This page is dedicated to the micro pig, mini pig and teacup pig
They are fantastic fun, extremely intelligent, highly social - just love human and animal contact - very CLEAN and make amazing pets. They can be easily house trained and will sit on your lap while you watch TV so you can scratch their bellys. They will "talk" to you and have you laughing for hours.
Pigs are an ideal pet for children or adults who suffer allergies to other animals, since they are an ‘allergy free’ suitable pet. Pigs do not have fur they have hair so do not have the dander like dogs or cats. Your new pig will bond with you over a few days. Once bonded to you and your family, it is good to establish a daily routine.
Veterinarians
We have had questions about vets to spay/neurter the piglets. So we are going to get you a list. As we find vets we will update the site.
Winterset Veterinary Center - 315 East Madison Street, Winterset, IA 50273 (515) 462-2650 Spay/Neuter 7 weeks and older.
Osceola Veterinary Clinic - 1030 North Main Street, Osceola, IA 50213 (641) 342-2150
Anderson Animal Hospital -
Grooming
Proper grooming is important in the care of a miniature pot-bellied pig. They are clean animals, but they require daily brushing and an occasional bath. Brush your micro pig with a flexible bristle brush and bathing with a mild shampoo. Suggestions for bathing your pet are with a tear-free shampoo. Recommendations also include rubbing baby oil into the skin each day to keep it soft and moisturized. You can alos use unscented hand cream/lotion. Bathing once a month is sufficient for the pigs. More then this will dry out there skin. You can use and unscented baby wipe in between for touch ups.
Hoof Care
If you get your piggy use to holding them while you watch TV or something. Touch them all over so they get used to you messing with them. Play with their hooves. Later in couple of months and they are quite used to you touching & holding them get a emory board that is used for artificial nails (stronger). Take one of their feet and just gently file their hoof just as you would your fingernail. If it bothers them then only do one at that time and over the course of a week you can get them all done.
Health
Some health concerns to be aware of that may affect the micro pig. Micor pigs can be prone to several skin conditions including mange, seborrhea, frostbite, and sunburn. Limiting time spent outdoors during peak hours of sunshine will help prevent a painful sunburn. If your micro pig is going to be outside for extended periods of time, provide a comfortable shelter from cold temperatures and harmful rays of the sun. Ivermectin can be used to treat skin conditions. If given the ivermectin you can give again in 2 weeks. Do this every 4 months and your piggy will not get mites or rashes plus it worms him/her also.
Find a used play pen for your new piglet. These are a good size for litter training and your piglet can be in the room with you getting used to the sound of your home and all the sights. These can be found for little money at thrift stores.
Housing and Handling
Housing requirements for the pig kept as a house pet are much the same as for the pet dog. A sleeping area with a blanket or some kind of cushion and a bowl of fresh water available at all times is all that is needed. Pigs love their bedding so a doggie bed is nice or at least some old comforter or blanket to snuggle under. Remember that pigs sleep on top of each other in groups. Baby pigs especially need the mother's heat and are most comfortable when it's toasty warm. Just make sure it has lots of blankets to snuggle in. When not directly supervised in the home, it is best to restrict the pig to an area of the house where it may do little harm. If left alone, their inquisitive nature may get them in trouble with their owners. Pigs given access to the outdoors should be provided with an area that is conducive to their needs.
Housebroken pigs need a suitable bathroom area, litter pan with pellet horse bedding works well. Do not use cat litter as the pigs can eat this and cause them harm. Keep your litter box in the other side of the pen in the corner opposite the bed. If they poop in the wrong place just move the litter box to where they decided to poop. Right after they eat they will use the bathroom. Give them a few minutes and then you can take piglets out to play and roam around the house. You cannot just put a litter box in the living room and put the baby down on the floor in the whole house and expect it to find it. It always helps when you put fresh litter down to save a bit of soiled litter to put on the fresh litter until they learn the location. If you take them out on a regular bases, they will learn to hold it until you take them out and hardly ever use their litter box. This is usually by 5 months of age.
