Q. My pet potbellied pig (Bradford) was down for six weeks with a disc problem in his back. We tried everything to help him, including prednisone. What finally saved him, just before the vet was set to euthanize him, was turmeric!
A friend recommended giving him curcumin pills. They had worked wonders for her son after surgery. Once Brad ate them, his recovery was almost a miracle. For the first time in six weeks he got up and made himself a bed, he ate without being spoon-fed and drank from a dish rather than a syringe. I believe it saved his life.
We cancelled the vet appointment and he’s been a happy, pain-free pig ever since (about two years).
In addition, I have another pig, Snippet, with arthritic front feet who is getting turmeric daily and shows improvement. Have you ever heard of using turmeric or curcumin for animal pain relief? I’m not aware of any side effects for them. Snip gets 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric twice a day right from the spice can with a meal. He seems to like the taste.
A. Thanks for sharing the success you’ve had with turmeric for Brad and Snip. We don’t know anything about pig medicine, but we hear from many humans that turmeric, or its active ingredient curcumin, can be helpful as an anti-inflammatory.
Turmeric is the yellow spice in curry powder and mustard. Scientists have shown that curcumin has antioxidant potential. They are investigating whether it may have benefit in helping to prevent arthritis, cancer and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease.
