bad breath

Question
Hello! I know this is a random question but my pig has bad breath. Is it okay if I use dog toothpaste? If not is there another method to help my piggy with his stinky breath?

Answer
Most pigs don't like having their teeth brushed, unless they were trained from a very young age.

Bad breath in pigs usually has one of two causes, something they ate or something stuck in their mouth.

Get piggy down for a belly rub just before bedtime. Put a little sugar or jelly on one finger, and feel around inside piggy's mouth. Pigs jaws do not open very wide (a cat or dog can open really wide), so don't push too hard. Feel for anything that doesn't belong inside the mouth. There's often a pocket behind the last molar that collects bits of food and other stuff. Or, if piggy is young and has recently lost a baby tooth, the gap may be filled with junk. Do this every night for several nights in a row, then keep at it at least once a week.

If piggys mouth is clean and breath is still bad, it might be due to diet. Dog and cat food gives pigs horrible breath and horrible smelling poop. Too much of certain foods, like apples or grass, gives pigs gas. When they belch or burp the odor can cling to the inside of their mouths.

A quick temporary bad breath fix is a sugar free breath mint or peppermint candy. But don't give piggy too much candy, it will just make things worse.

If you'd like to teach piggy to accept tooth brushing, I suggest starting with some simple training tricks first. I totally recommend Priscilla Valentines book Pot-bellied Pig Behavior and Training. Pris really understands how pigs think and her techniques can be used to teach piggy just about anything, including getting a tooth brushing. Her book is available from Amazon.com