Mini pig questions

Question

Blueberry and Ellie  

Blueberry   Hello, I have a few of questions about my mini pig. I have an 8 month old female named Blueberry, I've had her since she was 6 weeks old. I think that the breeders gave me her correct age BC she was already eating only solid pellets when we got her. My first question is if she's underweight? She only weighs about 13 pounds, but she has a healthy appetite and regular bowel movements. I've read that around 8 months a healthy weight is 28-35lbs? I've been feeding her 1\2 cup of Mazuri mini pig food split into two meals and I give her approx 1\4-1\2 lb of spinach, apples, carrots, and various other veggies at night and in conjunction with lots of training treats and cheerios every day. It seems like I'm giving her lots of food but she doesn't seem to gain much weight. I included a picture so you can see. I keep thinking I'm feeding her too much according to other instructions I've read on this site, but I don't want to give her less food when she is used to getting this amount. Her belly gets really fat after she eats but then once she goes to the bathroom it goes back down, maybe she has a fast metabolism?

My second question is since I've gotten her, I can't get her to go outside, I know that pigs need to go out to root and play in the dirt but anytime she gets near the door she runs for a warmer spot. The past winter since I've gotten her has been very cold and I thought she would be better once it got warmer outside, however one day it was 70 degrees, but I still couldn't get her to go out! Her favorite place to be is either lying in front of our electric heater, in someone's lap, or by the fireplace. I've even tried tempting her with food and laid out a line of cheerios out the door but as soon as she gets to the door she runs for the fireplace. do you have any suggestions on how I can get her to go outside comfortably? I don't want to pick her up and force her to go if she is scared, but I don't want her to be stuck inside all the time. Please help!

Also, I live in Georgia and I haven't found a place that could spay her yet, I know the earlier the better and since I haven't found a vet yet can you tell me the negatives to not having her spayed? I also worry about some of the horror stories I've read from people that have problems with the spaying process for older piglets and i would be devastated if anything happened to my Blueberry.

Thank you for your help!

Answer
Looking at the second pigture, I can see a sharp outline of the hip bone. Based on that I think piggy should be getting a little more food. The most important thing, always, is how does piggy look & feel? Some pigs need more food.

Piglets are born with their first set of teeth. Farmers often cut hog piglet teeth because of the conditions in which these pigs are kept, but when Momma pig and babies are kept in healthy environments this is not necessary. Because babies are born with teeth, they can be eating pellets when they are as young as 3 weeks old.

Because your baby seems to really need the warmth, I suggest teaching baby to wear a coat. Also, get piggy used to breezes blowing by opening windows or setting up a small fan. Pick a quiet fan because a loud one might just scare piggy more.

A pig can be spayed at any age over about 6 months. Yes, it is a bit harder when pigs are older, but it's usually for the best in the long run.

There's a list of vets who see pet pigs at www.farec.org  Also check the list of Veterinary Schools.