Re: Trimming hooves

Question
QUESTION: Hi Helen,
I am a barefoot trimmer of horses.  I was recently asked to trim a pot bellied pig and need to know the correct way to do this before I accept this responsibility.
Please let me know if you can give me ideas or if there is a guide I can read up on?
Looking forward to your response.
Heidi

ANSWER: Pig hooves are more like "toenails" and less like horse hooves. Trim from the outside in, using sharp pruning shears or goat hoof clippers. Trim them flat and square.
Veterinary Care of Pot-Bellied Pigs by Lorrie Boldrick (Blackburn) DVM has photos of properly trimmed feet, and problem feet as well. I think it is available from Amazon.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have borrowed a pair of goat hoof clippers so I have the correct tool.
Your answer of trimming from the outside in, and flat and square?
Do you mean to start from the heels or side quarter, remove the excess wall of the hoof, which I understand tends to fold inward toward the middle of the hoof.  Flat? Meaning trim the walls to the level of the sole without invading it to hit the live "quick"?  Square? Remove the front of the pointed toe area?  How far back can I go at that point?  Does the sole tell me where the blood is?
Sorry, so many questions.  I do appreciate your help though.
Heidi

Answer
Blood vessels extend from the sole into the hoof. Sometimes they are visible on white footed pigs with pale hooves. The longer the hoof, the longer the veins and the "quick" extend from the sole. So if the hooves are extremely long it might require two separate trimming sessions to get the hooves back in shape.
I'm sorry I realize my explanation wasn't clear. A picture is worth a thousand words, so there's a series of photos of a hoof trimming at http://www.potbelliedpigs.co.uk/. Click on the Hoof Trim 1 and 2 links on the left side of the page. He uses bypass style trimmers only, but I've used pincher type goat nippers successfully. There's a detailed written description here http://www.thepigpreserveassociation.org/hooftrim.htm along with instructions on how to restrain the pig without anesthesia, and a short video clip is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo82OtP7nxY
This slide show has some pictures towards the end that clearly show what good pig feet look like, and the hooves are visible in some of the other photos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04xeg3SQKCc