Underweight Pot Belly Pig

Question
QUESTION: We have a pbp that is about 1 yr old. When we first got him he gained weight just fine and through the summer would eat the grass outside and he would be fed twice a day. Once winter came and he could not be outside and eat the grass he started losing weight. We have been trying to feed him a little more but he is very skinny compared to how he was in the summer. Any suggestions you could give us to help him gain back his weight would be wonderful. Turbo is his name and he still eats his food great and acts the same as he used to. he just looks so fragile and not healthy. Also, he is scratching himself on everything and his skin is very dry. Anything you know that would help. Thank you.

ANSWER: I am not a veterinarian and I can't make a medical diagnosis over the internet. If Turbo looks unhealthy, he needs to see a vet. The problem may have started over the summer. Grazing on lots of grass makes piggies bellies swell up, pig people call it "Grass Belly". He may have been loosing weight all summer, but the Grass Belly hid the weight loss. There's a list of pot-bellied pig vets here http://www.9sites.com/vets.htm

Very dry, itchy skin is often a sign of mange. Other symptoms include thick flakes and an orange-y stain behind the elbows and between the legs. Your vet can diagnose mange by examining a skin scraping, and treat Turbo for mange, or you can do it yourself with Ivomectrin or Dectomax. Both are available from valleyvet.com and jefferslivestock.com It usually takes 2 treatments, given 2 weeks apart. Sometimes 3 treatments are given. The medicine comes in pour on, oral, and injectible forms. The dose goes by weight and is printed on the package. Or, your vet can prescribe mange medicine for you.

The weight loss could be something as easily treatable as internal parasites. Or, it could be a symptom of a long term health problem like thyroid disorder or diabetes. Or it could be a symptom of something extremely serious like cancer.

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QUESTION: I will look into taking him to the vet. If he does have internal parasites, is there a way I could treat him at home for that?

Answer
Yes, most of those medicines are non-prescription. The correct medicine depends on the kind of parasite. The dose is determined by weight. Weigh your pig or use the measurement formula towards the bottom of this page, scroll down to see it http://www.pigs4ever.com/PotBelliedPigInfo/size_weight.htm  to get his weight accurately.