The Nancy
Shepherd’s Corner
Nancy Shepherd has been a pig person
since the mid-1970’s, but potbellied
pigs became her focus in 1989 when she
acquired her first breeding pair,
Jitterbug and Yoda. While this pair has
crossed over, their genetics was strong
in her breeding program and she
produced fine, well-bred pets for 25
years. In 2013, she was forced to stop
breeding because of her inability to find
unrelated breeding stock. It seemed that
breeders no longer felt it was important
to have pure-bred, registered stock. She then, like most
potbellied pig breeders and potbellied pig associations, began
educating, counselling, and providing references and resources to
people desiring important information on the care, training and
management of a pet pig. NorthWest Miniature Pig Association
has learned an abundance of important information from Nancy
Shepherd and wishes to share information from her PotBellied
Pig Parenting Book and her website on a rotating basis.
Each month this page will feature a different article from the
book Potbellied Pig Parenting by Nancy Shepherd as well as from
presentations, lectures, seminars, and other informational
gatherings pertaining to subjects related to potbellied pigs.
Check back each month for a new article. These articles will not
accumulate on this webpage.
For information on ordering the entire book (110 pages of info
and articles), please contact Patty Hill @ E-mail
pattyrocs@msn.com
What every pet owner hates and every pig and pig owner hate
even more, is going to the vet. First understand that I am not a
veterinarian and I am writing this from the standpoint of a pig
owner with a lot of experience with his own pigs and with many
rescue pigs. Through the rescue I also have a fairly close
relationship with many veterinarians and sanctuaries and with
club members and their experiences. I also have dealings with
clubs and breeders throughout the country and their veterinary
experiences.
Anyway, the general rule is that once a year your pig should see
a veterinarian for a general exam and perhaps shots, hoof and
tusk trimming, and teeth, ear and eye cleaning.
How much is needed and how it is accomplished varies from pig
to pig, vet-to-vet and owner-to-owner.
•
There are many questions about vet care. Some of
them are:
•
Is your vet mobile (comes to your home) or office
based (you go to them)?
•
Does your vet use anesthetics (Isoflurane gas or
injectable anesthetics), or do they restrain the pig
(or do you restrain the pig)?
•
Is your pig harness trained?
•
Does your pig travel well?
•
Does it ride in a vehicle un-crated or in a crate?
•
Do you have a crate?
•
Can you get your pig in a crate?
•
Will the police come if you try and put your pig in a
crate?
•
What dangers could a visit with the vet pose to your
pig?
•
What dangers will not going to the vet pose to your
pig?
The first question is, do you have a mobile vet in your area who
knows about potbellied pigs and is willing to come to your
home? If the answer is yes, does this vet have a portable
Isoflurane unit? This may or may not be necessary, but for some
procedures it is very important. What procedures can a mobile
vet perform? It depends on the vet, the size, age and health of
your pig and possibly on your ability to help with the
procedures. First, be aware that if this animal is a dearly
beloved member of the family, you are probably going to be
uncomfortable with your pig being force-fully restrained for
these procedures.
When a pig is grabbed and restrained forcefully, a part of their
mind tells them that this is the end. What is the present advice
to people being victimized by rapists or attackers - SCREAM
AND FIGHT. That is what your pig is going to do when you try to
force it to do something. Most of us have learned to talk to our
pigs, bribe our pigs or somehow convince our pigs that what we
want is really their idea. Some owners have so much trust built
up with their pigs that hoof trimming, shots and even tusk
trimming are not a problem. This is unusual, but some pigs
cooperate with the procedures. Most pigs don’t.
If it is preferred not to use anesthetics and to work on the pig
with it conscious, you must realize that forcefully restraining
one of these animals can, in extreme cases, be fatal to the
animal. It is even recommended not to do this with older
animals. Restraining the animal and holding it should be done
cleanly and forcefully. Grab the animal and lift its front legs off
the ground by holding it under its front legs in the arm pit area,
roll it on to its butt and hold it securely between your legs (you
can sit on a SOLID chair, sofa or bench if you wish). Having a pig
harness on the animal can help you maintain control but
chasing the pig around for twenty minutes or having it escape
because you relaxed your hold to scratch your nose is going to
just add to the stress for everyone. If you cannot help your vet
with this, either get an experienced vet who can do it on their
own (rare, but they exist) or opt for a vet with a portable
Isoflurane unit (also rare). My wife and I have on occasion tried
to help people hold their own pig to trim hooves only to have
the owner suddenly let go of the pig because they couldn’t
stand to hear it scream. The bigger and less sociable the pig,
the harder this job becomes.
Also be aware that if an emergency occurs during these
procedures a mobile vet will probably be limited in lifesaving
procedures they can perform in your home as compared to a
fully equipped veterinary office or an animal hospital.
