Pet Pig Daily Care: Food, Hooves, Skin and Living With Dogs

A Bored Pig Finds Its Own Project

Pigs are clever, curious animals, and rooting is how they explore the world. The RSPCA notes that pigs can spend a large share of their waking day rooting, and that pigs with nothing to root in can become frustrated. Give that drive a proper outlet and you protect your lawn, your fences and your pig's wellbeing at the same time.

• Scatter part of the daily ration in deep straw or over grass so the pig has to search for it.
• Give a rooting area: a corner of soil or mulch where digging is allowed.
• Use sturdy treat balls or puzzle feeders built for large dogs, filled with some of the normal feed.
• Train with rewards. Pigs learn fast, and a short daily session counts as enrichment too.

Company matters as much as toys. Pigs form close bonds with each other, so a single pet pig is a lonely pig. Plan on a pair from the start.

Hooves Are a Job for a Professional

Rough ground wears hooves down naturally, but pigs kept on soft pasture or partly indoors often need trimming. Look at the feet every week or so and book a vet or trimmer who already works with pigs. They can set an interval for your pig, which depends on its weight, its ground and how it walks.

Restraint is the hard part with pigs, so this isn't a home job with clippers meant for another animal. Getting a pig used to having its feet handled, in short, rewarded sessions, makes every visit easier.

Skin, Sun and the Wallow

Pigs have very few working sweat glands, so they can't cool down by sweating the way we do. They wallow instead: mud cools them and also works as a natural sunscreen. Pale-skinned pigs with thin coats can sunburn on the back and ears quickly in bright weather.

• Give shade all day, every day, in summer.
• Offer a wallow or a shallow pool in warm weather, and keep it clean.
• Brush your pig as part of the routine; it lets you spot dry, flaky or sore skin early.
• Heavy panting, or a pig that won't get up on a hot day, means call the vet straight away.

Feeding: Measured Pig Feed, No Kitchen Scraps

Base the diet on a complete feed made for pigs, measured out each day, plus grazing or browse if your pig has access to a paddock. The bag's guidance and your vet can help you set the amount for your pig's size and age. Weigh the ration rather than guessing with a scoop.

Weight gain is one of the most common problems in pet pigs. Too much feed or too many treats puts strain on the legs and joints. Check body shape every month (a weigh tape helps) and cut back a little at the first sign of a vanishing waist, rather than waiting for a big diet later.

Fresh, clean water must always be available. Pigs tip bowls over for fun, so use a heavy trough or one fixed in place.

Never feed kitchen scraps, leftovers or food that has been through a kitchen, even vegetable peelings. In the UK and the EU it is against the law for every pig, pets included, and other countries restrict it too. The box below has the details.

Living With Dogs

A pig's love of food and a dog's instinct to guard its own things can clash, especially at mealtimes or over a chew on the floor. Feed them in separate places, keep chews out of shared spaces, and supervise any time together until both animals have shown, many times over, that they are calm around each other.

Even friendly dogs can chase or injure a pig, and pigs are prey animals to a dog's way of thinking. Our page on dogs and livestock covers introductions and fencing in more detail.

Preventive Care and Your Vet

Find a vet who treats pigs before your pigs arrive; not every small-animal practice does. Ask them about a yearly check, vaccinations, a worming plan, tusk and hoof care, and neutering, which makes pet pigs of both sexes much easier to live with.

Medicines, worming and parasite treatments: see your vet or a pet supply store with trained staff. In many countries pigs are a food-producing species in law, even as pets, so treatments and record-keeping follow farm rules.