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Educational Articles

Minipigs + Preventive Care & Wellness

  • Mini-pigs may be housed successfully inside if they are given enough space, an area in which to root, and proper environmental enrichment. Ideally, pet pigs should have access to a safe area of untreated lawn outside in which to root and chew on grass.

  • The most common skin problem in mini-pigs is dry skin that results from a dietary deficiency of fatty acids. In addition to dry skin, mini-pigs commonly suffer from sarcoptic mange, parakeratosis, yeast dermatitis, and sunburn. Hooves of mini-pigs grow continuously throughout life and need to be trimmed periodically. The canine teeth (tusks) of male pigs grow throughout life, while those of female pigs stop growing at about two years of age. Starting after the pig is about a year of age, your veterinarian will trim tusks during an examination.