If it is necessary to use anesthetic on your pig so that it will be
asleep during the procedures, what type of anesthetic will be
used? Every knowledgeable pig association, group or owner that
I have dealt with in the last ten years has concluded that the
safest anesthetic is Isoflurane gas. There is a mix of injectables
that is considered fairly safe if used properly, but it is not
recommended. The problem with Isoflurane gas is that the pig
must be willing to be held and hold still while a mask is placed
over its snout for one or two minutes while it breathes the gas
and falls asleep. All of our pigs are comfortable with this
procedure. In fact, Chuckles seems to like it a little too well.
We think he may be becoming an Isoflurane addict. Just say,
“No!” Chuckles.
Some vets prefer to give a pre-shot of injectable anesthetic so
that it is easier to administer the Isoflurane. This is not
necessarily recommended by pig owners but may be required if
your pig cannot be easily controlled by you or the vet so that
the mask can be used. (See the following article by Dr. George.)
A mobile vet with or without Isoflurane should be able to give
shots, trim hooves and clean eyes and ears. It will be noisy, and
earplugs are recommended.
Tusks are a more delicate problem. Cutting tusks with the pig
awake is how we lost our first pig, T.S. Piggliot. Other members
have also had bad experiences with this. The only
recommendation I could give on this is to use an OB cutting
wire (available at most vet supply/feed stores) and cover the
back of the mouth area (with a cloth) to keep the cut tusk from
being inhaled into the lung by the screaming pig. Do not
attempt to cut the tusk close to the gum line with bolt cutters.
The danger of the tusk splitting is far too great. If tusks are not
an issue with you and you merely wish to blunt the tip that
protrudes from the mouth, cutters or a file of some type may
be appropriate.
If you are unable to find a mobile vet, often the case in more
urban areas, you may be lucky enough to find an experienced
vet who will see your pet pig at their office. The next problem
is getting the pig to the vet’s office. Some pigs will jump right
into a vehicle. Others will walk up a ramp. Some will easily get
into a crate. Some will wear a harness and leash, and some
won’t do any of the above. If you get the animal to the vets in
your car without having it confined to a crate, can you control
it once you get there? We have found that having the pig in a
crate is preferable, but others just walk their pig in on a leash.
If your pig is not leash-trained and you need to use a crate, but
your pig is not crate-trained, HELP!
Fighting a pig into a crate is usually a disaster. Bribing a pig into
a crate only works once but giving the pig nowhere else to go
but into the crate is usually quiet and calm. First, make sure
you have a big enough crate. Then make sure you have a
vehicle that will hold the crate. The “700” or “Giant” size
crate will be too high for many SUV’s and covered pickups. Try
it before you get the pig loaded. Then make sure you have
enough strong backs to lift it. One of these large crates weighs
around fifty pounds. Add a full-grown potbellied pig at 100 to
150 lbs. or more and you have a two-to-three-person project. (I
made a special roller dolly and an 8' ramp with a rope and
pulley assembly so my wife and I can load our boys.)
How do you make a pig want to enter a crate? We have
discovered a few ways. The big secret is to set it up right the
first time and not fail. Pigs tend to go forward. They can’t see
behind them. A little prodding with a pig crowding board (a 2' x
3' piece of plywood or even a garbage can lid) lightly tapped
(not taped) on their behinds and used to block their vision if
they try to turn will do wonders to guide them. Some of our
members can guide a pig with a cane by tapping its shoulders
on one side and then the other. The main thing to do is keep
the pig and you CALM. No chasing, running or yelling.
Get the pig and the crate in a pen or area of the backyard (or
house) that is fairly small and uncluttered. In our yard, we have
a 15' walkway about two feet wide with a short fence on one
side and a shed on the other. We put the crate at one end and
guide a pig into the other end with the pig board. Once he
starts down the path with the pig board blocking his view
behind, there’s nowhere to go but into the crate. We have also
used exercise pens to corral the pig and then placed the crate
at the pen opening and folded up the exercise pen making it
smaller and smaller with the crate being the only place left to
go.
I can remember when we first started working with pigs.
Chasing them, yelling, wrestling them into crates, and it never
worked. It stressed us, and it stressed the pig. Be sure you have
enough help but also make sure that the helpers understand
that this is not a roundup in the old west. We’re not trying to
scare the pig, just guide it. If you have a major size pig that
won’t fit in any crate, my wife’s idea to a member that worked
excellently was as follows. The evening before this pig had to
go to U.C. Davis for some serious vet work, she had them fill
the back of a covered pickup (a van would also work) with
straw or hay. They then got some neighbors and friends to hold
boards, and corrals on either side of the pig and move along as
the pig was prodded towards a ramp (a sheet of 3/4" plywood
with 2' x 4' reinforcing on the back) into the truck. The pig
went into the truck, spent the night in the warm straw, and left
the next morning for U.C. Davis without ever even waking up.
