miniature pot bellied pig

Question
My miniature pot bellied pig, Rooty, hasn't been feeling very well lately.  She's about a year old.  She is very sore in the feet so she won't get up and walk, therefore not getting up to go to the bathroom or to eat.  The only time she'll eat is when you set the food directly in front of her so she doesn't have to get up and go anywhere or stand for long periods of time.  She has also stopped drinking water.  This is very out of character for her.  She's usually found in the yard "rooting" up holes and sun bathing.  She won't get out of her bed for anything.

Answer
Could be any number of problems here. Refusing to drink water is a danger sign, she should see a vet right away. There's a list of vets at the NAPPA site here: http://www.petpigs.com/vet_list/map.html

if she is not peeing or pooping she will need to see a vet imediately. She may have a blockage. Intestinal and urine blockages can happen in both males and females, although urinary blockage in females is unusual. Any kind of blockage required veterinary care, if the pig can not relieve herself she will die a slow and painful death when the intestine or bladder finally bursts.

Check her feet carefully, look for any sign of injury. If her hooves are too long it will be difficult and painful for her to stand and she'll need a hoof trim.

Has she taken any falls recently, or other possible injuries? I don't know your situation or neighbors, but I do know that in some neighborhoods, street punks will break into yards and harm pets.

One year old is very young, but if she's overweight it's possible she's showing the first signs of arthritis. If this is the problem she'll need to loose weight and go on a nutritional supplement to prevent permanent damage.

Yet another possible problem could be accidental poisoning. This can come from eating a contaminated plant or food, or a poisonous plant, or a food that's loaded with salt.