Aspirin For Pot Bellied Pig Cramps

Question
Our pot bellied pig is having a cycle and she appears in pain. Can we give her aspirin? And if so, how much? She is going to get spayed next month.  

Answer
I'm sure your pig is uncomfortable, and she's probably complaining about it. Aspirin is one of the safest pain medicines available, but it has drawbacks and I don't suggest using it.

Pigs are very susceptible to ulcers, just a couple of doses of ordinary aspirin can cause stomach irritation that hurts far worse than anything she's experiencing right now. Plus, the irritation could lead to a permanent pre-ulcerative condition. Her cycle is only temporary. It will pass in a few days, and she'll never have another.

Aspirin also reduces clotting. This may be why it seems to help humans with heart conditions. But, if she's going for surgery soon, it could cause extra, unnecessary bleeding and blood loss.

Pigs in heat sometimes whine and cry a lot. Give her a little extra attention and some soothing belly rubs. You can also wrap a hot water bag in a towel and put it in her bed for extra warmth. I do not recommend plug in heating pads or electric blankets. Pigs like to shred things, sometimes their shredding impulses are unpredictable. Chewing a plugged in blanket or heating pad can cause electrical shock or worse. On the other hand, hot water bottles are fairly hard to break. if a pig decides to destroy a hot water bottle it will soak the bed but that's the extent of the damage.