Pot Bellied pig arthritis

Question
I adopted a Pig from a large animal rescue place near St.Louis..about 9 or 10 months ago..she is about 9 years old..and was diagnosed as having a contagious type of pig arthritis..she did gain some weight over the winter..NOT excessive..but is very grumpy...doesn't want to be handled..petted nothing..her feet are in good shape..she has one swollen joint...front knee..my Vet is used to farm pigs..and not too much help..Honey gets Glucosamine, fish oil, and Ascripton 2X daily...this bad attitude,..has us crazy...her teeth seem ok..ears ok..any thoughts?? She has been on a diet..trying to get her weight down a little..although..she really is not too fat..she is a house pig..has clean fluffy bedding..I have had pigs for 20 years...and am at my wits3m end with this little doll

Answer
I'm assuming that she can see and hear Ok. Sometimes, pigs that can't hear or see are startled when they're touched. That makes them jumpy and grumpy. If that's the case, try making sure she knows she's about to be touched, by telling her first. If she can't hear, use a hand signal she can see.

Because she's an older, rescued pig, there's no way of knowing what happened to her in the past, or what kind of socialization she had when she was young. It's possible she was abused at some point, and just doesn't enjoy being handled now. Or, she may have experienced blindness or deafness due to obesity or foreign objects or whatever. The problem may be fixed now, but she still has the jumpiness.

Pigs are creatures of habit that bond closely with the people and animals around them. Your pig came from a rescue, and that means she was somewhere else before that. So, piggy has moved at least twice, and that can be a difficult adjustment for an older pig. It can take as long as a year or even two for some pigs to recover and adjust. They are aware of the seasons and have an uncanny ability to tell time, and can remember things from years before.

Some pigs are cuddle bugs, some are not. If a pig is not a natural cuddler and was not taught to be petted and cuddle when young, the pig may never really enjoy being brushed or petted. Or, your pig may be a one person pig, who accepted cuddling and brushing from one person only.

Some pigs, especially females, are just vocal. They talk and grumble about everything! I have one girl who talks constantly. She whines and grumbles when she's touched or petted - unless you happen to scratch in just the right spot at the right moment. Then, she'll let out a deep sigh, and start grumbling again. She sounds as if she's unhappy, but behaves as if she is.

Finally, you mention that she has contagious arthritis. Being uncomfortable can make a pig quite grumpy. I am guessing this is an infectious arthritis caused by a disease or bacteria. If the cause is bacterial, antibiotics may help by clearing up any current infection. But they are useless against the residual damage and inflammation. Ascription is an aspirin based NSAID, piggy might need something a little stronger like Rymadil. NSAIDs can cause upset tummy, so that could be another source of discomfort making piggy unhappy. Make sure to give the drug with a bit of food right before meals, and give piggy a daily OTC antacid like Pepcid AC.

There's a list of vets that see pot-bellied pigs at www.farec.org, there might be one near you. If not, farec has a list of vets that will work with your vet over the phone. Contact farec for more information about that.