Treats Your Mini Pot-Bellied Pig
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Treats Your Mini Pot-Bellied Pig Will Love
Pigs love snacks, and special treats for mini pot-bellied pigs is a perfect way to reward positive behavior, boost trick training techniques, and supplement to your pig’s foundational food. Pigs love to eat, and they will accept most anything offered to them – but not all treats are healthy or safe for your piggy.
What Are Pot-Belly Pigs’ Favorite Treats?
Wild pigs eat a variety of vegetation, grains, and sometimes even small animals. They require a high-fiber diet with limited fat and protein to maintain a healthy weight. Although many pigs love sweets, it’s important for the health of your pet pig to focus on healthy treats.
Mini Pot-Bellied Treats: Vegetables
Your pot-bellied piggy will love a healthy and tasty veggie snack. Veggies can be a training treat or as an enriching supplement to a well-rounded diet. Some great veggie treats include:
- Pumpkin: fresh or canned (be sure it’s natural canned pumpkin – not pie filling)
- Leafy greens: arugula, romaine, and other lettuces
- Other greens: celery, peas, edamame/soybeans, cabbage, all bell peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, bok choy, brussels sprouts, asparagus, green beans
- Squash: all varieties
- Root vegetables: turnips and radishes (including the leaves), carrots, beets
- Other vegetables: cauliflower, parsnips, eggplant, mushrooms, fennel, organic dandelion flowers and leaves, arrowroot, black-eyed peas
- Pigs should also be allowed to root in the soil and graze on chemical-free and fertilizer-free grass
Fruit Snacks For Mini Pot-Bellied Pigs
Mini pot-bellied pigs love fruits but feed fruits sparingly as a special treat. Too much high-sugar foods can be a health hazard. Safe fruit treats for mini pot-bellied pigs in limited amounts include:
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Cantaloupe
- Grapes
- Mango
- Pears & Peaches: with pits removed
- Apples: with seeds removed
- Pomegranate
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
Healthy Mini Pot-Bellied Pig Snacks
Piggies love human foods and although many can be dangerous to pet pigs, here are some options that are tasty and healthy for them that you probably have on hand:
- Oats & Oatmeal
- Quinoa
- Unsalted nuts: like almonds, walnuts & peanuts
- Unsalted seeds: pumpkin, chia, hemp, sunflower, sesame, grape, pomegranate
- Brown rice
- Sugar-free apple sauce
- Yogurt
- Plain air-popped popcorn
- Coconut milk
- Coconut shavings
Mini Pot Bellied Pig Snacks: Toxic & Dangerous Treats To Avoid
VCA Animal Hospitals recommends pig-proofing your kitchen because pigs are very intelligent. They can easily learn how to open cabinets, tip trash bins — even navigate refrigerator doors, gaining access to potentially dangerous snacks. Like all other animals, some foods are dangerous and even toxic to pigs:
- Salt
- Acorns
- Chocolate
- Alcohol
- Avocados
- Ivy
- Tomato leaves & vines
- Moldy potato skins, potato leaves & green potatoes
- All seeds & pits from fruit
- Flaxseed & oils
- Raw cashews
- Raw kidney or lima beans
- Corn stalks
Remember that pot-bellied pigs are pets and not being fattened up for processing, so they should not be fed in excess as farm hogs typically are. Best practice is to avoid feeding your pigs processed human foods. Items such as cereals and crackers in excess can cause dental issues and other health problems due to their high salt and sugar content. While citrus is okay in limited amounts, too much Vitamin C can cause bladder stones.
Dog and cat foods can be fatal for pigs due to very high sodium and protein content. Chicken feed is also something your pet pig should avoid. Lastly, simple carbs such as white potatoes, bread, cakes, chips, cookies, and other high-sugar items should be off their dietary list.
Quality Diets for Pot-Bellied Pigs
Pot-bellied pigs need a high quality diet that is heavy on fiber and low in calories. Choose a food made specifically for pot-bellied pigs or mini pigs to keep your mini pot-bellied piggy happy and healthy. If you have questions about appropriate foods for your pig, always ask your primary veterinarian. Reach out to an emergency veterinarian immediately if your pig accidentally consumes something dangerous.