Young pigs may be picked up and held just like puppies. Most piglets are afraid of being dropped when you pick them up. They will naturally squeal when you do this unless they have had more handling time. To get your piglet acquainted with being carried, first sit on the couch or floor with a nice comfy blanket. Older pigs will usually be too heavy to comfortably pick up and carry. A harness and leash are suitable for restraint and walking the pig. A dog collar will slip off the head of a reluctant pig, but a harness that goes around the neck and behind the front legs will properly restrain the pig. For trips in the car, to go to the veterinarian, or to go to pig shows, travel is best accomplished in a pet carrier similar to one used to transport dogs of similar size.
Harness Training
If you are able to pet and scratch your piglet he/she may be ready. Do not touch me piglets that are scared of people need a little more socializing first. Stay with your piglet while he/she eats talking to him/her and trying to pet and scratch him/her while they eat.. In a few short days your pig should be ready to begin harness training.
Distract your piglet by putting some of your piglets food on the ground. Go slowly and speak to him/her with a soft reasuring voice. If your piglet gets upset and skittish, try giving him/her a little more food and continue assuring him/her with your voice that all is well. If he/she is still really upset, and does not settle down, take the harness off and go back to more socializing. You do not want this to be a tramatic experience as your piglet will remember.
Once your piglet has his/her harness on let them have a few minutes to get use to it. Do not leave it on for long periods of time as this can cause sores. Once your piglet has adjusted to having the harness on you are ready for the lead. When putting the lead on do this in a confined area. Indoors or in a fenced yard. Let your piglet drag the lead around without you holding it. After a time you can pick up the lead and let him/her go wherever he want to go. Your next step is to use small amount of pressure and call for your piglet. When he/she acknowledges you give him/her a treat. Do not pull and tug on the leash. Work up to calling your piglet over to you. Call his/her name with small pressure on the leash. After they take a step or so give them a treat. Immediate rewards is important for responses.
Life Stages
Birth to 6 Weeks: Piglets have three things on their minds up until about two months. These things are survival, establishing themselves in their herd and eating. For this reason a piglet should learn all its young lessons from its mother and litter mates. The piglet should be at least six weeks old before being weaned and at least seven weeks before being removed from any litter mates.
6 Weeks to 3 Months: Most owners get their piglets at this age. The pot belly pig is looking to replace the herd or litter mates it lost and should bond to the owner at this stage. The pig will adopt the new human or humans as their herd. At this age the pig has great memory and learns very quickly.
3 Months to 1 Year: Still learning quickly, the pig will constantly check out anything new and at this stage may challenge the authority of the owner. This is the teenage stage of their lives.
1 to 5 Years: The earlier training of the pig will begin to pay off around this time. The pot belly pig is coming into adulthood and has a better understanding of what is expected of them.
Over 5 Years: As the pig grows older their active youth will fade and its diet may need to be changed. To help motivate exercise try changing toys or by establishing an exercise routine. A handy trick is to sprinkle one of the pig’s meals around the yard so that it will have to move around to find and eat the food.
It is important that boars AND sows need to be desexed. Unless desexed a boar will get a odor and also can become frustrated around other animals. The sows are probably the most important to get desexed because they come into season every 21 days and you do not want a pushy, anxious sow.
Since the micro pigs do not have a sweat glands they will need a shady area outside and a place to cool off. A childs wading pool with some clean water is a good place for them to cool and frolic.
Access to grass is a must, many people forget they are a grazing animal. Daily raw fruit and vegetable cuttings gives them a varied diet.
After a few times your piglet will know that he/she is free to move around as long as he/she stays some what close to you. Once a pig is harness trained, he is harness trained for life. Pigs never forget.
The harness and lead is not to be used for tieing up your piglet. It is for your piglet to be able to enjoy more time with you.