In some areas of the country, and in other countries, it is sometimes difficult (if not impossible) to find a competent vet to care for your mini pig.

While you should NEVER stop looking for such a vet (our veterinary

pages are a good place to start), it is possible to do some of the routine

maintenance yourself. This can reduce stress on the teacup pig, and on your pocketbook!

If your pig frequently walks on hard surfaces, hoof trimming might never be a necessity. Otherwise, you

should plan on having to trim hooves at least once a year. Details on this

process can be found on the Hoof Trimming page. At the same time, tusks also might need to be trimmed,especially on male pigs. Female pigs might never need their tusks trimmed, as they are normally much smaller.

Generally, for the safety of the pig, this is a two-person job. Obstetric wire is the easiest and safest way to accomplish this task, and can be purchased on-line or at some feed or pet supply stores. While cutting, squirt the area with water to prevent friction-induced heat from building up. Trim tusks until they just barely protrude out of the mouth. Smooth edges with a dremel tool or sandpaper if necessary.

If you have a young teacup pig, begin working with him/her NOW to acclimate them to having their hooves trimmed while laying down for a belly rub. However, if you have a micro pig who is unwilling to tolerate hoof/tusk trims without being restrained, see the pictures below for some ideas on how to restrain your pig in order to perform this

important maintenance.



In these pics, the pig is cornered, then gripped just behind the front legs. The

person then sits down, with the pig between her legs. A similar technique

is shown below.





With a pig that is fairly docile, it can simply be rolled onto its back while laying down. It can

then be straddled between the legs as shown below. (Notice that she is

wearing earphones – these critters can be noisy!)



