Poop! Help!

Question
Hello! I have two male pot-bellied pigs who are 4 months old. Recently one of them has started to poop in his water dish. As soon as he takes a drink, he turns around and uses the dish as a bathroom. What should I do?

Answer
Pigs in the wild like to poop in streams and ponds. The water hides the poop and smell and washes it away, much like a modern flush toilet. So, when pigs get wet, especially when their feet get wet, it triggers a "poop instinct". As soon as a pig gets wet or wet feet, they need to potty right away, in that spot. Because their instinct tells them this is the time and place to go.

The floor around the water dish should be dry or drain quickly. If the pig must stand in a puddle or wet mud while drinking, that will trigger the potty instinct.

Try to make sure your pigs have access to drinking water 24/7. When pigs have constant access to water, they drink small amounts often throughout the day. If they must wait for a refilled water dish, they will drink a lot more at one time. Somehow, this is connected to a number of potty issues, including the problem of a pig peeing while drinking.

Take the piggies to go potty before feeding. Pigs would rather eat first and potty later, but sometimes they just can't hold it that long! Then, they potty in the wrong place because they can't get to the right place. After a while, pottying in the wrong place becomes a bad habit. They might object at first. But, pigs love food and soon they'll be happy to potty before meals.

Finally, if none of these help, try setting his water dish someplace where he can not just turn and dump. Perhaps against a wall, in a tight corner, or a narrow closet.