Pot Bellied Pig Hoof Triming plus

Question
My 14 yr old ( Ive had him since he was just a few weeks old] pot bellied pig has hoofs that are too long. He does not like to have his hoofs touched. He lives in the house with me, and I take him everywhere with me. He stays, usually of course, in the Van. I have taken him 100 miles to a Vet that would put him to sleep to trim his hoofs. A friend of mine is trying to help me to clip the claw like hoofs by sneaking up on him while he is sleeping outside in the sun. But LD Pig (Lovely Darling Pig or Last D--- Pig) (depending on what mischief he has gotten into), is extremely alert unless really sound asleep. Once my friend touches the "claw" he is trying to clip, he must have the cutting edges of the clipper tight on it, or pig will jump up and get his hoof out of the way. He is on a leash whenever I take him outside, whether it is to graze the grass or to "load up" in the Van. I dont have any children, but he is my baby. My problem is my friend does not know how far back he can clip each "claw" without drawing blood or doing harm to him. Some of his dew claws are easily an inch long or more and curled into a half circle or more. I have kept him on a strict diet so that he even now only weighs about 100 -120 pounds. A second question, if you dont mind;On the back end of his back (close to the tail) he has an area about 6-7 inches in diameter which is quite  baldish and with about 6  hard looking scale like looking flat bumps, some the size of a quarter. I was told a while back by a man who has raised P.B. Pigs for a long time that that was normal for the breed as they got older. However, in reading questions asked of you experts, I think he was wrong. The bumps are not like balls or nodes, but are quite flat. I apologize for the length of these questions. The tool he uses for clipping is about 12-16 inches long and like a pair of pliers, except the cutting edges are at the end and not on the sides. I am very concerned about taking him to that Vet for the clipping because of the risk of my Baby being put to sleep with too much medication. I live in a rural area and the vets that treat my horses, dogs and cats know nothing about P.B. Pigs. I deeply appreciate any advice and knowledge you can provide me and my friend. Thank you !! Margo.  

Answer
You might try teaching him to allow you to handle and trim his feet, but at age 14 he's probably quite set in his ways, so this would take a long time.

Most rescue and sanctuary owners restrain the pigs for hoof trimming without putting them under.

One method is to use a sling and lift. The sling goes under the pig's belly, and the lift hoists him off the ground. Once his feet are in the air, it's relatively easy for two people to hold the leg immobile and trim the hoof.

Another method that requires several strong people is to simply hold the pig down on his side, or roll him on his back, or pull him up into a "sitting" position (be careful of his tail!). Then two others hold the leg and trim the hoof. Although it sounds rather harsh, if done quickly and gently as possible it should not hurt the pig. Rolling him on his back may leave him a bit dizzy, but he will recover in less than a minute with no lasting ill effects, without the dangers of anesthesia.

As the hooves grow longer, veins will grow down into the hoof. If his dew hooves are so long they are curling under it's probably safe to trim away all the curling under portion.

Pigs do get all sorts of strange lumps and bumps. Some are harmless and go away on their own, others can be a serious problem. I am not a vet and can not diagnose these particular bumps through an email. But I will offer some possibilities. If the hair loss is part of his normal yearly shedding and the bumps always remain the same they might be callouses. If there is any sort of ooze or goo in them, they could be insect bites, infected wounds, or signs of mange. I suggest asking your vet about these bumps and the possibility of treating him for mange or other parasites.