cracked hooves

Question
My potbelly, 2 yrs old, his hooves are cracking and pieces of his hoof are coming off on the bottom of the hoof, the side that hits the ground. The 2 inner front toes are hollowed out. Also he walks on the pads of his feet(front), instead of up on his hooves.
His back hooves are great and he walks up on those. Could it be
an overweight issue? Or maybe a fungus or dry hooves?
Do you know if vit E/Selenium supplement would help?
Thank you for your help!

Answer
Some pigs can go their whole lives without ever needing a hoof trim. Others need frequent trimming.

Many pot-bellied pigs have weak pasterns or ankles. As they get older and their hooves grow longer, they start to walk "back" on their heel. As this starts to happen, the tips of the hooves are not worn down as they should be, so they start to grow excessively long. As the hoof grows long, it pushes the foot even farther back.

When piglets are young, their whole bodies grow. Few piglets need hoof trims. When they reach adulthood at around age 2, the hooves continue to grow, but the piggy does not. This is the time when foot or hoof problems can start to appear, especially in overweight piggies.

The "hollowed out" pattern and shed pieces of hoof that you are describing could be the normal growth pattern of a hoof that's gotten too long and needs a trim, or it could be the result of dirt and grime stuck on the bottom of the hoof.

Pig hooves should be fairly short. There's a collection of good hoof and bad hoof photos here http://www.piggyhooftrimming.com/Photos.htm

First, clean piggies feet thoroughly. If there's infection or inflammation you'll probably smell an unpleasant odor as you clean the injured area. If there's no odor or sign of infection, then a simple hoof trim should solve the problem.

A pig with strong ankles that spends time walking on rough surfaces like asphalt and gravel may never need a hoof trim. But if your piggy has weak ankles, or stays mostly indoors or outdoors on soft grassy lawns, then piggy will most likely need yearly or semi-yearly trims.

To decide if your pig is too heavy, take a close look at him. From above, the belly should not bulge out like a basket ball, and it should not hang near the ground. A third, dangling "pouch" on the jowel is also a sign of excessive weight.

There's more information on pig hooves here:
http://www.pigpalssanctuary.com/faqs/hoof.htm
http://www.pigs4ever.com/PotBelliedPigInfo/tusks_hooves.htm