funny smell

Question
I have a male potbellied piglet, he was neutered at 6 weeks he is now 20 weeks old. Sometimes he will let out just a drop of this awful smell, when he is laying with me or when he gets scared. I have not found anything on this particular subject. Just curious to if this is something you have ever heard of, and if its something I can help with diet change, or if its something he might just grow out of. any answers will help.
thanks!


Answer
Male pigs have a gland located near the penis in the middle of the belly that secrets a rather smelly substance. This is used to "mark" their territory or attract mates. People don't care much for the smell, but sows think it's fabulous.
In unaltered males this gland is very active making the pig very smelly. It's a big reason why intact males don't make the best pets.
In "fixed" males the gland is still there, but not as active. Like tusks that grow slowly in "fixed" males, the gland still secretes, but not as much. So when the pig is stressed or relaxed, the gland may ooze a little of this smelly substance.
It will happen less and less often as he gets older, but may  happen when he's really stressed out, or in his sleep.
Yahoo groups has several groups devoted to pot-bellied pigs, the members range from people with single house pets to sanctuaries to professional pig trainers. Potspot is very pig oriented, PigInfoAndChat is a little busier group with a little more chit chat.