Male PBP dribbling

Question
I have a 13 month old male(neutered w. diverticulum removed) PB who lives indoors.

He's a wonderful and affectionate creature.  The only downside is that he "dribbles" urine quite a lot.  Sometimes it's just a few drops, other times it might be a spot the size of a quarter.

I've read that PBP urine is "nearly odorless", but my PB's urine does have a pretty noticeable smell.  Stronger than "normal" human urine. A quarter-sized spot is definitely noticeable from five feet away.

when he was younger (about six months ago), his urine REALLY started to smell foul.  The doctor didn't think that was a problem.  But about a month later, he developed a nasty urinary tract infection.  The doctor gave him 2 weeks worth of cephalexin, which made the horrible odor go away, but didn't seem to cure the urinary infection.  Another antibiotic (amoxicillin) seemed to do the job there.

The doctor claims that "dribbling" is normal in a male potbelly.  But then again, he thought the horrible odor was normal too.

In your experience, is the dribbling and the smell normal? Should I take him to another vet to have him checked out?  There's only one PB vet in my metro area, so I'd need to take him somewhere about 200 miles away.

I'm really grateful for your advice.  Not quite sure where to turn.

Answer
One of the biggest challenges in pot-bellied pig ownership is finding a good vet who knows pot-bellied pigs. Most vets receive some training with farm hogs, but most farm hogs are slaughtered before 9 months of age, so there's little concern for their long term health.

PBP urine should be nearly odorless. The "oil" secreted by the diverticulum does have an intense, musky scent. Female pot-bellied pigs love the smell. People do not.

Urinary infections are a huge problem in male pot-bellied pigs. The urethera is long, narrow and twisty, and is easily blocked.

Normally, male pigs may continue to dribble a  bit after they finish relieving themselves. Overweight or partially incapacitated pigs may dribble if their bladder is near full and they are trying to stand.

I am assuming that your pig is a normal weight, so the stress of standing up is not an issue.

In my opinion, taking him to a good pot-bellied pig vet is probably worth the effort. Or try calling around to local vets, there might be one who is interested in pot-bellied pigs and willing to learn. Many of the vets on the NAPPA list (www.petpigs.com/vet_list/map.html)will work with other vets over the phone, and the Dutchess Fund (www.dutchessfund.org) provides medical information to vets.

I suggest getting him used to being in a crate, or riding nicely in a car. Otherwise the long journey will be even more stressful for him. Try to talk to the vet a day or two before the appointment, your vet may want a stool sample, or to see/smell a "dribble" spot on a towel or other small piece of bedding.

I realize that taking him a long distance may be quite an ordeal, but if he's having urinary trouble now, good medical care will prevent future problems.