Micro pot belly pig

Question
QUESTION: I have a micro pot belly pig, she is around 8 months old. When she was a few months old something weird happened. Bella had a bath and was fine, the next time I gave her a bath before I even got her in the tub she was screaming and kicking to get out so I let her out after a min, she ran to her room to her litter box and peed, she then starts falling over stretching out and screaming after about 5-10 mins she comes out of it and then sleeps, most times her back end is very sensitive.
She has had a few of these attacks before the next happened when I had my brother over, she bite him in the leg, I yelled at her and picked her up and took her to her room, she went into an attack, the next time was when I must have got soap in her eye, then this last time was when I gave her cabbage, she choked a little bit then went screaming to her room, couldn't pee was falling over and screaming, this time her back end was not sensitive at all and about 30 mins later she was playing with her toys.
This almost seems like stress related, I'm always afraid for her when this happens, other than that she is a great girl. Bella is also fixed. Any idea? I have not yet been able to record an attack, I never remember to when it happens.

ANSWER: There is a condition called Porcine Stress Syndrome, where extreme stress triggers a fatal event, like a heart attack or stroke, in an old or ill pig. Your pig is young and I assume in good health, so this is very unlikely.

There's a couple of things that can trigger bizarre seizure-like behavior in pigs.

Dippity is a strange malady that affects younger pigs, usually in spring and fall. It comes on suddenly and vanishes just as fast. It might be caused by a micro organsim. It's thought that stress or overexposure to sunlight or both may trigger it. Blisters or open sores, sometimes oozing pink, appear on the pigs sides and/or back. It's obviously very painful for the pig, because they drop or "dip" their rear ends to try to get away from the sensation. The condition usually comes and goes within 24 hours. Open, weeping welts may take another 24 hours to heal completely.

Pigs sometimes have a freaky reaction to certain smells, like soaps, body scents or perfumes. When the pig smells the trigger odor, he freezes. He may fall to the ground and jerk or twist. He may whine or moan, or rub his face on the ground. It's very scary to see, especially the first time it happens. It only lasts a moment, then the pig gets up and acts like nothing has happened.

Another possibility might have to do with lifting your pig. Pigs are sturdy animals, but stiff. They are not bendy like cats and dogs, their spines are not as flexible. The spine needs lots of support when the pig is lifted up. So make sure you're lifting her correctly, supporting the whole spine all the time. Even better, instead of lifting, make her walk. When pigs communicate with each other, they use a lot of body language. The act of making a pig walk from one place to another shows dominance. Being picked up and carried doesn't mean anything to the pig. So by making her walk, you are teaching her that you are in charge.

Finally, if her bath experiences are not fun, she won't enjoy them and will react badly. Of course if she's an indoor pig she'll need to be cleaned up now and then. A sponge bath might work better. Use plain water and a soft cloth. If you wash her feet every time she comes inside the house, she'll get used to it and it may cut down on the need to bathe her.

So there's probably more than one reason for these events, and each one may have slightly different causes. The rear end tenderness may have been from Dippity or being lifted, the seizure-like behavior may be from the soap scents.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have been trying to get a video of when this happens to her, but I am always so worried about her and not thinking to grab the camara, when I do get a video would watching this help to maybe say what is wrong with her? She always brings her self out of it when we give her food, she could just start going into an attack and if you trow pellet on the floor she comes around with in a few mins.
She has gone into these without being in the bath, it seems to be stress that triggers it, my husband was holding her and she anted down and he held her anyways and that set her off into one, but then he trew food down right away and she came right out of it.
Thank you for taking the time to write back about this!!
Bella was born in March and other then this is very healthy or seems to be anyways.

Answer
I am not a veterinarian, so all I can do is guess, even with a video.

If she is having stress related seizures, she really should get a vet check up. It isn't normal for pigs to react that way. These seizures may be potentially life threatening, for example, if it happens when she's eating she could choke. Your vet can evaluate them and possibly prescribe medication to lessen or prevent them.

I think it is a good idea to take some video, if you can. If these episodes are indeed caused by stress, it's possible she might have one during her vet visit. In that case, your vet will be able to see for himself and evaluate the situation. But if she doesn't you can show the video to the vet.

There's a list of vets that see pot-bellied pigs at www.farec.org