Pigs age at a rate of about 5 years to one of a humans. It seems when they reach the senior years it goes all too fast. We cannot conceive of our friends leaving our lives. There is no way to prepare for the loss. We can only make the elder years good ones.

• How old is old? How does his age define his needs?

Juvenile (baby-2 years old)	Young adult  (3-7)	Mature adult ( 8-12 )	Senior (13-15)	Elder ( 16-20 )
in human years - infant to 14	15-39	40-64	65-79	80 and older
Still growing; no tusks evident, easily pleased, loves attention and companions of all species. Health risk medium with accidental death (especially from dogs) high	Growth ends at about 5. On some pigs tusks may begin to be visible on the little boys.  Health risk low.	Outdoor pigs with plenty of space, a good social life with other pigs and good forage are at their prime. They shine,  they have energy to spare, they are content. Their interest in humans is casual. Friendly pigs are willing to throw themselves down for a belly rub, others will pass. Dental checks begin In altered pigs, the health risk is very low	Some slowing down begins. The keen competitive nature declines and pigs may not eat as well with some slow weight loss occurring. Dental problems begin in the majority of pigs. More time spent basking in the sun than exploring the woods. Health risk sharply increases. Unspayed females who have survived this long will usually be stricken with fatal reproductive disease.	Slower days. The loss of sight, hearing and smell all contribute  toward the need for special care. With a decline in activity, arthritis may affect them more severely and require medications and the diet needs to be changed to prevent constipation. They enjoy the belly rub more than ever.  Teeth are worn away and the diet needs to be of soft foods, and to maintain good health, more digestible and more nutritious foods. Better protection from climate is needed as they no longer deal well with extremes.

Behaviors at various ages

• Juvenile: Pigs are very adaptable as youngsters, moving in and out of new environments with more expectancy and curiosity than concern. They are agreeable to many behaviors in humans that a few years later are totally resisted. Starting the pig off in an environment that he can grow in will assure the next stage of his life will smoothly connect. Young pigs need a "safety" zone to feel secure. This is a place, often his own house in the yard or private space in the barn, where he can always go when he is afraid or tired or just needs to be alone. The best world for a young pig includes (no surprise here)  another pig to play with.. to race with and sleep with and sharpen his competitive skills with. . He needs room to run and explore. Juvenile pigs (and the rare adult) spin with happiness. It is the most joyful expression of life ever exhibited. Give one a pile of leaves, a sand pile or a handful of hay and if you are very very lucky you will see him spin.. like their human counterparts they will spin until they get dizzy and fall into a happy heap.

• Young adult:  In a suitable environment he will be very active, up at daybreak seeking out early snacks in the field or woods, traveling at top speed everywhere he goes and willing to be introduced to anything new. He will fearlessly step into a pool to cool off and spend endless hours burrowing into a sand pile. At this age they are frequently challenging the authority of the older pigs who are at the top of the hierarchy. If humans are in their immediate environment they will challenge them as well. Big oofs and feinting a charge  and even a rare nip are all growing signs of their maturing nature,  seeking a position of command. If they are not being raised in a suitable, outdoor area with lots of room, this is the age at which destruction born of too much confinement begins. It is at this age that the absence of his own kind will become more painful and the age at which most pigs are carried off to a shelter to be killed because they are "aggressive". Unfortunately for all, this is not true. They are simply pigs growing up in a wrong environment. For some pigs, who see no resolution to their unhappiness, depression and eventually stress related death can result. See Environment section for information on preparing for a healthy and happy environment before he becomes this age.

• Mature adult:  These are the best years of his life, rich in contentment and the companionship of his friends. He has his place in a herd,however small, and only occasionally challenges it. He begins to choose with more care, how to spend his days; less adventure, more grazing. He will graze in the early hours, siesta during mid day and be back out to graze in the evening.  He will have a place he sleeps every night, with the same companions or family he has always slept with,  a special spot he goes to drink and his own spot to use the bathroom. Pigs are the original "creature of habit" and change will not be welcome in their life once they mature. By the later mature years his teeth will be worn, he may have decayed teeth and abscesses in his mouth and chin areas from bad teeth. More in Health section.

• Senior: It is the age where they begin to slow down in a noticeable way. They may start sleeping alone or spending more time alone. It is time to start watching his weight and behavior for changes and seek medical care before things get out of hand. Diagnostics at regular intervals of yearly or every 2 years are a good choice. Time for you to build that stress free chute/ramp (or buy one from our builder see the Essentials page here .  His need for large spaces to roam is over. He is content in a much smaller area with less variety. A warm bed, soft foods and lots of sun bathing and shade.. he is content. As his companions leave this world, after a grieving period pigs at this age generally don't take on a new special friend. For his welfare, it is good if there are other pigs around, but a special buddy is not likely to be chosen.
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• Elder: Not a lot of pigs reach the status of elder. Special care for these wonderful old pig-men and pig-ladies is in order. These can be the best times you and your pig will ever have. Pigs are very independent and never need a lot from us. As they age, they gracefully accept the special foods and show real delight in what you bring for breakfast. A freshly laundered or fresh hay bed is greeted with much "plumping" as they nestle down into it. From what I have seen with the end of life days that come to all these elders, they accept death without any fear or foreboding. It is the machinations of us humans and our medical processes which sometimes make matters more difficult. Quietly explaining the need for the shot before giving it can go a long way. They DO understand the tone, the body language and the faith they have in you. A few suggestions:
•     Quit worrying about balanced diets and calories.. fix him meals that you would enjoy. Mashed potatoes and gravy and mushy peas and soft bread with butter, a little cooked spinach and some pudding.. and vary it every day. He has little interesting stuff in his life any more.. mealtimes can fill his whole day with anticipation. And a little special time. My old boys get covered up and a cookie every night. When they hear my step on the stairs they stretch out for a little belly rub and without ever opening their eyes, open their mouths for the cookie. Then the covers are pulled up and they are "tucked in for the night"  I tell them. It is the high point in their day. I know their days are few.. and for me as well as for them, these are the best moments we will have.

