elderly pot-cross anorexia

Question
My 12+ y/o pot-belly cross is afebrile, ambulatory, but not eating much. He
seems to only eat molasses covered stuff and really just licks the molasses. He
drinks water. Poops and pees, but much less. Up grunting but not as much as
usual. No bad smell from his mouth and vet says lungs are clear. He won't eat
pellets at all and just a little mash or apple sauce. No pumpkin.

Answer
A 12 year old piggy is a senior citizen. I'm assuming from your words "vet says" that he has already seen a vet. Was any blood work done? The blood work will reveal if there's any serious problems like kidney or liver issues.

At his age cancer is a possibility. If he's pooping, and the poops have a normal consistency (not diarrhea) then he probably is not blocked.

If he'll let you, try sticking your finger inside his mouth, running it along his teeth and gums, between the gums and the cheek, and in that little space back behind the very last molar. Stuff sometimes gets stuck in there and hurts when the pig tries to bite.

It seems that he likes his stuff sweet. So, maybe try mixing the pellets with warm (not hot) water so it looks kinda like oatmeal. Add some molasses or maple syrup or powdered juice mix (like Kool Aid or Crystal Lite). Get the "sweet" all the way through the mix so he can't just lick it off.

Another trick that might work is a packet of flavored instant oatmeal (any flavor is fine). Give him the oatmeal first, if he likes it, try again this time using a little extra water and mixing a few pellets in. Gradually increase the amount of water and pellets until he's eating enough.

Pigs tend to like diary foods, so try giving him different dairy products to see if any catch his interest. Cheese, milk, buttermilk, sour cream and of course, ice cream are usually favorites.

Also, try offering him some Boost or Ensure or similar. These products are not cheap, but they are packed with nutrition. You can also try mashing the pellets into some warm Ensure.

Some pigs like chicken soup. It can't hurt to try that, too.

Things like soft fruits, real juice, canned soups, powdered instant breakfast, boost and sour or ice cream or milk can be mixed in a blender to make a nutritional "milkshake". The more things added to the milkshake the more nutritional it is. Don't be afraid to try different flavors, like chocolate or strawberry, of products like instant breakfast or ensure. Pigs can eat chocolate, and the tiny bit used to flavor these products poses no danger to a pig.

Good luck and please let me know if these suggestions work.