Punkin's Obesity and ExercisePunkin's Obesity and Exercise2. How do pot belly pigs get exercise? Even though we carefully feed her the amount of pig food suggested on the bag, and only feed her veggies and fruit, she just seems to continue to gain weight. She now weighs about 110 or 120 lbs. (My husband says she is too big to be a pot belly pig because of this.) Punkin spends a lot of time outdoors in the summer, routing around in the yard and eating grass. And of course she is walking around, but its not "exercise" ....is it?
feeding schedule used by many people is just a guideline. It is important to realize that Punkin's complete food intake (this includes the grass she is eating as well as her treats) should be looked at. The best way to test a Pot's condition is to place your two fingers on her hip bones. You should be able to apply a light pressure before you feel her bones. You should not have to push hard to find them, nor should you feel them right under the skin. Also, her eyes should be free of fat rolls. It is best to adjust the amount of her food based on her conditioning. In the summer she may need less than she does in the winter, due to her grazing. Punkin's size and metabolism is determined primarily by her genetic makeup.
The issue is not how much your pig weighs, but its body condition. Potbellies have different metabolic rates, just like people. Some pigs will gain weight on 2 cups a day and some will need much more to maintain a healthy body condition. If your pig is genetically predisposed to an efficient metabolism, lives a quiet life without any pattern of activity or lives a confined lifestyle, it will be more prone to becoming obese.
In cases of severe obesity you should cut your pig’s portion of potbellied pig food back to no more than 1 cup a day. If your pig is not grazing outside, increase the amount of low caloric vegetables, listed in the section above, to 2 full cups and also give your pig _ cup of other types of vegetables. Eliminate all fruits from your pig’s diet during the weight loss period. It should be noted that it could take months to bring your pet back into a good body condition. As your pig loses weight, you will gradually increase its potbellied pig food to a normal amount and decrease the amount of vegetables.
How you feed your pig can influence weight loss. If it fits into your lifestyle, take your pig’s total food for the day and divide it into four smaller meals that you dispense evenly over the day. If you cannot provide four meals then divide the food into the normal two portions, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon or early evening. A suggestion for making sure that the pig gets no more than its allotment potbellied pig food for the day is to use a measuring cup to determine the exact portion amount and to put all the pig’s daily vegetables in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. That way the whole family will know exactly what amount of food the pig is getting each day. Should you have more than one pig in the house, be aware that your pigs will eat more if they are in direct contact with the other pig. Be sure to separate your pigs while they are eating, so that each gets its fair share of food, and neither has the opportunity to steal a meal.
Exercise certainly plays a vital role in weight loss and good health. There are several methods of increasing your pig’s exercise. At one or two of your pig’s meals, use a ball that releases pig food as it is being rolled by the pig. By feeding you pig this way, it will spend a great deal of time exercising, walking and rooting, as it eats the pieces that fall through the holes of the ball. A trick to help your pig root the ball for a longer period of time is to put a couple of stones that are larger than the holes in the ball. Your pig will hear the stones continue to clatter as the ball rolls, and it will keep on rooting in hopes of another piece of food falling out. Another method is to sprinkle your pig’s food outside in the grass or in a rooting box. Again, it will be up and about looking for each and every piece of food. The critical issue here is to get your pig up moving. You must not give in to its begging or displays of lack of energy or cooperation. There is no longer any time your pig will be able to eat without doing something that will burn some of those calories. It must now work for everything it eats. Your job is that of a personal trainer for your pig. You need to concentrate on motivating your pig to get up and move.
Now that you have your pig up and moving, if your pig is not leash trained, this is an excellent time to train your pig to a harness and lead. Along with harness training comes more freedom for you and your pet. You can now take your pet on long walks around the yard or through the neighborhood. Should your pig be leash trained already, then get it up and get it moving. Another great way to have fun with your pig and at the same time provide it with more opportunity for exercise is to teach pig tricks. This will give for you and your pig more than exercise. It will allow you the chance to build a new relationship with your pet and at the same time improve your pet’s overall disposition. Note if you are teaching new tricks and using food as a motivator, be sure and not give your potbelly more than its daily food allotment. There is nothing wrong with teaching tricks and feeding your pig one of its meals at the same time. As you suggest exercise certainly helps with weight loss and good health. There are several methods of increasing her exercise. One is to use a Manna Ball at one of her mealtimes. She will spend a great deal of time pushing the ball around as she eats the pieces that fall through the holes. Another is to sprinkle her food outside in the grass or in a rooting box. Again she will be up and about looking for each and every piece of food. You can leash train her and take her for walks. Another great way to have fun with her and at the same time exercise her is to teach her tricks. This would do two things for her ... exercise her and at the same time allow you to build a new relationship
Copyright © 2000 by Kathleen Myers
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