What can I do to prevent my pig from chewing on all my belongings?

Piggerton is precious, but sounds like he may be a little naughty! Fortunately, pigs can be trained pretty similarly to dogs. Essentially saying "no" when you catch Piggerton doing something he shouldn't be, and diverting his attention with one of his toys. You can try a Bitter Apple spray on things you do not want him to chew. I hope this helps and wish you luck with your piggy!

Pig have two sets of teeth, deciduous (baby) and permanent teeth. They are born with needle teeth, eight of them, that are very sharp. As they grow, their baby teeth will come in, and then fall out to be replaced by their permanent teeth. It can take up to 20 months of age before all of their permanent teeth are in, so Penelope will be technically teething for a long time! There are a few things you can give her to help. Whimzees can be given to her, and you can get them from pet stores and online. You can give her frozen treats with a combination of water, juice, yogurt, pureed pumpkin, apple sauce, and bits of fruits & veggies. Put the mixture in an ice cube tray, freeze, and then give to her to enjoy. Teething can be painful for a pig, and I would speak to your vet about pain medications to her. Never give her any pain medications that your vet hasn't prescribed because you may accidentally do harm to Penelope.

Pigs are natural rooters and puzzle solvers, so anything that involves nosing around with or digging in will be fun. Giant rubber balls (like the kind you see horses playing with) treats hanging from a chain, places to dig and more can all help encourage some playfulness and enrich the environment. Pregnant pigs should be up to date on any needed vaccines in your area prior to breeding, and should be fed a diet appropriate for enough nutrition for growing piglets and nursing them after birth. A growing or lactation diet is best for mom to prevent nutrient deficiencies during these high-energy periods. Signs of problems that warrant a call to the vet are lethargy, loss of appetite, failure to gain weight, or struggling to stand/move around. Depending on your production style, most pregnant sows are crated or kept in a special birthing pen that allows piglets to safely move away from mom without having her accidentally lay on or step on babies. Providing a heat lamp for the babies to come to and move away from is also useful after birth. When your sow is closer to labor you may see waxing from her nipples (a waxy, milky like substance that isn't milk) that indicate she is nearing labor. Making sure she has comfortable bedding, access to food and water, and safety for the piglets to get to is best.

Congratulations on your new pet! You need to consider that a guinea pig is a pref species so they are naturally timid and defensive. You can't train them that things are wrong in the same way as say a dog. With gentle and regular handling he should broke much more tame. Chewing is completely normal and i would provide plenty of natural chews and replace the water bowl with a ceramic one.

There may be a period of adjustment for her, but she should be fine. Consider a pet daycare if one is available locally. Provide plenty of toys and possibly leave a radio or television on for her. Increased playtime and interaction when you are home would be recommended after the move.

Try encouraging your guinea pigs to play with interactive toys, give them things to chew on, and offer them treats, like baby carrots, when they are out of their cage. This will help them associate being out of the cage with something positive. You may also want to try taking them to a different room from the one the cage is in. This may make them more curious and more likely to want to explore instead of them wanting to go back in the cage. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

That could potentially cause gastrointestinal obstructions and should be ideally avoided. Nibblers and chew toys are designed to serve the purpose of keeping the teeth short enough to eat comfortably and they are easily found in any pet shop. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.