Bacon

Question
I adopted Bacon 3 months ago after she was moved from home to home 4 times. She was attacked by dogs as well and I nursed her back to health. I would like to start by asking how I can determine her age?

Answer
Poor Bacon sounds like she's been through a lot, it's good to know she's finally reached a safe home.

A vet who sees pot-bellied pigs could probably make an accurate guess based on her teeth. Pigs have three sets of teeth. By age 2, they have a mouth full of all adult teeth. The eye teeth, which turn into tusks in males, continue to grow for the pigs whole life. A female with very long "tuskettes" is probably quite old.

Outside the mouth, it's tricky to guess the age of an adult pot-bellied pig, especially females. Males at least have tusks and armor to give a clue. The pigs overall health and past history can affect appearance, too. So you'll have to look at a lot of little things in her behavior and appearance, consider what she's been through, and make a guess based on all the little pieces.

Females begin to cycle at about 6 months. So if she's cycling, she's older than that. If she doesn't cycle, but is obviously older than a year or so, she's probably spayed.

If you can't get a good look in her mouth, you might be able to get a look at her bottom teeth. Most pot-bellied pigs have quite an underbite. Long, sturdy teeth indicate an adult. Broken or missing teeth can be a sign of age or abuse.

Sometime between ages 1 and 2 a pot-bellied pigs skin and bristles begin to thicken and harden. The tail tuft grows longer. Each pig has a different tuft, but as a rule of thumb, a very long tuft means an older pig. A short or missing tuft alone does not indicate youth, but a short tuft with soft smooth skin, fine bristles, and small "new-looking" lower teeth indicates a young pig.

Very old pigs may have a thinning coat, or a "saggy" look to them. But, this can be deceiving, because a pig suffering from malnutrition or mange may also have a thin coat, and a young pig that has lost a lot of weight might also look saggy. Feeding a good diet to a malnourished pig will improve the pigs appearance considerably over the span of a few months. But if the pig continues to have an "old" look, it may be an old pig.

Pigs grow rapidly until age 2, slower until age 5 or 6. A well fed and cared for pig that is not growing is probably older than 6. Older pigs often develop arthritis. Long, twisted hooves and excessive weight can also cause arthritis, even in younger pigs. Cataracts usually indicate an older pig.

Pigs under age 2 or 3 are not likely to try to be the top pig, or to display aggression. An assertive pig is probably at least 3 years old. About that time pigs also seem to calm down a bit, they are less easily distracted. Older pigs tend to nap more often and wake up a little slower. Senior citizens over age 10 often sleep VERY soundly.