Knowing how mini pigs smell can be a deciding factor whether you’re ready to buy one as a pet or not.
Do mini pigs smell? Mini pigs, in general, do not have any odor. The bad smell usually associated with pigs is often caused by the environment, especially if the pig is in a regular farm.
It’s understandable for people to worry about a mini pig’s potential odor, knowing a regular pig’s reputation. The good news is, if you take good care of your pig and maintain the overall cleanliness of the area it lives in, this should not be an issue.
Besides, people don’t realize that pigs are actually very clean animals. It’s often just their snout that’s dirty all the time because they love sticking it everywhere. They are, after all, natural foragers. This is why they love digging around, leaving trails of dirt and leaves stuck on their snout a lot of times.
What Mini Pigs Smell Like
Since mini pigs are now popularly taken in as house pets, other pig owners can attest to the fact that they do not generally give out any foul odor. In fact, some mini pig owners claim that their pet gives out a sweet smell reminiscent of maple syrup. More often than not, their smell should be the last of your worries.
It also isn’t surprising that a lot of people think pigs smell bad because they are often seen playing around in mud. And for humans, mud means dirt.
In reality, pigs bathe in mud because they don’t have sweat glands. They treat bathing in mud the same way a person would treat a dip in the pool on a hot summer day. They do it to keep themselves cool.
The lack of sweat glands, if anything, makes pigs cleaner.
Humans start to have bad odor when they sweat and create a breeding ground for bacteria in their bodies. This does not happen to a pig’s body.
Pig urine is a completely different story, though.
Pig urine is rich in ammonia, so the smell is more than enough to make anybody feel nauseous. The good news is, there are a number of cleaning products in the market that can easily eliminate the smell of their urine. So if you plan on keeping them indoors, you can always prevent the smell of urine from sticking to your home.
Factors Contributing to Bad Pig Smell
A number of factors can contribute to the presence of foul odor if you have a pig in the house.
- Accumulated dirt
- Discharge from penis of an unfixed male pig
- High levels of ammonia in urine
Of course, the smell hopefully won’t be as bad as the odor in a pig farm. Normally, the stench in a pig farm is caused by the amount of manure in the area, and not by the pigs themselves.
You should also remember that in pig farms, there are often a bunch of pigs squished together in a single pen. This makes it harder for the pigs to keep themselves clean, especially if their pens are not cleaned often enough.
This will not likely happen to a mini pig that is kept at home as a pet because you have better control over the environment.
How to Manage Pig Odor
If your nose starts twitching as it starts smelling an undesirable odor, don’t panic. There are a lot of ways to stop the odor in its tracks. It’s all a matter of preparing the right tools and arming yourself with the right set of knowledge in handling mini pigs as pets.
Here are a few things that should help you manage the situation:
- Train your pig well.
Just like dogs and cats, pigs can also be trained to use a litter box. They could even be easier to train, considering that they’re far smarter. They’re among the most intelligent animals on earth, and they enjoy mental activities.
This is why it is best to start potty training them as early as possible so that you can eliminate one issue before it becomes a nuisance. Cleaning the litter box regularly is way better than having to clean random spots all over the house.
Note that pigs have a tendency to eat regular cat litter, so better go for special pine litter instead. You may also want to spread that pine litter over a large area, like a child’s inflatable pool, for instance, because your pig is expected to grow bigger and bigger despite being “miniature”.
- Use the right supplements.
There are different supplements that you can add to your pig’s food to minimize the strong smell coming from pig urine. Sarsapon, a substance that comes from the yucca plant, is a common ingredient found in these supplements.
Although there would still be a faint smell, it will not be as strong as the usual pig urine stench once these supplements kick in. This should make it easier for you to clean up your pet’s litter box.
You could also consider adding this ingredient if you make your pet pig’s food. Consult your vet and ask for recommendations on how you can give your pet a balanced diet while minimizing the bad smell that comes from their urine at the same time.
- Have your pig spayed or neutered.
When a mini pig reaches its second month, it becomes sexually mature. This introduces a lot of changes not only in their body, but in their behavior as well.
Male pigs would start to stink, and they would become highly aggressive in demeanor. Their penis would also leave some discharge everywhere they go, something that would also leave a bad smell.
Neutering a male pig will not only help get rid of the bad smell, it would also help calm the pig down.
As for the females, they would usually go into heat every three weeks. During this time, they pee more often than usual and would do it all over the place, sometimes forgetting their potty training.
Spaying a female pig would help it behave better, following its potty training to a T.
- Clean everything regularly.
Again, we emphasize the fact that it’s usually not the pig that smells, but the place it is kept in. Especially if you do not live on a farm, you wouldn’t want your home to turn into a pigsty.
Regularly clean your pig’s living area to make sure that no dirt stays there. More often than not, it’s the accumulated dirt that causes the smell.
You also have to remember that more than the smell, keeping a clean environment keeps your pig healthier. This minimizes the probability of your pig getting sick. It also helps eliminate the chances of parasites or pests hounding your pet pig.
It’s also best to ask your vet what cleaning products are best for your home. Don’t just settle for cleaning products used by dog and cat owners — those do not really address the strong smell of ammonia in pig urine.
There are special cleaning products meant specifically for dirt with high levels of ammonia. Use those instead.
Related Questions
Are mini pigs good house pets?
Mini pigs can be good house pets because they are generally social creatures that can be easily trained. They stick to a routine and are highly intelligent. You can also teach them a few cool tricks to keep you and your guests entertained.
Are there any pigs that stay small?
No pig can stay as small as other house pets like cats or small dogs. Even teacup or miniature pigs can grow to 300 pounds on its 3rd or 4th year. They are only called as such because compared to regular pigs, they are considerably smaller.
What do mini pigs eat?
Mini pigs can eat leftovers, as long as it does not contain anything that can be toxic to pigs. There are also miniature pig pellets that you can buy online or from any local feed store.
