Arthritis in Pot Belly Pigs

Question
Had been to your site before about arthritis in pot belly pigs. I have one with this problem, big time. I have had her on Rimadyl & Dasuquin. She just got worse, even with increased dosages. And, as you know Rimadyl will destroy the liver & kidneys. These are the two things my vet had her on.

She was doing very badly. I went to a human web site, The Arthritis Foundation, to see if there was something that worked for humans. I started her on Omega 3 (I use flax seed in her diet). It took about 2 and a half weeks to see any improvement. But, it started working, and consistently! I have now dropped the dosage from 3 100-mg tablets a day (of Rimadyl) to 1-1/2. She is not a 100% of her younger days, but is a demanding "pain in the butt," as she should be.

It, of course, is not a cure. But I have the feeling that people with pot belly pigs look to you for guidance. The flax seed is at least worth a try. It has worked for Bob-A-Ran. I really thought I would have had to have her put down by now, she was getting so bad.

I didn't notice if you are selling products on your site for this. If you are, I hope you will pass on this info anyway. I'm sending this to you as you rank high on Google, so I know you have the ability to make a difference.

Thank you very much,

Bob-A-Ran & Deborah

Answer
Thank you for sharing your story. There are no scientific studies on arthritis in pot-bellied pigs, so the best we can do for our piggies is try things that worked for other animals or people.

I do not sell any products. Some things, like cutting wire for tusks, is difficult or impossible for the average person to find, so I will also recommend good online sources. And I will warn people about products or online sources that have given me a bad experience or have a bad reputation. I don't make any money one way or the other.

I'm glad to hear that this worked for you, and I will be sure to include it in my list of home remedy suggestions. Not every home remedy works for every pig, but it's certainly worth trying.