Do mini pigs "need" a bath?
Bathing your pig
Pigs living in the house need to stay somewhat clean. Aside from that, pigs don't need baths. Adult pigs have thick, dry skin and very few sweat glands. The few sweat glands they do have are not effective at controlling the body temperature as sweat glands in humans do. They like to roll in mud or swim in pools to stay cool. (And actually need to in order to prevent heat related injuries) Pigs in the wild often go potty in streams and ponds, so predators can not track them by the smell. This is one reason why it's thought that pigs will often defecate and urinate in the bathtub or kiddie pool when they get in. (Another potential reason is stress from the bathtub-when pigs are constipated, one suggestion is to give them a bath or car ride, 2 things that usually produce results) They sometimes roll in the mud to protect their skin from the sun and insects, so do not be surprised to see your pig come in from playing outside with mud on him/her. They will dig holes in the yard to create a cool spot for them to lay when its hot outside (kiddie pools are ideally used to provide them with a place to cool off as well) and if there is mud available, some pigs love it while others prefer to stay out of it. (click here to read more about summertime issues and how to keep your pig cool in the hotter months)
Sponge baths or showers work well for most house pigs. But, be ready, some pigs go potty as soon as their feet get wet. It's a natural instinct. If your pig does this, the first step is to desensitize her to wet feet by wiping her feet with a wet cloth or sponge, let her potty, then wipe her feet again. Wipe her feet when she gets up in the morning, after she potties, before nap time, etc. Pretty soon she'll get used to it. But, the first bath may leave your tub full of poop as this is a natural reaction to the warm water in addition to their natural instinct.
Then get her used to being in the tub or shower stall by feeding her there, and taking her in at least once a day. At first don't try to wash her or anything. The second or third time start wiping her feet before she goes in and after she comes out. Finally try wiping her feet while she's in the tub. When you can do that with her, she's ready for the next step. Picking your pig up to put your pig in the tub will be loud and as your pig grows bigger, practically impossible to safely do A pig will squeal when being picked up and sometimes continue to squeal during the bath due to fear of the unknown. They don't like being restricted to one small area or held (normally), so combining these two things can lead to a very vocal pig. THIS IS NORMAL. You can take a few cheerios and throw them in the tub to keep your pig occupied during his/her bath and lots of pig parents use peanut butter and wipe it on the side of the tub to help keep their pig calm. You can also use the same theory and make this a pleasant experience the 1st few times you get him/her in the tub and not do any bathing to desensitize your pig to the bathtub.
Get a bucket of warm (not hot) water and a soft cloth or sponge ready. Put piggy in the tub or shower stall, and distract her with grapes, an apple cut up in pieces and scattered on the bottom or again, peanut butter on the bottom or side of the tub area. Starting with her feet and working up, wash her with the cloth, rinsing it frequently in the warm water. Avoid getting water in her ears and avoid her face altogether. Water in pigs ears make them extremely uncomfortable and if you are using a handheld shower head or a cup of water, when the head is down and the water is being used to rinse your mini pig off, it can potentially get into the ears. You can learn more about what water in the ears can cause by clicking here. Clean the face after the bath with a warm damp cloth.
Plain warm water is fine. If you feel soap is necessary, any shampoo for human infants will work. I prefer Johnson's baby shampoo, it's tear free and extremely mild. Heartland Animal Health healthypigs.easystorecreator.com carries shampoos and lotions specifically designed for pot-bellied pigs. Put the soap in one bucket, rinse water in a second bucket with a fresh sponge or cloth. Again, watch out for the ears and avoid the face. Remember excessive bathing will likely cause the skin to be dry. I have found that using a rubbery type brush is super effective at removing excessive dry skin, it can also be used to remove dry mud and dirt versus giving your pig a bath.
Sponge baths or showers work well for most house pigs. But, be ready, some pigs go potty as soon as their feet get wet. It's a natural instinct. If your pig does this, the first step is to desensitize her to wet feet by wiping her feet with a wet cloth or sponge, let her potty, then wipe her feet again. Wipe her feet when she gets up in the morning, after she potties, before nap time, etc. Pretty soon she'll get used to it. But, the first bath may leave your tub full of poop as this is a natural reaction to the warm water in addition to their natural instinct.
