When I first got Dixie, I knew next to nothing about pigs, but I have learned a lot in the past few months with her. Below are areas that you will need to pay attention to on your pig.

Skin. Pigs have extremely dry skin. Because of this, it is not recommended to give your pig a bath unless he really needs it. To help your pig's skin get moisture, you can rub him with a little skin creme. Dixie's snout and ears were so chapped when I first got her that I had to dab Vaseline on the dry areas, which worked really well.

Hooves. Your pig's hooves will need trimming regularly. Before attempting to do this on your own, ask your vet to show you how. You can really hurt the pig if you don't know what you are doing. My vet took a Dremel tool with a grindstone end to grind Dixie's hooves down. I have heard of people using dog or horse clippers to do the task, but I couldn't imagine how Dixie would react if I accidentally clipped down on a tender part of her foot. The vet recommended that I trim Dixie's hooves every 3 months.

Ears. Your pig's ears will need regular cleanings. Once again, ask your vet to show you the correct way of cleaning your pig's ears. If you accidentally stick a cotton swab too far down in the pig's ears, you could damage its hearing. My vet suggested putting a liquid dog ear cleaner on a piece of gauze to clean the outermost, which tend to be the dirtiest, parts of her ear, and then to use a cotton swab to gently clean out dirt from the shelves in her ear. The vet recommended that I do this once a week.