Constipated potbellied pig

Question
Juliet is 13 yo. Seems unable to have a bowel movement w/o an enema. Could this be from her arthritis or possibly more serious? My vet thinks it won't help if he comes to examine her as she wouldn't survive anesthesia if it were a more serious problem. Also, she will urinate in her bed. I clean up carefully after her, but am afraid the moisture will break down her skin. Can I use some kind of cream as a moisture barrier? Thanks so much for your help!

Answer
Without a vet, we can only surmise the real problem, it could even be a partial blockage.
Older pigs get arthritis and constipation, canned pumpkin and a diet high in roughage (raw veggies) should help. Vaseline will help the urine scalds the best as a barrier to moisture.
Putting her on a diet to lose weight may relieve the pain she is feeling because potbellies have inadequate bone and muscle to carry much weight. Add arthritis to that weight the little legs must carry  and you have a pig in pain who won't exercise enough to get the bowels moving.
    To have her be this age, you must be taking very good care of Juliet!Ideally, she should not have hard,dry,small feces. Adding large amounts of water to her food can help this, also.
Good luck to Juliet,
Priscilla Valentine
valentinesperformingpigs.com