does my pig need a friend

Question
Hello I have a 2 year old female potbelly. She lives outside in a large pen with a pig house. Should she have a friend? My vet will not spay her as he claims it is too difficult and risky to do the operation at her age due to excessive fat. I got her last fall as a rescue so I couldn't have done it before. If she would be better with a friend what sex and age of pig should I look for and how should I go about introductions?Thanks!

Answer
Every pig is unique with his or her own personality. Usually, pigs are happier with a pig friend, but this isn't always true. Older pigs (5+) who have spent their entire lives with people only sometimes have difficulty adapting to life with other pigs. Younger pigs do much better, and they are usually happier and better behaved if they have a pig buddy. Outdoor pigs really enjoy the company, especially when they snuggle together on cold winter nights.

All pigs are territorial, and when a new pig is brought home, the pigs will fight. There is just no way around it. A gradual transition can ease the tension and lessen the fighting, but it's impossible to avoid it all together.

Ideally, a new pig should be quarantined for 30 days to make sure they aren't carrying any diseases, etc. But, this is often impossible for the average pet owner. Make the introduction gradual, letting them see & smell each other, but separated by a fence. Section off or divide the large pen and add a temporary house for the new pig. Reassure your girl by giving her extra love and affection. Give each pig a blanket, then a couple of days later, switch blankets, so the pigs get used to each other's smell on their bedding.

After awhile, depending on how they act towards each other, it's time to introduce them. Put Vaseline on their ears. Pigs like to bite each other's ears, the Vaseline makes it hard for them to dig in and bite deep. Hopefully all they'll do is chomp and foam at each other, make some horrible noises, and quickly decide who is the dominant pig. In the worst cases, they will actually fight.

Keep a close eye on them for the first few nights together. Often, the dominant pig will kick the other pig out of the shelter. With two pigs and two shelters, it's unlikely (but still possible) that one pig will keep the other out of both shelters. If you can leave both shelters in permanently, that's best. A Dog-a-loo makes a great permanent, secondary shelter. Pigs like to sleep in the shade of empty dogaloos in summer, and with some straw, they make a comfy bed even in cold weather.

Weight is usually a bigger problem in spaying than age. Some very old pigs, age 14+, have survived spaying due to cancerous tumors. So, the best thing to do it get your piggy on a diet and exercising so she can loose weight for an eventual spay.

If your piggy is extremely obese or movement impaired, be cautious about introducing her to anything other than a young piglet. If she isn't able to move away from an attacker, a new pig could badly bully or injure her.

If your pig is just a few pounds overweight but otherwise active and healthy, then any female or neutered male would be a good companion. Do be warned, males can be fertile up to 30 days after neutering, so if you end up with a newly neutered male you'll need to keep them separate for at least 30 days, and a single wire fence won't work. Pigs can - and have - mated through mesh fencing. So use a solid fencing or a double fence at least 1 foot apart.