Petunia
Petunia was surrendered to us by the Cochrane Humane Society after she was found wandering alone on the Morley Reserve. She was suffering from mange, a painful skin disorder, and was cared for at a foster home until she was healthy enough to join the rest of the pigs at the RASTA Sanctuary.
Petunia has since been introduced to the many other pigs and other farm animals at the Sanctuary. She has made a close friendship with Bella and Baxter, two other young pot belly pigs rescued close to the same time as Petunia. The tiny trio had been affectionately named “the Kindergarten Club”.
Petunia’s Spay
After a couple of weeks, Petunia went into heat. Although believed to have already been spayed due to what appeared to be an old surgical scar on the underside of her belly, it became evident that Petunia was still very much intact. We have since had her spayed and she has recovered nicely from her surgery.
Whenever possible, we prefer to use a side incision with the spaying of the pigs. Since these animals tend to have a greater concentration of fat in their belly area, there is a greater strain on the incision if it is underneath the animal and thus a greater risk of the stitches bursting open. Also, as potbelly pigs are very close to the ground, their risk of infection is far greater if the incision site is underneath.
Spaying and neutering potbelly pigs, as with most animals, is an absolute must as this greatly reduces aggression, behavioral and territorial issues, as well as eliminates the risk of a number of cancers affecting reproductive organs and glands (testicular, uterus and mammary).
