Lloyd the mini pig

Question
QUESTION: So here I am once again looking to you for advice, except now I actually have a REAL problem.....As you know Lloyd is now a year and a half old and has been a pretty good pig except for the fact that he only thinks with his belly... But recently, like 3 times in the past week he has peed on my carpet in he same spot. Since the day we got him, he never had one accident on the floor, NOT ONE...
Anyways, about 2 weeks ago my boyfriend started spraying water in his face whenever he squealed and would chase him into our living room and tell him to get on the couch. I didn't actually see Lloyd pee and neither did my boyfriend, but I think it may be possible that he scared Lloyd, and he may peed because of that. Then later I noticed the wet spot and thought it smelt like pee, so I cleaned it, and Lloyd came in form outside and peed there again...So we washed it a few more times and then he didn't pee for a couple of days, and now he peed again. He has a litter box in the house, the same one he had when we bought him and it's always clean and empty of any of his messes. The thing that's bothering me is that he's never peed in the on the floor or furniture ever, and now he's done it 3 times in a week, and used his litter box once, which he doesn't use that often. He actually comes in from outside and will pee there..
I don't understand why he's doing it or how to make sure he stops...All of your help is greatly appreciated.  Thanks soooo much...Jen

ANSWER: Male pigs are prone to urinary tract infections. The long twisty urethra is easily clogged. A sudden change in potty habits can signal an infection. If he is straining to pee, peeing more often, has blood in his urine or shows any other signs of infection like redness, swelling, lethargy or fever, then he needs to see a vet for treatment.

In the meantime, go back to the basics of potty training. Take him out frequently, as soon as he wakes up from naps, right after eating, etc.

I don't think the water squirting will do much to discourage the squealing, tho it might make Lloyd dislike your boyfriend. The idea of making Lloyd move or go to his spot on the couch is a good one.

Or, instead of making Lloyd go to the couch, when he squeals, take him outside and see if he needs to potty.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: See that's the thing, he doesn't have any symptoms of anything. He's the same Lloyd. He's not peeing more often, or straining, there's no blood, swelling or lethargy. Actually the other day my boyfriend took a video of him running around chasing a tarp..:) He already does spend a lot of time outside. He goes outside in the morning before breakfast than again right after breakfast, than around 2pm or if no ones home around 4pm, then again after supper and before bed...He's not peeing in the middle of the night or when no one's here, it's in the daytime.. He actually peed right in front of us 2 out of the 3 times.
The part that's confusing is the fact that he's outside for and hour or 2 and then he'll come straight in to pee on the carpet... I'm worried that now he'll start associating that spot with pee and keep doing it. I've already washed the carpet 3 or 4 times.... He does go outside a lot already so that's what's hard.
How can I find out what started it in the first place? and also is there anything I can give him for an antibiotic without taking him to the vet? anything natural he can have? Thanks again for the quick reply...Jen

ANSWER: I have given this some thought, and I'm really not sure what is going on inside Lloyd's head. So, the next best thing is to address the physical issue, and that is the fact that he is able to pee inside after being outside for a while. That means he is NOT peeing outside.

Try making Lloyd pee before letting him inside. Pick a spot outside. Chances are there won't be a "perfect" spot - near the door, but where no one steps, sheltered from wind and rain with a floor surface (like dry sand or dry concrete) that lets you see if he actually peed. Make him pee in the spot before letting him inside. Rewarding him with a food treat for peeing before coming in will encourage him to learn, but, you'll have to give him a treat every single time forever (or close to it).

When he comes inside, try to keep him away from that spot. If it's someplace like a hallway where he must walk through to get anyplace, make him walk briskly. No lingering, no loitering.

This is the hard part. Keep a close eye on him. If the peeing is a habit, he will still try. When he starts for that spot, make him walk briskly past it, then outside to his potty spot. Try to make him pee there. A determined pig may make more than one try, and continue trying off and on for weeks.


If you can, cover the spot with a mat or throw rug. If he messes on the mat, put it in his outside spot, and put a new mat in it's place. Bath mats work well because they come in lots of sizes, aren't too expensive, and absorb liquid well so it won't spread.

Cranberry juice is supposed to naturally prevent urinary tract problems. Giving him some daily, like maybe 1/4 cup can't hurt.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Would cranberry juice everyday make him gain weight because of all the sugar?
Also, while waiting for you to reply I also figured some things out. After he peed the last time, we moved the carpet outside (not where he is) to be washed a couple of times. It's been about 3 days and he hasn't had an accident in the house. He walks by where he peed on the floor (where the carpet was) and doesn't do anything. Do you think it's possible that he just smelled his pee after it was washed and decided to pee again? Or do you think maybe he has an issue with carpets now? I'm not really sure where this behaviour came from, but when the carpets out of the room he's a good boy. I want to make sure it's REALLY clean before I bring it back in. If he does it again on the carpet after all this time, do you have any advice? Because that means he's making a choice. Thanks for everything...Jen

Answer
It's very possible that Lloyd can smell the pee, even tho people can't. Pigs do have super sensitive noses. Another possibility is that the bare floor is just a bit too slippery for him to feel comfortable in the potty stance.

Before you put the carpet back, you might want to experiment with another mat or carpet there, maybe something from a garage sale that you can toss later. Put the new one down and see how he reacts. If he ignores it, then the problem is most likely a smell/scent connection in his head with the particular problem carpet.

Pigs love the smell of vanilla, and sometimes that's enough to discourage them from peeing in a cleaned up spot. So perhaps after a few days of airing out and another cleaning, try a little bit of scented deodorizer in a food flavor scent.