Preventive Health Care for Pet Potbellied Pigs

Abstract

Many small and exotic animal practitioners decline to see potbellied pigs, possibly because of their challenging behavior and the perception that in order to treat them, one must be very knowledgeable about swine medicine. With some basic information about their unique behavior and their preventive health care needs, however, seeing potbellied pigs in practice is easy and provides a much-needed service in many communities. The behavior of the pig, recommended methods of restraint, physical examination, vaccinations, and parasite control are all discussed.