Do pet pigs require vaccinations? Questions from readers

Should your pet potbelly pig or any pig for that matter, be vaccinated?

That is a question I get from almost every person I meet who has recently aquired a potbelly pig as a pet, as did Steven and Tammy from Walkerville.
I have a friend who had his house pigs vaccinated yearly for their first six years then stopped.
They are pets and no longer do any traveling, nor do they come in contact with any other pigs.
Many pet pig owners have never had their pigs vaccinated,if your local laws require it, then they must be vaccinated.
The vaccines are made for farm pigs and don't seem to have much value to the potbellies since the vaccines are made for one particular strain of a disease that potbellies rarely, if ever, get.

If you must vaccinate, the recommended vaccinations may vary depending on where you live.
Vaccinations should include Erysipelas, Bordatella, and Pasturella on a yearly basis after initial double dose
at 6 -10 weeks and 12 -14 weeks.

Be careful: Reactions to lepto vaccinations are common. As of this writing, rabies vaccine is not approved in pigs. Pigs are resistant to rabies
and are very unlikely to contract the disease.

Vaccinations can be given either in the butt muscle or in the neck about 2-3 inches behind the ear.

Worming:

Your pig should be wormed twice (or four times a year if you have other farm animals) a year. This can be done with a shot, but given orally
is easiest and best. If giving orally, it is not necessary to have a vet do the procedure.
The antiparasitic of choice is Ivomec 1% solution. An oral(like Panacur) is  also available.,
If your pot belly pigs dry skin has a somewhat red tint to it you may have mange mites.
You can get the Ivomec at some feed stores, the local chemist or ask your vet to give you enough for two doses.
Tell your vet you want to give it by mouth instead
of in shots and he needs to give you a little more than what would be in the shot.
Everyone has their own way of giving Ivomec. If you go to the vet he or  she will want to give a shot. Pigs don't handle shots very well so ask if it can,  
it to be given orally. Ivomec is safe and very hard to overdose so don't worry.
If your pig will sit nice for a treat then you can just squirt it into the side of their mouth. (Make sure it is the side of their mouth,
not straight in, so it doesn't go down the wrong tube in their throat.) Or you can dampen his food just a little and squirt the Ivomec on the
food and stir and they will usually eat it. If you have more then one pig keep them separated so that you make sure each pig gets his full dose.
Also remember that the pigs can build up an immunity to Ivomec so it is good at times to alternate.