Things You'll Need
- Bowl
- Mini pig chow
- Olive oil
- Warm water
- Water bowl
- Fresh cold water
- Children's chewable complete vitamins
- Sleeping box
- Blankets
- Wading pool or mud hole
- Glucosamine/MSM product
Instructions
Diet
Purchase a recommended mini pig chow at your local pet store or feed store. Determine the amount of food your elderly pot-bellied pig requires. If he is overweight, special attention will be required as to how much to feed and how much exercise is needed.
Feed your pot-bellied pig twice a day, preferably morning and night. Pour out the directed amount of mini pig chow into a bowl. Add 1 tsp. of olive oil; this helps prevent constipation. Pour in enough warm water to make it the consistency of oatmeal. This will help your pig to eat without choking. Give your pig a children's chewable complete vitamin to help keep her healthy. Make sure your pot-bellied pig has fresh water available at all times.
Make his sleeping box as comfortable and warm as possible. Build a sleeping box or use a small tent for him to retreat to. Line the box with warm blankets from the thrift store as your pot-bellied pig will shred it to his desired state of bedding. Use plenty of straw for a pig housed outdoors. Make sure it is weatherproof, draft free and lined thickly with straw. He should have other pigs to snuggle up to for warmth.
Keep your pig cool during the summer by giving her a pool to wade through or a mud hole to cover herself in mud.
Purchase a product with glucosamine, MSM, vitamins, minerals and digestive bacteria made for pot-bellied pigs to help your elderly pig cope with arthritic symptoms, discomfort and general malaise.
Take your pig's temperature so that you know what is normal for her. Pot-bellied pig temperatures can be 99.3 degrees Fahrenheit, but far less than that can be normal. Keep her feet trimmed regularly. Check to see if your pig is constipated by stepping on her poop. If it squashes, she is fine; if it crumbles she may be constipated. Purchase a laxative product for pigs and administer. Keep your pig's area safe from predators by fencing, and shield her from poisonous plants.