skin condition

dawn45 · Post by **dawn45** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:49 pm

Hi, wonder if any one can help, i am new to keeping kunekunes, i have a 4 month and have just noticed a black sticky tar like substance mostly underneath his belly although, i have checked around area where he lives and cant find anything that looks like it !!!!!!!!!!!!!

wendy scu · Post by **wendy scu** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:35 pm

it could just be muck that has stuck to the sweat on his skin. if the weather is fine try giving him a little bath and get it off. pigs like baths in the warm weather

Carol · Post by **Carol** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:11 am

Hi, I have had this several times in piglets, and i have one that has it at the moment. I have tried bathing them - in the bath as it was winter time- nightmare!! Have had the vet out several times with antibiotics and injections for mites but neither really worked and they are at a loss to know what is causing it. The pigs don't seem unwell at all, just sticky.

After trying hibiscrub and surgical spirit i have found that pig oil works best as it lifts the sticky tar residue off the skin. Mine seem more prone to it when we get long periods of wet and damp weather. A bath and rub down with pig oil is just what a little piglet would love !! I hope the condition improves as i know it is a worry when you don't know what it wrong with them.

If anyone has an idea about what causes this condition i would be interested to know. And has anyone else had it and how have they treated it?

emmy j 74 · Post by **emmy j 74** » Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:59 pm

hiya my 11 week old kunekune have dry itchy skin so i wanted to ask if the hibiscrub will help her !

sarah-geoff · Post by **sarah-geoff** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:29 am

Hi, I just took 3 poorly piglets with itchy cracking skin to the vet. He had asked me if they looked asif they had marmite on their skin over the phone so I'm thinking this could be the same thing. When we got there he said they have 'greasy pig disease' which is a bacterial skin infection caused by bacteria that are normally carried harmlessly ON the skin getting INTO and UNDER the skin where it all turns nasty. I feel dreadful about not taking this more seriously earlier as they are now on antibiotics and surgical scrub baths and not very happy little chappies at all!
He said it is a condition of piglets at weaning - pretty well exclusively.. whether older ones are more resistant or something I don't know.
Anyway - I though I'd pass this on... if their skin starts to feel hard/lumpy/crackly along with the black marmitey effect, it could well be 'greasy pig disease' - yuck!

sarah-geoff · Post by **sarah-geoff** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:29 am

Hi, I just took 3 poorly piglets with itchy cracking skin to the vet. He had asked me if they looked asif they had marmite on their skin over the phone so I'm thinking this could be the same thing. When we got there he said they have 'greasy pig disease' which is a bacterial skin infection caused by bacteria that are normally carried harmlessly ON the skin getting INTO and UNDER the skin where it all turns nasty. I feel dreadful about not taking this more seriously earlier as they are now on antibiotics and surgical scrub baths and not very happy little chappies at all!
He said it is a condition of piglets at weaning - pretty well exclusively.. whether older ones are more resistant or something I don't know.
Anyway - I though I'd pass this on... if their skin starts to feel hard/lumpy/crackly along with the black marmitey effect, it could well be 'greasy pig disease' - yuck!