9 year old pbp haveing issues

Question
Hi And thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions . MY pbp sabbath has unusually "potted" bellied meaning she is dragging her belly on the ground and more times than not is walking on her belly . I must inform you we live in phx az so its hot here now i am no vet but it seems to me she needs a shot of vitamin b-1 due to she don't seem to be feeling to well in addition because either of diet or hernia her dragging belly has begun to leak puss and white fluid ... Is there any home remedy i could give her to help her feel more like herself . Is there any recommendations as to what steps i should take in event of death? thank you for being patient with my descriptive questions... mark brink

Answer
Normal pot-bellied pigs bellies are round, but should not drag on the ground. A dragging pig is either obese, or suffering from large internal tumors. Hernias can be life-threatening, if the intestine pushes through and becomes strangled.

If her belly is dragging because she's got a large hernia or tumor, she needs to see a vet. Vitamins won't fix the problem, and probably won't make her feel much better, either. If her belly is dragging due to obesity, she needs to go on a diet. Cut back on her pellets, and mix them with crushed ice to help her stay cool.

The pus and white fluid sound like a ruptured abscess. Pigs are very prone to abscesses. When an abscess ruptures, wash the area and get as much of the goo out as possible, then apply any antibiotic ointment to the wound.

There are several options for handling a deceased pet. Burying the pet yourself in your back yard is the least expensive option. However, zoning may prohibit this. Also, at some point in the future you may move to a different home. Some people become attached to their pets final resting place, and it's very upsetting for them to move on and leave their pets grave behind.

Most veterinarians also handle deceased pets. There's several options, different vets may offer different choices. One choice is to drop the body off at the vet, the vet handles the rest.

Cremation is another choice with several options. Ashes can be kept, scattered or buried. Some vets offer inexpensive mass cremation options. Your pet is cremated along with others, you can get back ashes if you wish. Individual cremations are more expensive.

The most expensive option is a pet cemetery. Choose a cemetery that is deeded "in perpetuity", which means it can never be anything else other than a pet cemetery. Fancy tombstones add to the cost. Most cemeteries will bury one or two bodies per spot, or several canisters of ashes, so the cost can be spread out over multiple pets.