New Potbelly Pig Owner

Question

Max   i have had Max for a year in December. He will be a year old On October 18. I have always loved pigs and wanted one for a pet. I don't regret my decision, but I wish that I would have been more prepared and read into it before that way I could know all the ins and outs of having a baby pig. I feel like I have adapted well and have learned almost all the basics, but then again I feel like he teaches me something new or has me curious about something else everyday. I was wondering if there was anyway to determine what kind of pig I have. The breeder was a scammer. Told me he was a micro mini and nothing else. The vet told me that he was just starved and told me his recommendation on feeding him. I was curious if you could determine the kind of pig he is. As well the average weight. I feel like I'm over feeding him.

What is your opinion on vaccinations? And how important and often is the deworming?

As well he had to have a skin scraping so he wouldn't get mites after he got a sunburn. I feel like it's not getting better and I don't know what to do. Please help.

Answer
I am not a veterinarian and I have not seen your pig in person so feeding wise I assume the vet is guiding you in the right direction.

Nearly all mini pigs in the US are a mix of different breeds of small Asian pigs. When these pig were first brought to the US in the late 80s and early 90s, they were a big deal. There were several registries and pig shows and top pigs sold for thousands of dollars. But this all fell away and now NAPPA is the only surviving registry, tho new ones pop up and vanish often. The point is, it's impossible to figure out the exactly linage of most mini pigs.

Deworming is very important, and it's recommended once or twice a year. Each time the pig needs two doses of medicine. The first dose kills internal parasites and any living mange mites, but mite eggs are unaffected. The second dose two weeks later kills anything that survived or hatched after the first dose.

Vaccination recommendations vary. I do not recommend pseudo rabies vaccines. Once a pig is vaccinated he will always test positive for the disease. Many states have no pseudo rabies. In states with pseudo rabies, the pet pig must interact with infected wild pigs to catch it.

There is no rabies vaccines made for pigs, but some communities require a rabies vaccine anyway. If it's a legal requirement, you've got to get it.

Whether or not to vaccinate for other diseases, like erysipelas or leptospriosis depends on where you live. In places where these diseases are common, it's best to get vaccinations. In other places where these diseases are rare, they may not be necessary.

Pigs can get sunburn, just like people You can use any skin product made for people on your pig, so choose a nice, unscented, soothing sunburn lotion. Put the bottle of lotion in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes before applying it, because pigs just don't like cold lotion