Do Pigs Need Their Teeth Clipping?

It’s natural to wonder about what pigs need and what is good or bad for them. For this article, we’ll discuss about teeth clipping and its purpose!

Do pigs need their teeth clipping? Yes, baby pigs (piglet/liter) need to have their teeth clipping as soon as possible after birth. They are born with 8 teeth and usually are needle sharp. If the teeth are not clipped, the sow (mother pig) will struggle nursing them. The piglets may cause injuries on the mother’s breasts and may start refusing to feed them with her milk.

Teeth clipping also prevents other injuries that piglets may inflict upon their siblings when playing or fighting. These injuries are capable of being severe to the point of causing intense bleeding and may lead to infection. The tusks are considered teeth as it is a part of the jawbones. Tusks usually become visible around eighteen months of age and are often removed because it serves no purpose for pigs that are livestock or pets.

In other words, baby pigs have no use for their teeth when young as they still rely on their mother pig’s milk.

After removing the needle sharp teeth, the baby pigs will slowly grow another set of teeth which is not as sharp as their first set. The second set can be referred to as “baby teeth” and will eventually fall out on its own.

On average, baby pigs will have around 28 teeth that will be replaced by 44 stronger teeth as they reach adulthood.

To prevent any unnecessary injuries, teeth clipping is very important and is often done within minutes or hours after birth.

If you own a pig that is going to become a sow and wonder how to take care of the clipping, please be reminded that it can be a risky task.

Adult pigs usually don’t need teeth clipping aside from maintaining their tusks if they still have one. Keep reading to learn more about properly maintaining your pig’s teeth or tusks.

Teeth clipping process

If you are a new owner or do not have enough experience handling this activity, we highly recommended seeking help from a professional or a veterinarian.

Clipping the teeth on your own can be risky.

— You might accidentally get bitten which may result in possible infections
— You might cut through the baby pig’s gums and also cause infections
— You may be attacked by the sow (mother pig) if she deems that her liter (baby pigs) are in danger.

A parenting pig can be defensive and overly protective and thus this process is recommended to be done away from the mother’s sight.

Clipping tips

If there are no available veterinarians or an experienced professional to help you out, you’ll be left with no choice but to attempt doing it on your own. We’ll provide the most helpful tips possible.

Use the right tool

Do not just grab anything that can be used to cut. The teeth are embedded deep into the gums and must be carefully pulled out with the right strength.

Use a clean and proper teeth clipper — can be bought from pet stores, poultry tools and supplies shops and over the internet.

Clean the tool before using on another piglet.

Ask for assistance from anyone with strength

If you do not have enough strength to hold down a piglet or if they are resisting too hard and making it difficult for you, it’s best to ask for help to anyone who can hold down the pig.

Be patient and do not panic

Even when the baby pig starts screaming and crying, you and the assistants must remain calm and patient.

Panicking with the piglet will only cause more stress and will continuously make it difficult by nonstop resistance.

Remaining calm will possibly calm the piglet down too.

Follow a guide

It’s recommended to watch a YouTube video as an important visual guide especially for first timers in order to have a higher success rate and avoid unwanted accidents.

— Press the mouth area until the pig opens its mouth
— Make sure the tongue is not close to the clipper
— Tilt the pig’s head so the teeth falls out and they don’t swallow it
— Carefully clip the teeth close to the gum level
— Clean the clippers before using on another piglet

The risks of improper clipping

Mistakes and accidents may happen and the ones that will suffer the consequences the most will be the pigs and their mother.

Improperly clipping the teeth could cause a sore gum, loss of appetite, irritability and sometimes, even depression. Simple pain and negative emotions in a young pig could eventually lead to sickness and death.

As much as possible, rely on experienced professionals.

Tusks are Teeth too

All pigs have tusks. It is a large, growing front tooth and is part of the jawbones. When removed completely from the gums, it will no longer grow back.

Regardless if they are wild or domesticated, male or female, they will grow tusks. The tusks can be used as a way to identify gender.

