Miniature pig

A young Göttingen Minipig
Conservation status	DOM
Traits
Pig Sus domesticus

Miniature Pigs, also called mini pig, or Pygmy pig, or teacup pig,^[1] are small breeds of domestic pig. There are two types of mini pig: small traditional pig breed like the Vietnamese Pot-Bellied pig, the Choctaw hog and even smaller newer breeds like Göttingen minipig and Juliana pig.

Small traditional pig breeds can usually be distinguished from other pigs by their pot belly, a swayed back, a chubby figure, a rounded head, a short snout, short legs, a short neck, and a tail with thick hair at the end. These pigs will range in weight from about 100 pounds (45 kg) to 150 pounds (68 kg).^[1]

The even smaller newer breeds have a weight about half of the small traditional pigs. These breeds were bred as laboratory animals or as pets.

History

One of the first new mini breeds was the Minnesota minipig, which was developed in the USA in the 1940s.^[2][3]

In the 1960s, Chinese pigs that grew to be 68–91 kilograms (150–200 lb) were sent to zoos in Western cities^[4] and were used for medical research in the fields of toxicology, pharmacology, pulmonology, cardiology, aging, and as a source of organs for organ transplantation.^[5] These comparatively smaller pigs were easier to work with than larger pig breeds, which typically reach weights of 300–500 lb (140–230 kg).^[6]

Beginning in the late 1960s at the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics (Institut für Tierzucht und Haustiergenetik) at the University of Göttingen, Germany, the Göttingen minipig was developed by crossbreeding the Minnesota minipig, the Vietnamese Pot-Bellied pig and the German Landrace pig. It is considered the smallest breed of domestic pig in the world.^[7]

Two Vietnamese Pot-Bellied pigs.

In the mid-1980s, the Bowmanville Zoo in Ontario imported breeding Vietnamese Pot-Bellied pigs to Canada, which became the foundation for the pot-bellied pig in North America.^[8] The breed is known for its small stature, swayed back, and pronounced pot belly. Because of custom laws, only their offspring could be sold in the United States. U.S. zoos were the main target for the piglets, but private owners soon began purchasing them as pets.

Up to five additional imports were made in the following 10 years. To track the pedigrees, the Potbellied Pig Registry Service, Inc (PPRSI) was created to preserve these bloodlines and establish a breed registry in the United States. This registry was dissolved in the late 1990s.^[8] Today, most pot-bellied pigs are little to never purebred, as the pure breed is critically endangered.

The Miniature Potbellied Pig Registry Service, Inc (MPPRSI) was established in 1993 to provide a registry for those pigs who were pedigreed in the PPRSI and met the breed standard, when fully grown not being more than^[9] 60 centimetres (24 in) tall and weighing under 80 kilograms (180 lb).^[10] All of the foundation pigs were dual registered in the PPRSI and MPPRSI.^[8]

Medical research

Miniature pigs have been used for medical research, including toxicology, pharmacology, experimental surgery, pulmonology, cardiology, xenotransplantation, orthopedic procedures^[11] and aging studies. Mini pigs are mainly used for biochemical, anatomical, and physiological similarities to humans. They are also quick to develop, making it easier to breed and have more genomic background compared to other animal models of toxicology. Today, more than 60,000 pigs are used for scientific research.^[12][13][14] For example, scientists are working on studying the possibility of utilizing pig hearts for human heart organ transplants, and work has been done to genetically modify the tissues of pigs to be accepted by the human immune system.^[15]

As pets

Young pig on the streets of Condesa neighborhood (Cuauhtémoc borough, Mexico City)

Miniature pigs are commonly kept as pets. Realistic sizes of pigs vary from pig to pig; genetics drives the growth, along with appropriate nutrition and care. Domesticated miniature pigs can vary from 75 pounds (34 kg) to 200 pounds (91 kg). However, since pigs can breed years before they fully mature, unscrupulous or ignorant breeders may show off parent pigs which are not fully grown themselves and have not reached their full adult size.^[16]

Domesticated pigs are often trained to urinate and defecate in litter boxes, which they learn very quickly. Typically, pine pellets or pine shreds are used. They also can be trained on dog pee pads. They can also be trained to ring a bell by a door when they need to go outside.^[17]

In the U.S. as well as Canada, laws may vary on if a pet pig can be kept, depending on the location. If there are no laws regarding pet pigs, some areas may consider a pig to be exclusively known as livestock; some towns and cities have ordinances disallowing farm animals within city limits. However, one can petition city councils and have outdated ordinances amended before a pig is introduced into a household, since many ordinances were put into place before the pot-bellied pig was even introduced to the U.S.^[18]

Pig therapy

Pigs have been used in various types of animal-assisted therapy to perform duties in facilities including airports,^[19][20] hospitals,^[21] nursing homes,^[22] and special-needs schools, or as emotional support animals for individuals with conditions such as autism or anxiety^[23] and veterans with PTSD.^[24] Two well-known miniature pigs named Thunder and Bolt trained by children to certified animal therapy status have been put to work in a number of nursing homes, schools and a hospital.^[21]

Other notable references

A Yucatan miniature pig is the unofficial mascot of the Animal Rescue League of Boston.^[25]

The world's smallest wild pig species is the 71 centimetres (28 in) long wild pygmy hog which lives in Assam, India.^[26] It is a critically endangered wild species, not appropriate for domestication.^[27]

See also

• Wuzhishan pig
• Pygmy hog

References