The Complete Mini Pig Owner's Guide

Your comprehensive veterinary guide to raising healthy, thriving mini pigs. Written by Dr. Rosemary Stolzer-Bolton, DVM, this 76-page guide covers the complete biology, husbandry, and medical care of companion mini pigs — with honest, science-based guidance on what mini pig ownership actually requires across a 12 to 20 year lifespan. What's inside: • Breeds & the teacup myth — Pot-Bellied, Juliana, KuneKune & why "teacup" pigs don't exist • Anatomy & physiology — monogastric digestion, no sweat glands, cloven hooves & tusks • Behavior & intelligence — 4th most intelligent mammal, rooting drive, social hierarchy & food motivation • Choosing your mini pig — zoning laws first, reputable breeders, health assessment & quarantine • Housing — rooting area, wallow, electric fencing, indoor non-slip flooring & litter training • Nutrition & feeding — mini pig pellets, safe vegetables, toxic foods & scatter feeding strategy • Obesity prevention — BCS 1-5 scale, fatty eye, corrective diet & understanding the hunger performance • Training & enrichment — positive reinforcement only, sit, recall, litter training & harness walking • Hoof care & grooming — trimming frequency, awake vs. sedated technique & skin care • Spay & neuter — why both are essential, timing, surgical protocol & post-operative care • Natural behaviors — rooting redirection, wallow necessity, foraging enrichment & sleep needs • Preventive health care — swine vet selection, erysipelas vaccination & wellness exam schedule • Common diseases — erysipelas (diamond skin disease), mange, pneumonia, gastric ulcers & sunburn • Parasites — sarcoptic mange, lice, roundworms, whipworm, coccidia & strategic deworming • Dental care & tusk management — tusk trimming protocol, OB wire technique & root abscesses • Seasonal care — heat stroke response, wallow requirements, winter shelter & cold weather feeding • Pigs & other animals — dog-pig introductions, multi-pig hierarchy & livestock coexistence • Emergency & first aid — heat stroke, respiratory distress, rectal prolapse, bloat & wound care • Record keeping — weight logs, vaccination records, surgical history & emergency info card Evidence-based. Veterinarian-written. No fluff — just the clinical knowledge you need to keep your pig healthy for 15+ years.