Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Pot Bellied Pigs > Pig urine smell

Pig urine smell

22 9:11:36

Question
Please help us with 2 things if you can. We have an 8 month old mini pig, which btw is a teacup pig. I know no one belives they exisit but hes only 12#s. Anyway 1st off he tends to move his litter box and potty behind it which we cant seem to break??? The other question is that his urine smells bad.. Im sorry Im not sure what his food is called it is potbelly food  its 12% protien and he gets a 1/4 cup twice a day, plus some veggis a few times a week. We also let him grazes in the yard (weather permitting). We have had him for alittle over 6mons. He looks and acts very healthy. Thankyou for your support

Answer
Pig urine is usually nearly odorless. But wet litter can really stink, especially urine soaked pine shavings, straw, or newspaper. It doesn't take long for the smell to develop, just an hour or so in hot weather. Plastic litter boxes don't absorb urine, but do need to be washed from time to time. Wet pig poop (also called pig berries) can also smell bad.

To determine if the odor is from wet litter or the urine itself, remove all the litter entirely and use a plain, non-slip rubber mat in the bottom of the litter box. Of course it goes without saying that you'll need to make sure the litter box itself is not the source of the stink. If the urine left in the rubber lined, litter free box really stinks, then something is wrong, and piggy will need to see a vet.

As you'e noticed, pigs learn to potty in a spot, not in a box. So if they don't like the box, they'll usually just push it to one side and potty in the spot.

A good litter box should have low edges, or at least one side cut down very low. Pigs do not like to step up to potty, because in the wild, if they potty at the top of the hill, it's going to run down. It's more natural for them to walk down to potty, so keep one side low and easy to step into. Piggy will also need enough room to turn around comfortably. The bottom should be non-slip. Piggies need secure footing to potty, and will not use a litter box with a slippery floor.

The surface beneath a potty box can be an issue when pigs push the box away and potty on the floor. Rugs, carpeting, and some wood floors can really hold the smell. Clean the floor around the box with any product designed to remove pet urine odors, to make sure the smell is not coming from the floor.