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PETS411CARE Basic Pig
Care
Always remember that your veterinarian is your best source of information on your animal’s health care. WATER AND FOOD: Pigs need proper food and fresh water daily. Your pig will need fresh clean water everyday. It is also very important to wash the water bowl out because bacteria and algae can grow in a water bowl. Bacteria and algae can lead to health problems which can lead to a huge medical bill. Just by taking the time and providing your pig with a clean bowl of fresh water you will help keep him or her healthy. Water is the most important thing in any animal’s life. You will need to check their water through out the day, because they do tip their water so they can have a lovely mud bath. It does help if you had a second water bin or a small pool of water for them to use. Still check their water through out the day. Fresh water is very important. You can find pig feed at a feed store. Some pet stores will carry pig feed, but most don’t. A feed store will be the place for all your pigs needs. Pigs are omnivore; which means they eat both meat and plants. Pigs root the ground for insects and the root of plants. Good foods to give your pig are worms, grubs, insects, acorns, nuts, apples, grains, truffles, carrots, other vegetables. Just make sure that these are treats and that there main diet is the pig feed from the feed store. Let your pig have some gracing and rooting time outside. Rooting in the dirt will help give your pig the minerals they need. You should also give your pig vitamins each day. It depends on what type of pig you get on how much you feed them. All pigs will need to be fed every day. Over feeding will kill your
pig.
DON’T FEED YOUR PIG: Dog food or cat food HOUSING BEDDING AND SHELTER: Pigs need a dry warm place to sleep. Housing a pig depends on if their going to be an inside or an outside pig. Inside pig Pigs that are living in your home with you will need a sleeping box. If your pig was still in the wild it would find of make a burro to sleep in. a wooden box feels just like a burro. Some people buy a large dog crate for their pig. It real depends on the type of pig you have because they come in different sizes. Be sure to put blankets and pillows in the box or crate for them. Pigs do get cold with no fur. Your pig will tear and shed their blankets and pillows until they get their bedding just right. Pigs are burro and nesting animals. Cleaning their bedding can be a bit tricky, most of the time you will be replacing it. But their bedding needs to be cleaned every two weeks at the longest. Your pig will need a rooting box; that is a toy box. A rooting box is a great place to hide pig treats for your pig. Pigs in the wild spend most of there day rooting. Pigs need something to do; because of how intelligent they are they can become bored. You will also need to pig proof your house or they will get into everything. Pigs can be very destructive. So it’s a good idea to have things around the house to keep your pig busy. A inside pig can be house trained like a dog. Some people have even paper trained their pigs. Pigs need to go outside for gracing and rooting every day. Pigs will eat any plants you have in the backyard, so making a pin or fencing off your gardens will be a must. Pigs love to roll in the mud. Pigs in the wild use mud to protect their skin from the sun and insect bites. So it’s a good idea to make place for a mud pit for your pig. There is nothing like a good old fashion mud bath. Before letting your pig back into the house, get the hose out. You will also need to get a kids pool for your pig. Pools and mud help your pig to stay cool on hot summer days. Pig’s love pools as much as a mud bath.
A pig that lives outside will need shelter from the weather. A barn, a shed, or a big dog house will work for your pig. The shelter needs to warm and dry with no drafts. There needs to be a flap on the entrance to the shelter. A flap will keep the wind out. The pig will need bedding like hay, a blanket, sheets or a rug to help keep your pig warm. Pigs don’t have fur. You will need a strong fencing because pigs are very strong and do try to break out of their pins. Because pigs are a rooting animal they do dig under a fence, or root up a fence from the ground, so you will need to have something about 3 feet into the ground. The best thing to do is to have a concrete boarder about 4 feet into the ground around the pin. But not everyone can do this. Some people use wood or chicken wire. Feed stores do provide hog panels which was made for pigs. You will need to provide your pig with a mud hole, a small pool, and something that will provide shade. The mud hole is the easiest to have, all it is dirt and water. The small kiddy pools work perfect for your pig and they love them. For shade buy a big tree or build a lean-to. Shade is important on hot days. Pigs don’t sweat and need help with keeping cool. The mud is great to help with insect bites. Pigs do need their mud, pool and shade. It is import to have a place for your pig’s food and water. You will need something that won’t be so easy to knock over. Pigs tip their bowls. VETERINARIAN, SHOTS, HEALTH: One of the first things you should do when you first get a pig is set a veterinarian appointment and gives the pig a complete check up. Pigs have dry sensitive skin so it’s not a bad idea to use sun screen on them. Pigs will need moisturizers. You will need to take good care of your pig’s skin. The biggest health problem is overweight; please don’t over feed your pigs. There is a problem in finding a veterinarian for your pig. Most veterinarians will not treat pigs. So you will need to get on the phone and find one that will. It is important because pigs do need to have their vaccinations. If you can’t find a veterinarian then you will need to learn how to give the pig its vaccinations and anything else it will need. You will find these shot at feed stores. Make sure you bring a cooler with ice in it. Vaccinations need to be kept cool until they are used. Also check the date on the vaccinations. There are a lot of great books out there about the health your pig. If your pet is showing any signs of distress or you suspect your pet is seriously ill, CONTACT YOUR VETERINARIAN immediately. Get more info on Wound Dr. to speed healing of pet wounds Get More Info on PetAlive Natural Moves for Pet Constipation and Digestive Health Get more info on PetAlive Ear Dr. for Ear Infections and Ear Mites.
