sore hooves

Question
Andrew, my potbelly, is 8 mnths old. We walk everyday.The past 2 days Andrew walks like my husband walks on gravel barefoot. I noticed today that the inner toe, on both front feet on the bottom is red and looks sore. Can they get infected? Can it be something he ate and reacted too? Maybe too much walking on sidewalks? Do you have anything you could share about sore hooves? I have 2 different vets I see, but both are not that experienced with pigs. Thank you Helen.

Answer
Horses and some other grazing animals can experience a hoof problem due to eating the wrong thing, but that hasn't been documented in pigs. Pigs hooves are different from a horses hoof.

The most common hoof problems are bruising due to running or jumping on sharp gravel or other harsh surfaces, a cut or wound from stepping on something like broken glass, a sharp thorn or sticky plant seed that has worked it's way in, or a heat or chemical burn from hot asphalt or walking through salt or harsh cleaning solutions.

Wash his feet really well, to get off any chemical residue. Look for and remove any foreign objects like seed prickers or bits of glass. Put a little antibiotic lotion (like Polysporin) on any cuts or wounds. And, if he will let you, some cold compresses on the red parts.