Most vet research for pigs has been for commercial pigs. They are certainly related to mini/micro pigs, but their environment is completely different. For example, spaying is not something a commercial pig farm would be interested in doing any more than a cattle breeder.  Females who don’t breed are sold for meat. There are very few pet cows, or pet hogs. But mini/micro pigs fall into the pet category and there is interest in spaying. Unfortunately, there has not been much work on the administration of anesthesia in pigs and it is not well established in type or dose. Therefore, it is somewhat risky to spay the females and there is a danger of losing her during the operation. It is not nearly as safe as spaying a dog for example and it can be expensive. There is also a lot of disagreement about the age that is best for spaying. Some vets will spay at a month, while others want to wait until they are 3-6 months old. Some vets wouldn’t spay a female over a year old. This makes the proposition difficult to evaluate.

Males also have neutering problems. Inguinal hernia results when a defect permits intestines or other abdominal organs to pass into the inguinal canal. This is a result of an abnormally large and patent vaginal ring that allows free communication between the vaginal tunic and peritoneal cavities. In layman’s terms, there is a ring in the abdomen that allows for the testicular cord to pass down to the testicles. If the ring is too large or too weak, when the testicles are removed, the intestines will fall through the ring and out the body if the ring is not repaired surgically at the time of neutering. If the organs protrude into the scrotum it is termed a scrotal hernia a more exaggerated form of the defect. The development of inguinal hernias seems to be genetically influenced. One study indicated that the variation associated with anatomic structures relevant to scrotal hernia is influenced polygenically. In that study, the heritabilities of susceptibility to scrotal hernia development were estimated to be 29%, 34%, and 34% in Duroc-, Landrance-, and Yorkshire-sired pig groups, respectively. It should not be surprising that these hernias are even more common in mini and micro pigs that have a small anatomic structure.

The inguinal canal, also known as the inguinal ring, needs to be sewn closed in mini pigs during neuter surgery. Therefore neutering requires a vet familiar with pig anatomy. Unfortunately, occasionally a hernia will not develop until the surgery is complete and the vet needs to be called back to do the repair. At that point there is danger of infection and even with heavy antibiotics, the pig can die. In all the years of breeding we have only lost two little boys during neutering, but it can happen.

Therefore, any good breeder will have the males neutered between 3 and 5 weeks old by a vet who understands the problems. We usually neuter and then keep the babies another 10 days to be sure all healing if complete and the chance of infection has passed.

Male mini pigs need to be neutered to make good pets. Male piglets that are intact can become fertile as young as 8 weeks old. These little boys will have a very strong foul odor that is unbearable indoors. This offensive smell will also soil the piglet’s bedding and any furniture he spends time on. The behavioral problems of an intact male piglet drives pig parents rushing to have these babies neutered! They will chase and hump the family, other pets, and toys leaving a sticky stinky ejaculate. Inquire before you buy a male to be sure it has been neutered. If not, find a vet before you buy and take the little guy directly to the veterinarian.

The good news is that this is the major health problem in mini/micro pigs. So, once it has been addressed, the problem will not arise again.