Welts or Hives

Question
I have a 9 month old pot bellied pig called Charlize and I have noticed that she has got welts/hives on the right hand side of her belly and along her back leg.  They are scaly and peeling and a little red/blotchy, some bloody but very little, it is like she has scratched them because they were itchy. We are going into Summer and it gets very hot but she is kept well cooled and spoilt rotten. Can I put cream on her that is not alcohol based?  She was sick last week and lay mostly on her right side, could that have caused the sores? Please advise as she is now happy and healthy except for this rash etc??

Answer
Pigs get all sorts of skin problems. It's impossible to make a diagnosis over the internet, but I can offer some suggestions.

Rashes are caused by infections, insects, and irritants. Infections can be as simple as a minor bacterial infection in a small wound or as serious as a deadly disease. A symptom of erysipelas is diamond shaped skin lesions. When a dirty cut or scrape heals, the contaminant is trapped beneath the skin and makes a puss-filled raised bump. While these are ugly and smelly, they are easily fixed with a little antibiotic ointment.

Insects bites, or bites from anything, for that matter, can cause a nasty rash. Biting flies, ants and spiders are common culprits. A soothing lotion helps simple bites heal quickly. But if the insect laid eggs in the bite, as some species of flies do, the bite is likely to become infected. Clean infected bites with soap and water, antibiotic sprays or ointments.

Pigs tend to be more resistant to irritants like poison ivy, but if their skin is exposed to irritating chemicals they can still develop a rash. An itchy pig may scratch himself to the point of bleeding. Any itch-stopping lotion that doesn't sting will soothe the rash.

Pigs can develop a kind of bedsore from lying on one side only. But I don't think that's the sole cause of the problem here. I suspect your pig may have been lying on something that caused the rash.

Another possibility is that the rash is a symptom of the illness your pig experienced.

And another possibility is a snake bite. Sometimes the initial bite wound is invisible, but the condition is diagnosed with blood tests. The reaction starts with fever and listlessness, the pig may stop eating and be very, very sick. As the pig starts to recover, huge sores appear and thick layers of skin begin to peel off, sometimes over large sections of the body.

Pig skin and human skin is so much alike that pig skin is used in skin grafts on human burn victims. So it's ok to use any human product on your pig. Pigs don't lick themselves the way dogs and cats do, so there is no danger of the pig eating an ointment off her skin.

Scented products can cause a startling reaction in some pigs. When some pigs smell certain scented body products, like spray deodorant, they drop to the ground and roll, rub their faces on the floor, and sometimes whine. The first time I saw this happen I thought my pig was having a seizure! It's scary for a pig owner who is unprepared for it, but the reaction is temporary and harmless.

Finally, if you can, pop the container of lotion or ointment in hot water for a few moments before applying to the pig. Pigs do not enjoy cold or even room temperature lotions, but they won't mind if the lotion is just a few degrees below body temperature.