skin discoloration on pot bellied pig

Question
I have a pot bellied pig with white hair where her "mowhawk" is located on her back. The skin around the area has a rust color and when I bathe her most of it comes off with lots of scrubbing. Within a couple of days it is back and looks extremely dirty. Can you advise me on what to do. Thank you for your time.

Answer
A rusty or orange color that can't be washed away is usually a sign of mange. Mange mites, unlike fleas, can't live long away from a pig.

Mange mite eggs take about two weeks to hatch, so treatment is two applications two weeks apart. The first one kills living mites. The second kills any mites that hatched later. Sometimes, a third treatment is necessary.

Another possibility is a nutritional deficiency. Or, piggy is getting into something that's discoloring her skin. She might be scratching her back on something rusty or rubbing against something with flaky paint.

Your veterinarian can give your pig mange vaccinations, or prescribe oral medicine. There's a list of vets that treat pot-bellied pigs here www.farec.org