Hello!

I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me about our newest family member.

My husband and I recently adopted a female pot-belly. She is about 8-9 months old and very sweet. The only problem so far has been our complete lack of knowledge! We ordered your book and wanted you to know that is has been so helpful - a real lifesaver! But we still have just a few questions.

Our pig (Molly) has not been spayed. She's quite large and we worry that it may not be safe (or practical) to have her spayed at this point. What is your opinion on that? Also, how often will she go into heat and how should we handle her when she is in heat?

Also, do you have any tips on finding a vet in our area? So far, I have been unable to find any vets that are within a reasonable distance and long car rides seem to really upset Molly. (We found this out when bringing her home.)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Denise Garman
Richmond, Virginia

Note from Kathleen:
If you pig is overweight it would be an excellent idea to put her on a diet prior to surgery. Since she goes into heat every 21 days, spaying is always a good option. The critical issues for spaying an older pig is that she be in good body condition, that she is trained to go in the car and travel without stress, and that your Vet is very familiar with pig spaying. Many Vets are not familiar with spaying a pig because they have not been trained in Vet Schools to do this procedure. There is a large blood supply to a pig uterus. Your Vet needs to be fully aware of exactly what to expect and how to do the procedure so that a bad result does not happen.

Kathleen