Why go to the vet for yearly exams?
General Exam:
Just like us pigs need a general check of their heart and lungs,
and general condition.
Vaccinations:
With younger pigs it is probably a good idea to give them annual
vaccinations. There are pig diseases out there that could kill or
harm your animal and could be spread to other pigs. Older pigs
(after 5 or 6 years) probably have their immunities built up. If
you have a problem with mange or worms, you can give
injectable Ivomec orally on a cracker every 3 months with
probable success. It has worked in all cases I’m familiar with.
Rabies vaccinations are another problem. There are no rabies
vaccines approved for pigs, so many vets won’t give them. Yet
we have cases on record of pigs, who have bitten some-one,
being confiscated by authorities and killed so that their brains
can be checked for rabies. Some vets give a rabies vaccine, but
I don’t know if that would be recognized as sufficient by
authorities.
Hoof Trimming:
Very important. Pigs whose hooves are allowed to grow too long
can develop serious leg problems. One of the pig’s greatest
problems is getting those spindly little legs to support that
potbelly.
Long hooves shift the weight back and break down the hoof and
ankle structure. If the pig is over-weight, it will, of course,
increase the severity of this problem. This is a situation that
many pig owners take care of without the help of a vet. You can
try sprinkling food on concrete surfaces daily to help your pig
wear down his hooves. Beware if the pig is only used to soft
surfaces this may be uncomfortable on the pig’s legs and could
possibly cause hoof cracking. Introduce this process slowly. You
can also hold the pig as described earlier and trim the hooves
yourself with a cutter, file or even an electric Dremel tool. This
will be stressful to both you and the pig. You may be able to
slowly train your pig to let you trim his hooves when he’s laying
down to get belly rubs or when he is eating. Just a little at a
time and don’t force it.
Tusk Trimming:
Some people just let the tusks grow. (You can tell by the scars
on their legs.) Problems this can cause are the obvious ones of
inadvertent or advertent injury to you or others (including
other pets) from these built in weapons. They also may get
caught in fencing, furniture, garden equipment, etc. causing
injury or damage. The other problem is that tusks can curve
back into the mouth or cheek area puncturing the skin.
Blunting the tip of a tusk is not much of a problem but may
involve you having to restrain the pig. Trimming the tusk down
to the gum line is more involved. It should be done with the
earlier described OB cutting wire and if the pig is awake, care
must be taken to keep the tusk from being drawn into the lungs
of the screaming animal.
Eye and Ear Cleaning:
These cleaning tasks can usually be accomplished when the pig
is at rest. Use of liquid ear cleaners has created problems with
temporary (up to a month) loss of hearing resulting in some
cases.
Teeth Cleaning: Preventing decay is desirable, but probably not
essential.
Beware if you have multiple animals and one has been sedated.
Keep the sedated animal away from the rest of the “herd” until
it has fully recovered, plus an hour or so. Reintroducing a not
fully recovered animal to the herd can cause a readjustment of
the herd order (i.e. fighting). Always observe the herd after any
animal is reintroduced and be prepared for possible serious
altercations. We have seen cases of serious injuries after
animals have been reintroduced.
We also are starting to see a problem with older pigs (five years
or more) being given health checks. Extreme care must be
taken if these pigs are sedated to keep the sedation as light as
possible and for as little time as possible. Also restraining older
pigs has led to stress-related deaths. Those of you who have
been paying attention are now asking, “If I can’t restrain them
and I can’t sedate them, how do I treat them?” No easy answer.
We plan to try and keep the hooves down on our animals by
feeding on concrete and hoof trimming when they allow it.
We’re letting the tusks grow until they become a problem.
Vaccinations on our older pigs shouldn’t be needed unless
rabies start being required. Eyes and ears can be handled on a
stress-free basis. If tusk trimming or other needs make
anesthetic the only choice, it will be Isoflurane at the lowest
settings and for as short a time period as possible.
Pigs are very sensitive to anesthetics, and I have observed
changes in the way Isoflurane gas is used over the past nine
years that are significant. In the past, settings of 5% to put the
pig to sleep and 2.5% to 3% to keep it there were rather
commonly used, and I suspect still are. When the pig is first put
under with the gas, the vaporizer should be set at no more than
3% and a full-face mask is used until the pig goes to sleep.