Then get her used to being in the tub or shower stall by feeding her there, and taking her in at least once a day. At first don't try to wash her or anything. The second or third time start wiping her feet before she goes in and after she comes out. Finally try wiping her feet while she's in the tub. When you can do that with her, she's ready for the next step. Picking your pig up to put your pig in the tub will be loud and as your pig grows bigger, practically impossible to safely do A pig will squeal when being picked up and sometimes continue to squeal during the bath due to fear of the unknown. They don't like being restricted to one small area or held (normally), so combining these two things can lead to a very vocal pig. THIS IS NORMAL. You can take a few cheerios and throw them in the tub to keep your pig occupied during his/her bath and lots of pig parents use peanut butter and wipe it on the side of the tub to help keep their pig calm. You can also use the same theory and make this a pleasant experience the 1st few times you get him/her in the tub and not do any bathing to desensitize your pig to the bathtub.
Get a bucket of warm (not hot) water and a soft cloth or sponge ready. Put piggy in the tub or shower stall, and distract her with grapes, an apple cut up in pieces and scattered on the bottom or again, peanut butter on the bottom or side of the tub area. Starting with her feet and working up, wash her with the cloth, rinsing it frequently in the warm water. Avoid getting water in her ears and avoid her face altogether. Water in pigs ears make them extremely uncomfortable and if you are using a handheld shower head or a cup of water, when the head is down and the water is being used to rinse your mini pig off, it can potentially get into the ears. You can learn more about what water in the ears can cause by clicking here. Clean the face after the bath with a warm damp cloth.
Plain warm water is fine. If you feel soap is necessary, any shampoo for human infants will work. I prefer Johnson's baby shampoo, it's tear free and extremely mild. Heartland Animal Health healthypigs.easystorecreator.com carries shampoos and lotions specifically designed for pot-bellied pigs. Put the soap in one bucket, rinse water in a second bucket with a fresh sponge or cloth. Again, watch out for the ears and avoid the face. Remember excessive bathing will likely cause the skin to be dry. I have found that using a rubbery type brush is super effective at removing excessive dry skin, it can also be used to remove dry mud and dirt versus giving your pig a bath.
If you have one of those hand held shower heads in your shower, you can try using the gentlest spray at room temperature or just slightly warm to rinse piggy off. Some piggies enjoy the sensation of a shower, other pigs hate it.
After the bath, give piggy a good rub down with any good lotion. Cornhuskers and Udder Cream are two inexpensive, non-greasy, readily available brands. Coconut oil is a long time favorite of pig parents as well. This is a good time to clean the eyes with a tissue, and wipe the face with a warm damp cloth. Please remember to use sunscreen on a freshly clean pig in the months where it is easy to get sunburned. Between the fair skin and their love of sunbathing, they can easily get bad sunburn when there is no dirt and/or the oils/lotions that you've applied afterwards which may exacerbate sun exposure even more.
Often times, it's easiest to bathe your pig outside in a kiddie pool. The same methods that work in the bathtub can be effective in an outside pool for your mini pig with regard to making it a pleasurable experience. I prefer Cheerios, they float and most pigs love them. Grapes work as well and because they sink, it also helps to clean the face/snout.
After the bath, give piggy a good rub down with any good lotion. Cornhuskers and Udder Cream are two inexpensive, non-greasy, readily available brands. Coconut oil is a long time favorite of pig parents as well. This is a good time to clean the eyes with a tissue, and wipe the face with a warm damp cloth. Please remember to use sunscreen on a freshly clean pig in the months where it is easy to get sunburned. Between the fair skin and their love of sunbathing, they can easily get bad sunburn when there is no dirt and/or the oils/lotions that you've applied afterwards which may exacerbate sun exposure even more.
Often times, it's easiest to bathe your pig outside in a kiddie pool. The same methods that work in the bathtub can be effective in an outside pool for your mini pig with regard to making it a pleasurable experience. I prefer Cheerios, they float and most pigs love them. Grapes work as well and because they sink, it also helps to clean the face/snout.
"Before"
"After"
Shower ideas for pigs
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Photo: elledecor.com
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Photo: Houzz.com
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Please keep in mind, if your pig is having excessive dry skin issues, over bathing your pig can contribute to the problem. Once you have given your pig a bath, also remember that the skin isn't protected by a layer of dirt or mud and you must use sunscreen, even in dark skinned pigs, to prevent sunburn. This is even more important during the summer months when the sun is super harsh.
Sunscreen and mini pigs
In my experience, mini pigs tend to prefer the sunscreen that requires manual application. This pig prefers to rub the sunscreen in himself.