How to Give Your Pig a Bath

Last Updated: September 10, 2019 References

Getting your piggy clean will make him look better and feel better. Pigs love to be clean! This method is for bathing outdoors and is best done on days that are hot. You'll be able to cool your pig off and get him clean at the same time!

Steps

1
Choose a snack that your pig loves. You'll need to figure out what snacks you'll need to give your pig so it will behave while you bathe it. Pigs will do anything for food, and since they have the propensity for obesity, it's best to choose snacks that are low in calories. You'll need a lot of treats to bathe your pig. Popcorn, cheerios, and raisins are good low-calorie treats to use for this task.^{[1]
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2
Use a gentle pet shampoo. Don't use dish soap or anything harsh that can burn your pig's eyes.^{[2]
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3
Fill 4 large buckets with warm water. Take the water, shampoo, treats and a washcloth to the spot where you're planning on bathing your pig. A small confined area such as their pig run is best.^{[3]
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4
Use the treats to coax your pig to the bathing spot.
5
Keep feeding your pig the treats as you use the cloth to get the pig wet. Your pig will want to walk away and will make a fuss, but the treats will always bring him back.
6
Suds up the piggy while giving him treats one at a time. Use care on your pig's face, avoiding his eyes. Piggies love to have their hind quarters and bellies scrubbed. Make sure to get the area between their legs and belly and behind their ears.
7
Pour the clean warm water slowly over your pig to rinse him. Use care to make sure you get the suds on his underside.^{[4]
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8
Dry him off with towels.

Community Q&A

Question

How often do I have to bathe a pig?

Community Answer

If it is a pig that you are raising for a 4-H project (for a local fair), it's good to give your pig a bath about once a month so that it gets used to being cleaned for when it goes to the fair (and needs to be cleaned almost daily). If you are raising a pig for meat, it is not necessary to clean your pig. It is good to spray off any pig with water if it is hot, though, because they don't have sweat glands. If you have a potbelly pig that lives in your home, give it a bath about once or twice a month.
Question

How do I play with one?

Community Answer

I bought a hamster ball, enlarged the holes slightly, and filled it with piggy pellets. I ended up duct taping it because my pig figured out how to crack it open like an egg. To find it when you get home, look under couches, beds, counters, and other tight spaces; they are smart, they quickly learn to push it in tight spaces to so they don't have to chase it.
Question

How old should the piglet be for the first bath?

Community Answer

The piglet can be of any age for the first bath.