Most female pigs have shorter or smaller tusks that do not grow large enough to stick out of their mouths.

This is mainly why some people thought females do not grow tusks. The tusk is connected to the jawbones and is vital to a pig’s survival in the wild. It is their only weapon aside from their mouths.

No matter the breed, they will grow tusks. The tusks usually appear or become visible around eighteen months of age.

Tusks — why do pigs have them?

The reasons are mainly about hunting and defense. The purpose of a pig’s tusks is to protect them in the wild.

— Male pigs will grow larger tusks and can be on the offensive side if provoked by strangers or intruders.
— Male pigs can take advantage of their tusks when coming across a smaller animal that it can hunt.
— Both male and female pigs can use their tusks to intimidate possible predators such as lions, cheetahs, hyenas and even snakes.
— Even when they do get attacked, they can fight back and will definitely not go down without it.

Domesticated pigs (livestock or pets) often have their tusks cut off because it will hardly serve any purpose in captivity.

There will be no need for pigs to defend themselves or attack others for the sake of food as it will be provided to them by their handlers or owners.

Regardless of the danger it might pose if a domesticated pig keep their tusks, some owners prefer to be on the “exotic side” and purposely choose pigs that have fully grown tusks.

Tusks — why it should be trimmed (similar to teeth clipping)

Overgrown or abnormally large tusks may hinder the pig’s ability to feed. The tusks may get in the way when the pig is trying to get their food into their mouths.

As result, your pig might grow irritable, lose their appetite, search for a flat and sturdy object or surface and then run their body against it in attempts of “losing” or “trimming” their tusks.

In the wild, this behavior is referred to as “sharpening” the tusks but no one is sure if domesticated pigs do the same when their tusks have grown long.

Another reason why it is important is because of the risks it can make. There are reported cases of people getting deep and severe injuries because of pig’s tusks.

No matter how tame an animal is, if it feels threatened, they can still attack and regain their sense of the wild.

To avoid unwanted accidents and for the better of your pet pig too, trimming the tusk is necessary.

Tusks — how to trim

If you are determined to do the process on your own in case you don’t have a local veterinarian with experience on pigs or know any professional to help you out, we’ll try to provide helpful tips.

This is highly similar to teeth clipping.

Use the proper tools

The most commonly used tool is a Dremel and a bolt cutter.

You may look up the tools online if you’re not familiar with it. The tools can be brought from pet tools store, hardware supply stores and over the internet.

Make sure the tool is clean so it does not cause infections when used.

Earn your pig’s trust

The next important tip is earning your pig’s trust.

Trimming is not a usual activity for them and may perceive such as a hostile action. Any animal will normally resist anything that is unnaturally scary for them.

Let your pig get used to physical contact.

Trimming will require being held down for a long duration and most pigs do not like being held down, picked up or confined to a corner.

If your pig is used to being held, touched or carried, this will help reduce your worries. They are prey animals, so they will tend to run away when things get risky for them.

During the process, try to hold them down the way suited to properly trim the tusks. Do not force them or rush them otherwise they will start running away the next time they see you.

Try again the next day until they slowly accept being held down.

Patience is vital and will be helpful to both you and your pig.

Be careful and patient

You will need at least 3 people to give you a hand especially if you have a large pig. The back and front legs need to be held to keep them from running and the center body or the head must be firmly held too.

— The pig might scream or cry in fear. Don’t let it bother you and remain calm. If you panic together with your pig, you’ll never get anything done.

— Make sure the pig is familiar with the people round and is comfortable with the area where you’re doing the trimming.

— If the pig is not familiar with the assistants, just advise them to be calm. Pigs can die from the shock or get a stroke but having calm people nearby can help them calm down too.

— Carefully trim the tusk down and make sure you do not cut through the gums, otherwise it can cause big problems!

— Watch a video on YouTube or any educational channel for better references. This step should be done many times before doing the actual trimming! Preparation is a helpful thing.