•        Pain is not required. Ask your vet to provide the necessary drugs to keep pain at bay. Injections of Banamine allay most pain. This drug does create GI problems and cannot be used long but for a few days it will give great relief. And morphine, injected by your vet or in oral form will give all day pain relief. If your vet does not make house calls and cannot prescribe this restricted drug he may have a vet tech or nurse who can come and administer it. Someone with Hospice might even volunteer to do it. Ask. Keep asking until you find them what they need.

•     If pain is to be the every day life, it is time to consider the quality of that life. If he is not going to get better, it may be the most loving act and perhaps the hardest, to euthanize him.  And this last act should be painless and without fear. First, a sedative to put him COMPLETELY under so he is fully unconscious when the euthanasia serum is injected. Don't let anyone have any say in this matter.. you do not want to send him on his journey in fear or pain. Give him the easy out, for your sake as much as his. Your vet may have to do this at home for him and this is the best way.

• When slowing down may be more than just age

     Slowing down is normal, but certain behaviors indicate other issues.  Aging does bring physical and mental changes but nobody dies of "old age". They die of age related diseases. Diseases can be (sometimes) cured, (often) controlled and (always) managed.  Some body parts simply wear out, like their teeth. Left un addressed, bad teeth can kill, either thorough direct infection or infection that spreads to the bones or further, by malnutrition or even starvation.

As the senses become weakened their behavior will show changes. They will not be willing to compete for food. As the sense of smell declines they will push food around and seem very "picky". With declining sight, they will shy from objects that are not threatening. They will refuse to walk up and down stairs or ramps that they have used for years. They will touch their dish of food and jerk back like it was hot or something hurt them. All these are signals of failing senses. But sometimes these are also signs of particular illnesses. Becoming sedentary, refusing stairs and ramps, not being willing to get in the piggy pool.. these are all things a pig with arthritis will do as well. Once arthritis sets in , or any disease that makes the pig feel less than "whole" and "competent", it affects his behavior. He feels at risk doing things he used to do, uncertain of his stability, and won't take any chances on not being able to get out of the pool or slipping on the ramp, or being unable to get back to his "safe zone", his bed. Physically he is able to do these things but his worries overtake him. No amount of encouragement will change a pig's mind. You may force him but you won't change him. A pig who ducks from a stationary object, avoids the sunshine or jerks back from food may have neurological problems or even a bad headache, like a migraine.  As boys age many of them experience less than vigorous urination. They stand and wait.. and wait.. and wait.. for that pump to start. While it may start and after a 2 or 3 minute drip, then a dribble, a stream of some sort will follow. BUT if he is really blocked, the stream will never start and the straining will be indicative that this is more than a tired urethra.

It is always better to take a little blood and check out what can be checked without putting him at risk to find out if he is acting "normal" for his age or is dealing with an illness. With old pigs ask your vet to use Midazolam to tranquilize him so sedation won't be necessary. He will nod off like a good nap and wake up as easily as it wears off, without stress, without fear.

Rule of tranquilizing: Give the shot and leave the pig alone in a quiet place for 40 to 50 minutes. (If you stay with him he may never get tranquil enough) Leave him in the car or in the trailer and let him nod out. The blood can usually be drawn without ever moving him and he will sleep until you get home and can unload him.

• End of Life needs

• Soft foods
• Higher nutritional levels
• More moisture content in foods
• If arthritic, medication
• Oral: Cosequin is the only effective oral medication; tested and listed in the Merck veterinary manual. All the rest have claims of varying veracity, none founded in results.
• Injectible: Adequan or its equivalent is the only ongoing choice. It can literally undo the damage to the joints and restore mobility and comfort. Given as a shot in the neck monthly it can give a badly arthritic pig a new life. Some of our worst cases have been on Adequan for 7 years and are still very mobile and comfortable.
• When pain is unremitting from a joint and all meds have failed to give relief, the vet can administer Serapin shots directly into the joint. This one shot may give sufficient relief that the joint will fuse and the pain is then at an end as there is no longer the inflammation of bone rubbing bone.
• Oral meds, morphine and Tramadol, can also provide relief short term if a bone needs time to fuse.
• In some cases sufficient relief can be achieved by Steroids and non steroidal pain relievers.  These should only be used in conjunction with acid relievers such as ranitidine or famotidine and should be used short term while getting the other long term meds to work. Pain relievers can kill your pig. A little pain in his leg won't. Treat the cause, not the symptom.
• Soft bed that does not require any work to get into
• Fresh hay or blankets daily
• Aloe Heal or veterinary cream on dry skin.(Avail at any horse supply place)
• Heat and cooling when temps are extreme. His ideal temp is 60 degrees.
• Watch how he eats and check his teeth every year.
• Supply him with easy to use dishes. (see pictures )  Flat dishes with higher edges, like frisbees, make good dishes. Water bowls too should have lower sides than he once drank from. (We cut the sides down on rubber water dishes and you can get the soft sided pools made in smaller sizes)  You want him to drink frequently, but if its difficult he will not do it as often as he should.
• Some like a radio playing.. some don't. Be sure its set on low volume. Better he can tune it out if he wants.
• Access to outdoors. This is a challenge in most homes. Either steps or ramps or some elevations exist which elder pigs shun. A pile of sand at a low threshold works. Get creative..