Piggy Food

Question
I have 2 pot belly piggies, Momma 2 yrs old, daughter  yr. I feed them the only pot belly food available in my area, Muzura, I am not satisfied with this, I have to oil them, and give them vitamins, I would like to know a good brand to buy so I dont have to keep worrying about skin problems, because I am sure other things are lacking and I want them health in 0 yrs so could you recomend another brand please. I try not to stray too far from piggy pellets, they are my friends and I would like them to be around for quite a few years. Please Educate me.

Answer
Mazuri is considered a good brand. I personally have been happy with it.

There are several other nationally available brands, including Manna Pro and Champion. Healthypigs.com sells both food and supplements.

I am not a veterinarian and can not make a medical diagnosis over the internet.

A number of different things completely unrelated can contribute to chronic skin issues. Mange is the most common problem. If your pigs are eating the right amount of Mazuri pellets (1/2 c per day per 15 lb of piglet or 25 - 40 lb of adult pig, using the weight determined by measurements), and still have skin issues I suggest treating for mange (even if a skin scraping is negative) for at least three or even four doses.

It's difficult for anyone, even an experienced pig person or veterinarian, to accurately determine a pig's weight just by looking. Pigs have extremely dense bodies. If you put a pig and dog the same size next to each other, the pig will weigh at least twice as much (or more) than the dog.

Mazuri has produced feed for "exotic" pets for over a century. They have studied pig growth and nutrition, and welcome feedback from users. You might want to contact them directly, with photos and an explanation of why you believe it is the feed that is causing the problem.

Mazuri can control production of feed, but after the food leave the factory, it's in the hands of distributors and retailers that may or may not be handling the food properly. The food you are getting may be old or spoiled. There's numbers on each bag that identify the batch it was made from, so keep track of those also.

There's a list of veterinarians who see pot-bellied pigs at www.farec.org  A veterinarian with mini pig experience is better able to identify the problem in person than I am over the internet.