Hairloss

Question
My 1 1/2 yr mini potbelly is losing hair on his back rapidly.
We notice a lot of shedding, figure it is seasonal, but he is almost bald on his back and tail end, is this normal?
Also, Andrew eats a lot of grass, not our grass- we never use chemicals, but everyone else grass- they all use chemicals. Would fertilized grass make a pig fatter? Thank you Helen!

Answer
Yes, the shedding is perfectly normal. It's called "blowing their coat". Pigs have a loose schedule when it comes to blowing their coat. Sometimes they'll do it all at once, and piggy will be bald for a few days, then covered with new "peach fuzz" bristles. Sometimes they'll loose the mohawk and back bristles first, sometimes those are the last to go.

The chemicals won't make a pig fatter but it could make them very sick, in the short and long run. Fertilizer or pesticide residues clinging to the grass can cause ulcers or mild poisoning. Repeated exposure over time can cause mouth, throat or stomach cancers.

In short, if people aren't supposed to eat it, then pigs should not eat it. People are not supposed to eat fertilizers or pesticides, and they are not supposed to eat food coated with fertilizer or pesticide. Same is true for piggies.