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190885 tn?1333025891

color of urine on snow

well i've wanted to ask this question for a long time but keep forgeting it...now i know eatting beets or drinking dyes like strong teas can make urine color different then normal looking....this isn't about that...so i have to start this question with a little background....about 10 years ago i noticed that many times when i urinated on snow and looked at it about an hour later it would turn redish in color...sometimes more red then other times..this botherd me and then i noticed that folks that drink alcohol also had the same going on some of the time...well i also was drinking too much back then but not loads ...please understand that the color of the urine on the snow looks normal for about an hour.then turns redish...so today while tracking deer i went back on my own tracks and sure enough noticed my urine had tured a light redish color..i don't drink at all....don't take anything...eat pretty good stuff..but of course have a kind of bad liver... i also forgot to bring anything to eat and got exhusted..thought i might be in trouble but then i ran into my son and he had a gronola bar so that seemed to keep the hypoglycemia undert control...this hep c really is a drag ...anyway ...does anyone know what this redish urine in the snow is???and why in water it doesn't turn redish in time????thanks...billy..
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The color is likely either hemoglobin - from hemolysis but , in  a setting of HCV, with the possibility of immune complexes circulating and causing a low grade chronic  myositis it might also be myoglobin.
Copymans suggestion of the Urine test strips is a good one, it will exclude the hemoglobinuria. If thats what you have, it needs follow up and clarification.  The possibility of myoglobinuria can be tested by sending in the urine for a myoglobin level. Your doc might ask you " why do you want to do this, there is no consequence". True, except if the myoglobin level is the reason and typically raised above normal and does reflect low grade myositis - it is something to be aware of, avoid excessive muscle work, and should it ever become excessive ( the dark urine) , to got to the ER to be treated with fluid intake to avoid kidney damage by tubules clogged with myoglobin.Or, if you are in the wilderniss of the yukon territory and cannot reach the ER, at least trink a large volume of water with some salt yourself in this case...
Helpful - 0
190885 tn?1333025891
i did get lots of tests done this year....i was told everything was fine ...i didn't do as good as you on the bx but still did pretty well...stage 1 to 2...grade 2...and had tons of blood work....i will say today my youngest son said he took a leak on the snow and on the way back from hunting about an hour later it did change color a little bit...thanks...billy
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Avatar universal
if you do not want to go to doc to have a blood & urine test then why not go to the pharmacy and get urine test strips. these strips test 10 things including blood in urine. you can get them from CVS but they may have to order them for next day. the brand is "bayer multi-stix 10 sg"
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212705 tn?1221620650
lol
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315996 tn?1429054229
I just remembered that your kids aren't HCV positive so that would be the other "arm" of the blind test, heh heh I'm learning the lingo.

I will honestly try to do what you request.
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315996 tn?1429054229
I saw on another thread that you have 7 kids. Man, what a breeder. No wonder you need all the venison. A lot of mouths to feed. Any chance you could ask one of them to pee in the snow?

Seriously, I promise when I go skiing I will figure out a way to stop off trail and write my name in the snow and come back 1-2 hours later. I'm as curious as you. I'm not on treatment however. If my skis rust up I'm blaming you. . . . .
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212705 tn?1221620650
....they complain enough' to the powers that be" about me not pickin' up after my dog.....j/k
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212705 tn?1221620650
I'm doin' ok, thanks. Sounds like lovely country..why not take some pics and put 'em on your profile. I must admit to thinkin'..yea, Frank Zappa/Title m'self. Peg/Riba minds think alike?
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212705 tn?1221620650
I think I'll leave the experimenting to others...my neighbors would call the "Padded Wagon", if I were to try this...........

Keep us posted.
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190885 tn?1333025891
looks like theres lots of snow around the country now....maybe some of you folks could try this experiment out....i still think poor liver fuction might have something to do with the redish color...it takes about an hour or two to turn color......thanks...billy
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315996 tn?1429054229
mommy, where's Bambi?
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Avatar universal
"we have lot's of deer,turkeys and trees.....and muskrat,beaver,owls,bobcats,linxs,coyotes, otter,fisher,pine marten,hawks,eagles,peregrine falcon,bear,partridge,spruce grouse,geese.."

