my piggie is limping

Question
Hi i was wondering if you could help me out with something?? i have a 9 month old juilana/ micro mini cross Snorkle hes about 29lbs and the heart of our family!!!  (  as well as our blue eyes micro Bella) Sir snorkle lives inside our house and is litter trained but  i am now training him to walk on a harness. i have walked him everyday twice a day for about a week now and this morning when i got up i noticed he was limping on his right front leg :(  there may be a little swelling on his first leg knuckle to. i also noticed that his hoof seems to be slightly spread apart. he is acting like himself  jumping on the couches and beds ,playing with his ball etc.. basically i get billed out my A#*  when i bring him to the vet and im an easy 2 hours away, he is up to date on all his shot, hes fixed  and has had his shot of ivermectin  any suggestions on what it could be???

Answer
It's impossible to make an accurate medical diagnosis over the internet. Pigs, like people, can get aches and sprains from time to time. These may swell a little and feel hot to the touch. Pigs can injure the pad of the foot. A bruise, cut or burn on the pad can hurt enough to cause a limp. Pigs can also get things caught in between their toes.

Take a close look at the foot, make sure there's nothing stuck between his toes and no obvious injuries on the pad. Keep an eye on the problem knuckle. If it's a simple strain or ache, the limp should disappear quickly. The traditional treatment for simple sprains is RICE, rest, ice, compression, elevation. Elevating the injury is out of the question for most pigs. If yours is cooperative, you can try applying a cold compress to the swollen knuckle.

If he continues to limp for days, the problem could be a broken bone or joint injury, either at his foot or at his shoulder. Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing that requires x-rays, etc, which means a visit to the vet.