info on pbp

Question
Dear Helen, I have recently aquired an adorable pbp. She is 2 1/2 months old and we have a very good bond. I have read all the sites I could find regarding her upkeep, but have no info on her skin care as she has very dry flaky skin, but is not prone to wallowing in the mud. Also, I live in France and have been unable so far to find a supplier of the appropriate dried food that most sites recommend. I currently cook her vegetables with a kind of pasta made from veg, which she loves, but she does seem to eat a VAST amount of this, and I do not want to be overfeeding her. She has not got any fatter since I have had her though - although she has obviously grown, so perhaps she needs this amount? Any info you can give, or sites you can recommend will be helpful. P.S She also adores bind weed! Is this good for her??? Thank You for your time. Regards Dawn and Podrig.

Answer
Hi,

It's nice to hear that people all around the world are keeping pot-bellied pigs as pets!

Pigs and people are very much alike, and pig skin is often used in the US to help human burn victims heal. Pigs do not lick themselves the way dogs or cats do. So it's safe to use human skin lotion on your pig. Pick one that moisturizes but is not greasy, you might have to try several kinds to find the one that works best.

Another thing you might try is adding some flax seed oil or olive oil to her food, just a spoonful or two per meal.

When feeding a pig the most important thing is how the pig looks. If she has a huge belly, she's getting too much. If you can see or feel bones, she needs more. If she looks good then you're probably giving her the right amount.

Because you can't get a pre-made food for her, you might want to give her a childrens vitamin tablet with iron every other day, just to make sure she's getting all the trace minerals she needs.

Some good sites are

www.pigs4ever.com

www.thepigpreserveassociation.org

www.petpigs.com

I also recommend Priscilla Valentine's book "Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and Training". It's available from her site www.valentinesperformingpigs.com or from Amazon.com

Plants have a scientific name and a common name. The common name often changes from place to place. So I hope we are talking about the same "bindweed" - this is what we call bindweed

http://www.pesticide.org/bindweed.html

Pigs have a surprising ability to know what's bad for them and avoid it. Also, you said she adores it, so I am guessing she's already eaten quite a bit with no bad effects. So, if we're talking about the same plant and if she's already eaten it with no bad effects, it's probably ok for her to have.

Bindweed grows in the grape vines here. My pigs adore the grape vines. So when I trim the grape vines, they get the grape vine trimmings and any bindweed that's tangled in, and they eat everything.