 3 times (washing hands in between) the last test came up with a little smell. So of course I am not at ease. I am thinking the discoloration on the tray underneath. Might be when the pee leaching thru and getting discolored from what's collected in the gaps.
No cats the screen porch doors are closed at night and we don't own any.
What we do for these tortoises!????
[/QU (I can't help this,, forgive my weird Sense of humor) but I got a visual of you smelling the pee, after reading this, wow, ??

 

[Ray--Opo]

Has he been eating asparagus?......

Nope, I wonder if asparagus has the same affect as humans?

 

[Ray--Opo]

3 times ? Now I have to follow Opo around after a soak and see if he pees. So I can do it again. LOL

 

[Ray--Opo]

I've noticed that Clunkers pee smells quite horrible if he eats to much food from the brassica family. Extra succulents/cactus seems to flush the smell out

I will research brassica plants and see if that is the cause. I am hoping the night box is the problem. It's time for a much bigger night box for Opo anyway.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Vlad's pee smells pretty awful when he goes in his box as well. He's taken to doing that lately, so I've added coco coir in the night box which soaks up the urine into clumps that you can remove easier.

I think diet plays a role in the scent as well. Just a suspicion.

I haven't much room to put coco coir in. The mat takes up most the room.
It's time for a bigger hide. This hide was really just for last winter. Its good to hear other members experience this. I had read on a thread a long time ago. That the urine shouldn't smell. That's what was worrying me.

 

[jeneliza]

I haven't much room to put coco coir in. The mat takes up most the room.
It's time for a bigger hide. This hide was really just for last winter. Its good to hear other members experience this. I had read on a thread a long time ago. That the urine shouldn't smell. That's what was worrying me.
[/QUO I use this as well, it works out great for the pee, and it's easier to remove, but mine is indoors, so cleaning is a must, but it also pricey to do alot, so easily removed wastes makes it last longer between cleans helps alot

 

[vladimir]

I haven't much room to put coco coir in. The mat takes up most the room.
It's time for a bigger hide. This hide was really just for last winter. Its good to hear other members experience this. I had read on a thread a long time ago. That the urine shouldn't smell. That's what was worrying me.

Yep, this is in Vlad's indoor box, which is heated with a mini oil filled radiator, so the floor is available to add substrate in there.