Let's start with me saying I do not bathe my pig. Doing so removes an important layer of skin that insulates, protects from bugs and sunlight.

Do they get/ have fleas? No. Occasionally they will get ticks in their leg pits, behind their ears and on their anus. They will easily lay down and let you groom them. They see this as paying your respects.

Can their hooves cut into wood flooring? No. However they may not enjoy walking on the slippery surface. You will see them walk gingerly on tile and wood floors. They will have a path they will follow even in the house. They do this because they know this path has served them well in the past. It is my assumption they follow this path by a very keen sense of smell and not visual. Pigs do not have particularly good eyesight.

Do they shed? It depends on the pig. Binky and Penny (both black pigs) shed much of their hair during the summer. It very quickly grows back. When they shed you can literally pull it off in handfuls. You will often see them scratching on trees to help shed the hair and just scratch that itch.

Do they drool (snot & slobber)? Yes, when they are anticipating food. They will salivate profusely. If a pig has a snotty nose I might have some concern as their nose should just always be wet. If it is not the pig could be in distress and in immediate need of water. If perhaps it is during the summer and their nose is dry and they may be in need of a ample mud bath. Mud baths are a must during the summer. Pigs have no way to sweat except from their nose so it is always important to have water and mud during the summer.

What kind of a poop zone do they need, and will they use it? Pigs are very clean animals and will designate a place to defecate and one or more they will use that place. Their manure is very healthy for the yard and not at all offensive. Their poop should be solid and what we as humans might consider constipated. A can of pumpkin can sometimes ease their duties and they enjoy the pumpkin as well. .

Do they need exercise? Good question. Animals in the wild do no waste energy Every effort has a purpose and that is to eat and gain weight and size. Better than exercise is a proper diet. I never feed my pig in a bowl. I sprinkle the food out on the dirt and in the grass and make them work for it. This is more natural to them and the dirt is an important part of their diet especially if they do not root. For what ever reason my first pig Daisy liked to root and her shoulder muscles were massive and incredibly strong. Feeding time is a good time to observe Pig and see that his tail is swishing and he seems happy. If his tail is tucked between his legs he is either stressed or just cold.

How long do they live? About 15 years

How do Veterinarians appear to feel about them? You very seldom have to take them to a vet.. A typical vet is not likely to be willing to see them, however, a farm vet will have no issues with seeing them. They need earth/cement to walk on to keep their feet trimmed. If you don't they will have to be trimmed and I can tell you from experience this is a very unpleasant job. They will scream very loud and it takes two people to handle them. There is a special way you have to take them down and the trimmer will need to work fast because you are holding a very strong and heavy animal that quite naturally does NOT want to be held. The pig perceives it as being in the grasp of a predator. Taking a pig down is quite the sight and experience..

Do they need vaccinations? Some municipalities allow some"farm animals" but most do not. This is good because as pig advocates do not want pigs to start being abandon like so many dogs and cats. Pigs will grow large and trying to bread the size out of them is becoming a disaster and something we don't want. Pig is one of those pigs that was abandon. The farm vet will know what vaccinations are appropriate for a pig and may not be the same as a dog.

@kgoodyear Thank you! I’ve long wondered, and may at least have some better questions if I get a chance to ask my neighbors about their mostly inside pig..

@Varn I might also add that male pigs grow tusks unless they are pulled when they are very young. I choose not to do this as it would be as cruel as removing a cat's claws. This is a form of defence and the tusks can be very sharp and can cause a nasty cut. Another thing I should tell you is pigs do something called goading. This is their way of telling anyone else that you are in their area and that they are boss. This can be painful and in many cases cause the need for dressings and stitches. To minimize this one has to show that you own his space by forcing him to move on your demand. In a worse case, my neighbor had to smack Daisy on the side of the head. She never did it again. It should also be noted a pig's bottom teeth stick out and cause a deep gouge if he should feel the need to turn and fight. I fostered a pig that was delivered to a family with a small child. The pig saw the chance to assert its authority and goaded the child with stitches necessary. When ever I introduce Pig to a stranger I always stand between the two. You can sort of tell when they are ready to goad as their hair will stand up, tail down become tense and become very still. Usually a bump up side the head gets the message across.

@Varn I also want to add some more interesting things about baby pig called shoat. Shoat are born with very sharp pointed teeth. Believe it or not, these teeth are meant to fight their way to the best teat which is toward the head of the sow. The less favorable teats are toward the back. This is where the phrase "left sucking hind teat" came from. The shoat quickly loose those sharp teeth much to the relief of the old sow. Pigs/shoat also like to eat coal. It is harmless. Organic acids in the coal absorb toxins from the digestive system, and improved bacterial flora help to prevent diarrhoea, a common affliction of piglets. This is where the phase "Happier than a shoat in a coal bin" carme from. Pigs are omnivores and can under very stressful conditions pick out a pig in a herd, kill it and eat it. Once a pig is singled out it is marked for death unless the farmer removes it from the herd but that is not to say they will not simply pick out the next weakest pig. Sometimes this behavior can be averted by putting several bowling balls in the pen for them to play with and relieve the stresses of constant competition.

He didn't come to "Dog".

@kgoodyear hahahaha good answer my friend.

She must have been cute. Send her my picture.

@kgoodyear the pig or my neighbor?

@Lorajay Which ever has the most potential.

Pet pigs on a farm are a liability.

A pig can take over a household easily if he/she doesn't know boundaries. I'm not sure I would use the word affection for him since I DID grow up on a farm where animals were........well......farm animals. I do scratch his ears and scratch him with a stick. He is quite happy though the only way you can tell is his tail. I check his leg pits for ticks too.

I'm thinking about 250-300 pounds. They are very dense

Pigs are in it only for themselves. Pig will come over by the sofa while I watch TV and "let me scratch him",. Pigs are very independent and they think any affection they get they deserve. I do not let Pig up on any furniture. They can be very destructive. This is why I leave mine outside during the day in the winter and only let him in at night. I never bathe him. A clean pig (especially a white one) does not have a very important layer of dead skin to protect him from bugs and sunshine.

@kgoodyear Sounds like he's more like a cat than a dog. My cat is in it for herself, can be destructive, and of course deserves affection!

@Wildflower Their personality is very much like a cat. They are also habitual.

@kgoodyear did you just call my cat a pig? ??

@CallMeDave My Pig is a species porcine canineus. (pork dog)