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Ten things to make you and your piggy happy.
1.Feeding. Do ensure an adequate supply of good quality hay, fresh veg and dry mix daily along with fresh
water.
2.Bedding. Do use Hay or chopped straw. This is far better for you and your piggy.Sawdust/woodshavings cause
breathing, skin and eye problems.
3. Do give your piggy another piggy as a friend. Despite what you may read boars can be paired up
if done carefully. Rabbits are NOT suitable companions for piggies. Buck rabbits mount piggies and bite them Does can do the
same when in season. They do not speak the same language and piggies are very sociable little mammals. Last but not least,
no matter how friendly the rabbit, they all kick out in play, if your piggy happens to be in striking distance he is either
dead or maimed.
4.Take a moment to watch your piggies every day. Watch them eating and look for any changes from the norm.
This is a good way to spot the first signs of trouble once you know your piggies well.
5.Do let your piggies out for a run everyday, if the weather is nasty then let them run somewhere safe in
the house for a good hour every day.
6. In boars do clean out the anal sac monthly, and do clean their grease gland which is situated just above
where their tail would be. Swarfega is great for this. If you ever see any bits of hay/straw protruding from the anal sac
or sheath remove it gently immediately.
7.Cleaning. Do clean out your piggies at least twice a week. Any white marks on the floor of the cage can
be removed using vinegar, just spray it on ,leave for a minute and wipe off. Do also thoroughly clean the water bottle at
least twice a week using a bottle brush, a cotton bud will clean the nozzle well but remember to do both ends.but in
any case rinse it daily and change the water. Bacteria can build up in a very short time...particularly on a hot day.
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8. Do bath at least every 6 -8 weeks using a mild shampoo. In boars be sure to extrude the penis and very
gently clean off any deposits. Also rinse out the anal sac and make sure it is free from hay etc. It is normal for there
to be a sort of whitish grease inside. Do be very gentle in these areas as they are very tender.
9.Do cut claws regularly, at least every time you bathe the piggies, did you know by letting the claws grow
too long that you break the bones in their paws? Also clean the ears out when you bathe, this discourages earmites. Never
push a cotton bud into the ear canal, just gently wipe around the ear flap with a cotton wool ball or similar. You will also
notice that in dark coloured piggies the ear wax is dark and light in light coloured piggies. This is normal.
10. Do try to make the cage interesting. Use cardboard boxes, wooden houses and igloos with tunnels.Beware
of the smaller igloos without tunnels as they have been known to cause internal damage after the piggy has chewed bits
of them. Change the hides around as much as you can.
Remember to enjoy your piggies with plenty of cuddles and chatter. They are good listeners! Indoor piggies
are so much fun and you really get to know your piggies character and just how charming these little critters are. Sadly so
many piggies spend their lives at the bottom of the garden and their owners never realise just what they are missing. They
are very amusing pets once they trust you and give so much love back to you.
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How not to keep your cage.
The state of this cage is quite disgusting and is easily remedied. Vinegar, (spirit or malt work equally well),
will remove the white marks often left on the cage floor and should be done every time the cage is cleaned. It should
not be left to build up to this state. Newspapers used under the hay or straw will make life a lot easier for you when it
comes to cleaning day.
This shows the above cage half way through the cleaning process. When they get to this stage it takes drastic measures
to get them clean and it is hard work.
Two hours later and the cage is almost as good as new. I should add that this was not acheived by using vinegar, it was
way beyond that but the product used is easily available in supermarkets.
More to follow soon
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