and a partridge and a pear tree.... ; ]
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Avatar universal
frank zappa,canned venison and blood onthe tracks!...we r covering alot of territory folks.
ladywhy- it was the same venison-but my share did increase after the masonry mission-haw.!..you are paying attention and i was playin fast&loose with just the facts,mam(hope you are holding up well to trx drugs...)......besides which my vehicle 'pow' did some serious damage to my '93 ford f-250 ......it's a well maintained 4x4 diesel ...just had it painted last yr!!!!.....i live 1 mile north of the blueline in Adirondak mountains...we have lot's of deer,turkeys and trees.....and muskrat,beaver,owls,bobcats,linxs,coyotes, otter,fisher,pine marten,hawks,eagles,peregrine falcon,bear,partridge,spruce grouse,geese..i have watched all of these animals,my kinda counting coup,as.i do not shoot any of them!!
working dog-i have red heeler/ aussie cattle dog who does no work ,but was born ready...for eating purposes i would rather have a doe-can't eat them horns-but we do have lot's of magnificient racked bucks hereabouts...as to urine color,i have noticed changes from vitamins,of course, and also when i am just not drinking enuff -WATER-......but it tends toward yellow,brown....
viaduk-we are on the same page.......
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Avatar universal
"don't eat yellow snow-out there where the huskys go"
______________________________________________________

I also thought of that Frank Zappa song as soon as I saw the title of this thread
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150807 tn?1194955315
Damn lucky you....way down here we have no snow to **** on lol.
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190885 tn?1333025891
thanks folks this was a question i've been wondering about for a long time....the red blood cells breaking down is something to ask more about...i wonder if hep c or drinking alcohol increses the rate of red blood cells breaking down...interesting....as far as appearing to have a red tint well i'll look into that but i do know it's more then that a lot of the time...maybe something to do with too much or to little sugar in the urine...i did have a lot of tests done this year on my blood and they weren't that bad at least thats what i was told....and beamishboy...we track for miles after big deer...we track deer tracks that you can place a 30.06 shell across the width of...its vast up here with lots of woods ...many thousands of acres....now with the gps its much safer out there..and the handle is because i have working line german shepherds....thanks again....billy
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212705 tn?1221620650
did i get the adrenalin pumpin? The ole ticker up a notch?..? Kicked in those endorphins? Just the reaction I was goin' for... ; }

needs a lil work..........
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Avatar universal

Jeez, though, those were two scary stories.  "Go around a bend and POW!"  I jumped right outta my chair. ; ]
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212705 tn?1221620650
this story doesn't belong on either side...forgive me for gettin' carried away.........
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Avatar universal
Hi,

I came across an article titled Red Urine by Dr. Steven M. Parish.  Here's a quote from the article.  

  "When animals urinate on snow, it often appears to have a red tint. However, this is a false impression due to the white background and light reflection. Also, on rare occasion, certain drugs or medicines can cause the urine to appear darker or red. Red urine during winter months can also be due to drinking cold water rapidly. The red blood cells may break, creating darker urine."  

Wonder if it's simply drinking cold water?
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212705 tn?1221620650
I like to shoot with a camera! This past year i was driving home from work early eve (7ish) in a borrowed 1984 (my mechanics car) plymouth colt...I mean we're talkin' tiny tiny car. Go around a bend and POW! I mean...it happened so fast...ithe deer looked about twice the size of the car! If it had been a new car....it prbly woulda' been totalled. But they made 'em back in the day w/ steel rather than aluminum.. the car had minor damage...and the deer took off...
it was nightmarish!

At my workplace..in the eve., I see sometimes as many as 17 deer strolling the property and eating everything in site.

Oh yea, about a mo. before this...one am...gettin' ready for work... hear a crash at my bedroom window. I go outside and the window is smashed.  The prop. manager was right there. I asked her what the heck happened? She watched as a deer tried to jump through my window! (Fortunately, she saw it...or she'd never believe me and I'd be payin' for the window!) FYI: I live in an apt.
True story...so help me...
I'm not used to this stuff...I'm from the Island!
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Avatar universal
vitamins can change the color.

Awwwh, deer are so cute. Thats like shooting a dog.
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212705 tn?1221620650
j/k
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212705 tn?1221620650
I make a mean chicken soup....2 quart containers....split pea...uummm..venison chili with Hot peppers from this years yield....i might have some "minor" masonry work that needs doing......

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