Grown Piggy Bathroom Frequency

Question
My pbp is 7.5 years old and weighed 234 pounds as of December 2010. He has been with me since he was 8 weeks old. He has arthritis, and it has recently gotten much more severe. It is now to the point where he is willing to forgo requesting food as often because it hurts to stand up. He is also withholding his potty. He won't potty in the house, and there are 4 small stairs to go outside which have become the bane of his existence. He is holding his potty sometimes for over 40 hours, before I just get too worried and coerce him to go outside. My current doctors locally are no help, but my pig is in pain, and it is getting worse I imagine, since he's not peeing regularly. I am open to any remedies, but strongly prefer ones that are vegetarian/vegan; I have been refusing Adequan, for example, since it is made of cow trachea. I am open to surgery irrespective of the costs if it will make him feel better. I just need help because my best friend is sick and I can't sleep anymore. Any advice on how to remedy his pain, or at least help him feel comfortable pottying, would be sincerely appreciated.

Answer
There's a number of steps and home remedies you can try. But, if the condition continues to deteriorate, it may be necessary to resort to drugs to relieve the pain.

Pigs are not built to handle stairs. Build or buy a ramp for him to use to get up and down the steps. Drs Foster & Smith sell several styles of ramps, some fold easily away, so the ramp need not be permanent. Or, you can fashion one out of some flat exterior plywood and 2x4 lumber. Be sure to add a non-skid mat to the ramp floor.

Giving him a litterbox in side may or may not work. Pigs that once used a litterbox long ago may remember how, but a pig that's always gone outside might not want to use a box.

If his hooves are long, get them trimmed. If your vet is reluctant to trim them, check www.farec.org for links to videos of how to hold and trim piggy hooves, and a list of veterinarians who see pot-bellied pigs.

If piggy is on the heavy side, put him on a diet. Excess weight aggravates arthritic joints.

Add supplements to his diet, like Next Level (made for horses) or any glucostamaine product.

Baby aspirin might help, too. But it must always be given right before a meal, and prolonged use of aspirin can cause tummy troubles. The usual dose is 325 mg of aspirin per 75 lb of pig.

Rimadyl is a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drug, similar to Advil, that's been used successfully for years to treat arthritic animals.