Photo Credit: @bean_the_piggy
If your pig is burping and farting a lot, there are a couple of things that you can do to help them. Occasional gas is common, but if it starts to become a real problem, you might want to consider checking with your veterinarian.
Change their diet
The most common reason your pig is having gas problems is because of their diet. To stop pig farts and gas, slowly change their diet into food that will hopefully stop them from getting so much gas. Try switching to a different commercial pig food brand and give your pig different treats. Many vegetables are known for giving pigs bad gas such as soybeans, beans, peas, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Slowly switch their diet
it could be harsh on your pig if you switch their diet immediately, so easing into a new diet is important. I would feed them only 25% new food and 75% old food for the first 3 days. After every 3 days, move the new food percentage up 25% until you reach 100%.
If you have changed their diet and your pig still has a lot of gas, contact your veterinarian. Your pig could have gastrointestinal issues or other health issues that are making them release gas a lot.
Health issues that can lead to bad gas
Their are some diseases and health issues that might cause your pig to be having gas problems such as:
- Tumors
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Intestinal parasites
- Enteritis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
There are many more possible diseases that your pig may have, so it’s important to check with your vetranarian if it’s starting to become a real problem. Some serious health issues can be tied to excessive gas or bad-smelling farts, so it’s always worth the trip to the vet just in case.
Are there any over the counter medication that helps?
There are some over the counter medications such as gas-ex (simethicone) that can be used to help clear bloat in mini pigs. This will only really help for burping because farting is gas produced in the lower intestine. Always ask your veterinarian if you can try gas-ex before giving it to your pig.
Slow down fast eaters
When a pig eats very fast, they will swallow a lot of air, which will either come out as a burp or fart. It’s impossible to stop pig’s from swallowing air, but if you limit how fast they eat, you can reduce how much air they are swallowing.
To slow down how fast they eat, try giving them much smaller amounts of food at a time or making it difficult for them to eat their food. Put down obstacles or get a slow eater bowl, such as this one here (link to chewy.com).
You could also involve some exercise when feeding by hiding many different small amounts of food outside and letting your pig find and root it.
Keep your mini pig active
Exercise will help improve your pig’s digestion and will lead them to have less gas. Get your mini pig outside. They should be getting around 30 minutes to 2 hours of exercise every day. Some great exercise activities include taking them for walks or hiding their food around the yard to encourage rooting outside.
Don’t let your pig eat leftover scraps
Pigs will eat pretty much anything they see, so it’s important to put away food after eating because human food is usually not good for pigs and can lead to bad gas. This also includes always shutting your garbage! Pigs like to be sneaky and wait until you’re gone to make their move to try and steal food, so making sure everything is unreachable is very important.
Older pigs will fart more
If your pig is farting more than they used to, it could simply be because they are getting older. As a pig gets older, their digestive system slows down, and they become less active, leading them to pass gas more often.
Make sure your pig is comfortable
Nervous or stressed pigs may release gas more often. If there is someone new in your household, your pig may feel nervous being around them. Usually, this will just take time until your pig feels comfortable being in your home.
Don’t use fragrances to get rid of the smell
Most house fragrances that may be tempting to use will be harmful to your pig. Yes, it will drown out the smell, but it’s not worth the chance of harming your pig. There are some natural (non-toxic) sprays that you could use if the smell is really that bad such as this one here (links to chewy.com), but try not to get it into you or your pig’s eyes. Never spray it directly on your pig!
