Care of the Virginia Opossum
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Urinary Tract Health:
You can test your opossum's urine right at home. Females especially are very probe to UTI's (urinary tract infections). I used to use MultiStix, but now they have kits that are made to specifically test for infection. The easiest way I have found to collect a urine sample is by placing the possum immediately after awakening, into a clean plastic container. If you’re lucky, he or she will soon urinate for you. Be careful not to let the urine become contaminated with feces, as this will produce false test readings.
Getting a sample can sometimes prove difficult and frustrating, but sometimes you can stimulate them to "go" by rubbing their privates with a warm damp cloth, or by even turning on a faucet nearby. I did a lot of experimenting, and these methods were what worked best for me.
After you have collected a clean urine sample, follow the directions on the package of your tests strips to get a reading.
DO NOT allow the test pads to come into contact with your skin or anything else, except the urine sample itself, or else it can cause inaccurate readings. You can find them locally or online. I bought mine through Amazon.
URINARY TEST STRIPS:
Preventing a UTI:
There are ways to help prevent UTI's in opossums. Females are especially prone to them, but it can also effect males. One way is to feed fresh cranberries daily, you can buy fresh cranberries by the bag and freeze them. I always stock up on several bags each year around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then triple wrap them in freezer wrap to protect them from freezer burn throughout the following year. You can used dried in a pinch but fresh is best. Birch leaf is also good and can be fed fresh (from a tree that has not had chemicals sprayed on it), or you can buy powdered birch in health food stores.
There is a product called D-Mannose, which is the part of the cranberry that helps keep the urinary track healthy. You can sprinkle that into their food daily as well.
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