Pigs

It’s heartbreaking to suddenly hear your pig squealing from pain, being unable to walk while dragging their back legs behind them. Dippity pig syndrome (also known as bleeding back syndrome) is an awful skin condition that young pigs develop along their backs and hind quarters.  Pigs with Dippity Pig Syndrome usually squeal frantically and have […]

As the summer approaches, it’s important to be prepared for bug bites on your pig. Insects can spread illness, cause irritation, and downright annoy your pig. The other day, my pigs swatted at flies with their tails. Even though I keep several fly traps to reduce the number of flies by my pigsy, it seems

When we purchased Blake, our gilt, I did not expect to deal with pig allergies. But almost immediately after Blake arrived at our house and go situated, she started sneezing and coughing. Overnight, she became more irritated.  I wondered if she was suffering from an allergic reaction. I called one of my friends and long-time

Haematopinus suis (the pig lice) is another culprit of severe itchiness and scratching in pigs. These pesky parasites hide amongst the hairs on your pig’s skin. The louse is yellowish-brown and usually found in the fat folds around your pig’s neck, inside (and outside) their ears, legs, and flanks. Each louse feeds off your pig

Sarcoptic Mange, or pig mites, is a parasitic disease also known as scabies. Unfortunately, it’s commonly underdiagnosed and should be one of the first causes you investigate when your pig is scratching. Sarcoptic mange is caused by either the Sarcoptes scabiei or Demodex phyllodes mite. Scabies is highly contagious and spreads from direct skin-to-skin contact

I’ll never forget our experience with pig savaging. When I heard Lisa scream next to the enclosure where we keep the breeding sow, I knew it was something serious. As I came around the corner of the house, my daughter ran to me in tears. “Mommy, Sally is eating her babies!”  Sally is our spotted

Lately, it’s a popular trend for YouTubers seeking the shock factor to feed their pigs pork or bacon. But, just because it’s a popular trend- doesn’t mean pork is safe for you to feed your pigs. It may also carry legal ramifications. There are many potential issues with pigs eating pork.   I questioned our vet

My son’s friend was heartbroken last week when his pet pig died unexpectedly. One of the hardest aspects of having pets is having something happen that causes the pet to die. Since my son also wants a pet pig, I wanted to know how long pigs live and if we can influence it’s length of

My daughter has always wanted a little pot-bellied pig to keep as a pet in our yard at the homestead. These pigs are certainly adorable when young, but they grow older and much larger. As we considered getting her a pig, I wondered if they make good pets and how long they live and how

 When I got my pigs 2 years ago, I noticed one was losing his hair, and he was rubbing against everything to scratch his skin. I looked for bugs, wounds, and dry skin. I found he didn’t have any wounds, but he did have dry skin. So I did a little research to find out