During this procedure, the pig is usually on the floor in the
lower half of his crate with the owner holding or restraining
him. The pig is then placed on a table and the full-face mask is
replaced by the proper sized “cat mask” (looks like a sink
plunger with the edges rolled in) which fits over the snout
allowing access to the mouth area. At this time the Isoflurane
setting should be reduced to 2.5% and then 1.5% to 2%. In this
final range, the pig may be slightly conscious. The goal is to try
and keep the pig in the range right at the edge of being
conscious. When procedures are over, the pig is returned to the
crate. The Isoflurane is turned off, and Oxygen is administered
as the pig wakes up. There may be some slight reaction as the
pig becomes fully conscious, but nothing like what occurs when
a pig comes up from injectable anesthetic.
Again, anesthetics are not good for or entirely safe for any
living thing, but high levels of stress (terror) aren’t either. Until
we reach the point of communication with these animals that
they truly trust every-thing we do to them, some form of stress
or anesthetic will be required for just simple procedures to
keep them in good health.
I hope some of you find this information helpful or
enlightening. This is a rather compressed version. It would take
a small book to cover it in detail. If you need further
information on some of the details or on where to get some of
these supplies, please contact me. If you have any corrections
or additional information, please let me know. If you would let
us know some information about the veterinarian you use, we
will pass it on to others or publish it in the newsletter for our
members. We are constantly hearing from members who need a
veterinarian in their area, but we seldom have much
information to share. We’re still learning about these precious
creatures. We’ve had very little time to find out how to share
our lives with a potbellied pig. I only hope we are doing what is
best for them. They certainly do a lot for us. You can contact
me at: tspiggliot@aol.com
Dr. Lisle George of U.C. Davis Veterinarian Medical Teaching
Hospital, one of the nation’s top experts on potbellied pigs,
was kind enough to read my article and respond to it with
some suggestions. We as a club have been very fortunate to
have Dr. George’s professional support for both our personal
animals and the hundreds of rescue animals that have passed
through our foster pens. Without his support, this club would
have been out of business as a rescue organization years ago,
and without his dedication and knowledge, our potbellied pigs
would not have the level and quality of medical care that he
and his graduates have provided. Dr. George is presently in the
process of finishing a much-needed veterinarian medical guide
on potbellied pigs.
The article is excellent. Thanks for writing it, Chris. I only
disagree on one point, and it is only based upon a judgement
that I’ve made by anesthetizing a lot of pigs using different
techniques. My personal preference is to use 1 mg/kg of Telazol
as a pre-anesthetic unless the pig is very tractable and is
harness-trained. In my opinion, the problems with Telazol stem
from injection of the drug into the fat instead of the muscle. I
insist that the pigs be given the drug with a 3.5-inch spinal
needle inserted into the semimembranosus/semitendinosus
muscles (hams). The needle must be inserted at least 2/3 of the
length before the drug is injected. Standard 1.5-inch-long
needles deposit the drug into the fat, and that leads to
recovery problems.
I feel that a single injection of Telazol is preferable to making
an excited pig breathe into a mask containing a stinky gas. I get
fewer scars on my stomach too because I must hold the pigs
while the gas is being delivered, and they are pretty good at
filleting my hide with their back hooves. Gas administration
takes 1 to 2 minutes, and I have had pigs stress-out during that
time. Much better, in my opinion, to give a quick shot and wait
for the pig to go to sleep, than to allow the pig to struggle while
inhaling gas.
I agree wholeheartedly that obese or old pigs should not be
anesthetized, if possible, although, in competent hands (our
anaesthesia service), we have had a 100% survival rate in
obese, sick and elderly pigs using Telazol followed by intubation
and Isoflurane delivery. For foot trims and other procedures
where we don’t want to anesthetize the pigs, we restrain them
on our pig tilt table. The pigs are tilted onto their sides while
being restrained in a squeeze chute. They can’t move, and
don’t seem to struggle too much. I have restrained at least two
dozen pigs that way, without mortality.
An Isoflurane setting of 5 on the vaporizer indicates that 5% of
the inspired gases are Isoflurane. In my opinion, a vaporizer
setting greater than 3% is too high, and represents an
unnecessary risk factor. Pigs die from these high settings, and I
have seen and been told of pigs that died of overdoses of
Isoflurane. I would never put the machine up that high. That
doesn’t mean that all pigs die after inhaling gases containing 5%
Isoflurane, but the risk of apnea and cardiac fibrillation is much
greater than if the vaporizer is set at 3%.
James “Chris” Christensen and his wife, Marcie, purchased
their first potbellied pig, T.S. Piggliot, in January of 1990. They
became fast potbellied pig enthusiasts and were the first “pet”
pig owners to join the California Potbellied Pig Association,
CPPA, a club started by and for breeders. James and Marcie
began working with CPPA to rescue and place potbellied pigs in
loving homes. They presently have four rescued potbellied pigs
(T.S. died 7/95), Riff, Chuckles, George and Standlee as well as
a three-legged dog, Trepeuax.
Above: Cleaning Ears
Above and Below: Trimming Hooves
Below: Coming Out of ISO Gas