SPAYED OR NEUTERED: It is heart breaking when a pig has to be killed
because a home can not be found for it. Please spayed and neuter
your pig so here are no more unwanted pigs. GROOMING AND BATHING: You only bath your pig once a month because their skin can become so dry. Over shampoo your pig can cause problems with your pig’s skin. Be very picky about the kind of shampoo you use on your pig. Shampoo that moisturizes the skin is what you’re looking for. This is one thing that you should ask your veterinarian about. You should brush your pig every day. Your pig will
love you for it. Because pigs have dry skin a good brushing feeling
like a great back scratching. Scratching is a better reward for
your pig then food. Pig’s need their tucks cut to prevent them from over growing; they can become very long. In some breeds of pigs a tuck will grow right into their upper jaw or into their skull. Cleaning a pig’s ears is a ‘must’. Mites will get into the pigs ears and cause all kinds of problems. Grooming is a good time to check over your pig for any health problem or wounds. PLAY TIME AND TOYS: Pigs can become bored very easily, and a bored pig is a destructive pig. Pigs can be very destructive because they are very strong. Pigs are very intelligent animals so it’s no wonder that they can easy become bored. So, it is very important to have toys and activities on a daily bases. It will also keep your pig mentally healthy and save your home from being destroyed. A rooting box is great way for your pig to earn its treats. Most people think a ball is just for dogs but pigs love playing ball. So get a pig ball for your pig to push around. News paper is a fun toy for your pig to shred apart. Some people make their own toys for there pigs and others buy pig toys. A great activity to do with your pig’s food or treats is to hide them in the yard then let your pig try to find them. This activity is a natural behavior for your pig. Worms are a great treat for this activity. You can get worm places that sale fishing poles. One man made a toy for their pig in the back yard. He made his pigs a punching bag. It was hung from a tree with some strong rope. It hung very low to the ground. His pigs would play it for hours. It is a good idea to take your pig for a walk on a daily bases, just make sure he or she doesn’t get into your neighbor front yard to have a snack. Pigs will let you know what their favor toy is as you try different thing with your pig. Some pigs will love the ball and others will love a pile of new paper. No matter what your pig likes and doesn’t like your pig does need something to do on a daily base; it might save your home from ‘destructive bored pig syndrome’. TRAINING: The first you will need to do is gain your pigs
trust. It will take time for your pig to get to know you. Then
using positive reinforcement and patients will help you in training
your pig. It is important to train your pig so that you can give them the proper care they need. A pig that is not train is very hard to trim hooves or check how their health is doing. If you have a house pig he or she really needs to know where they can go to the bathroom. Training your pig keeps him or her mentally healthy
as learning keeps boredom away. Plus training your pig will help
your bond with your pig grow stronger. If your pig has a favorite toy use it as a reward
when training your pig. The training does not happen overnight it takes time. COMPAIONSHIP: Pigs are a herd animal so companionship is a must. It is a good idea to have more then one pig. Pigs love the company of their own kind. They are going to be skirmishes in the beginning as they decide who runs the show. Only one pig can be top pig. Pigs need to establish a hierarchy. BEFORE YOU GET YOUR
PIG Your shopping list: Heavy bowls for food and water or troves PETCO
Pet Supply Shopping Guides
ONE LAST TIP… There are many great books that give more detail on the proper care of pigs. This web page only gives the basic on pig care. You will need a book on pigs that provides more detail information.
Do you have some great pig tips or stories to share? Just fill out the form below. THANK YOU.
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