chafing

Question
my 15 month old pig has been rooting in the ice andsnow...her bottom lip is bleeding...not profusely, but regularly.....it is not  a serious concern, but iwould like to address it...other than stopping her from grazing.. what can i do....can i use something like neosporin???

Answer
Pig skin and human skin is very much alike. So much alike that pig skin is often grafted onto people to treat severe burns. It's ok to use human skin products on pig skin - but NOT around the eyes or mouth. Products like Neosporin are intended to be used on the skin, and can cause problems if they're swallowed or licked off. The pig could easily lick off or swallow something put on her lip.

Give her a rooting box, inside or out, that she can safely root in without hurting herself. Any shallow box filled with smooth pebbles or small rubber balls will work fine. Another alternative is to dump a big bag of plain potting soil (avoid the kinds with added fertilizers) outdoors, and let her root in that. When she's finished and ready to come inside, cover the pile of soil with a tarp, weight it down with a few rocks or something so it doesn't blow away. Next time she goes outside just uncover the soil so she can root in it.

I don't recommend using a lip product, like Chapstick, because the taste might encourage her to chew on her lip, making the problem worse.