Summer Safety: Keeping Your Pet Pig Cool and Protected

The heat is upon us. That’s what I want to talk about, helping our pigs so they can have a good summer. Something so that we don't have to worry about them. The heat can be dangerous for them. Too much sun can also be dangerous. It’s important to help our pigs through the heat so they don't get heat exhaustion or heat stroke because they both can kill pigs. We need to find ways to cool our pig off.  Nice dense shade A kiddie pool Spray a hose so your pig can make a wallow   Pigs need ways to cool down because they do not have very many sweat glands. They do not have enough to cool themselves down. Ways for them to cool down are necessary. Cool water to drink Pet specific pools or home made pools A sprinkler   Water deprivation for pigs is extremely dangerous. When a pig is deprived of water and then they have access to water they end up drinking so much water that it throws off their electrolyte balance and this can cause a lot of problems. So please keep in mind that they will need small amounts of water often until they are satisfied before you give them access to a kiddie pool if you notice they haven't had water for a while. I love to take fruit and freeze it in a bowl of water for them to enjoy while also cooling down. Sometimes I also freeze bottles of water and throw those in their kiddie pool or their big water bowls and it keeps their water cool and is something they will play with sometimes.  If you have a light color pig and they are in direct sunlight and it's hot out, you need to make sure they always have a shade option. Even if they have shade they tend to love laying in the sun so if your pig is pink they will need some sort of sunblock. I prefer zinc oxide based and natural sunscreens but if i’m in desperate need I will use a spray sunscreen made for babies. Heat and sunburns have been linked to Dippity Pig Syndrome so keep an eye for those symptoms. Heat stroke is also something that we need to be on the lookout for. If your pig is not eating or drinking you need to call the vet immediately.  If you don’t have trees to create shade, you can hang a tarp or build a little building for them to go into. Concrete floors are great because they tend to stay cool when they are shaded. The most common way a pig will cool down is in mud but they will only do this if they are hot and need to cool down. If you don't want them rolling in the mud then you need to provide them a pool to cool down in. As responsible pig owners we need to pay attention to the weather and pay attention to our pig.   Autumn’s Links:  Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook:  HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT