Having her spayed @ 4 yrs

Question
We are thinking of adopting a second pbp. We have a male, 3 yr old.This female is not spayed,the closest vet said they would not do surgery on her, she weighs about 130 pds. DO you think another vet may do the surgery? Is it too risky? I am not sure if I should let her go to a rescue, its against our ordinance to have 2, but I love this little gal so much and don't want her to go.They would be indoor pigs, she was an outdoor though shes been in a shelter for 2 wks. Thanks Helen, again.

Answer
A 130 lb pig is not that big, and 4 years old is quite young. An experienced vet could spay her. Unspayed females often develop uterine tumors, which must be removed along with the spay procedure, even if the pig is into her teens. Spaying prevents these tumors, and also ensures that piggy will never have an unwanted litter ever, even if you can not keep her and must rehome her.

The big danger is spaying during heat, as the heat can cause complications. But, after you've had her for several months, you should have a good idea of what her cycle is and can arrange to have the surgery done when she is not in heat.

Some female pigs are pretty good during heat, others get serious piggy pms. They may forget potty training, or become escape artists and go looking for love. They may pick a particular person or pet, and harass them constantly. They may get extremely grumpy.

There's a list of vets that see pot-bellied pigs at www.farec.org or you can email farec and ask who they would recommend to spay a 4 year old female.