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 Mouhahaha
Posts: 1786
   
Location: British Columbia | I recorded my colt in the pasture and e-mailed it to my vet. He said, compared to his initial state, he has worsened. He feels the best thing to do would be euthanize him before winter in the event that he falls while I am not home and can't get back up.
I, however, feel that there are too many unknowns to make that kind of decision. He is still happy and mobile. Though I no longer believe he will recover, I'd like to think he will no get progressively worse.
Though multiple vets have now told me it is a degenerative disease, owners of horses with wobblers have said that they've had horses with it and they have gone on to live healthy, SAFE lives as companion animals. Every vet I speak to seems to have a different perception of the wobblers.
This will be the first horse in my ownership that I will have to euthanize if it comes to that and I am no quite ready for it. It would feel like I've wronged him. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 533
Location: Northeast, KS | My one and only experience with Woobler's was truely heartbreaking. The colt did not get better inspite of everything I tried. I came home from work one day to find him down in his pen and he had to be put down after lying there for probably most of the day. It is still a sight I cannot forget. Because of this I will no longer have a foal at my place.
I wish you the best with your colt-but that was my experience.
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Mouhahaha
Posts: 1786
Location: British Columbia | Blue Cowgirl - 2014-07-10 12:41 PM My one and only experience with Woobler's was truely heartbreaking. The colt did not get better inspite of everything I tried. I came home from work one day to find him down in his pen and he had to be put down after lying there for probably most of the day. It is still a sight I cannot forget. Because of this I will no longer have a foal at my place.
I wish you the best with your colt-but that was my experience.
This is kind of what is happening to me. I had to back out of my 2014 foal I had purchased when all of this happened because I could not handle the thought of this kind of thing happening again. I still feel as though I must have done something wrong and it is my fault.
Edited by TMEquine 2014-07-10 1:45 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 533
Location: Northeast, KS | I am sure it is nothing you did and I truly hate you are having to go thru this! I wish you the absolute best!! |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
 
Location: Florida.. | wasnt it injury related? or am I thinking of someone else. |
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 JMHO
Posts: 1869
Location: Oklahoma | I had a really nice Chasin Firewater colt that at 5 months old showed signs of Wobblers. We did xrays of his first vert behind the skull. It was tipped and pressing on the spinal cord. Vet thought he had snapped his nose down while playing, tearing the tendons to that vert. One of the tuffest things I had to do was put him down. Babies are very fragile!! |
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Mouhahaha
Posts: 1786
Location: British Columbia | Bibliafarm - 2014-07-10 12:51 PM wasnt it injury related? or am I thinking of someone else.
It was, this is why I am confused about the degenerative part. But each vet is giving me different explanations. |
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 Dr. Ebay
Posts: 8507
Location: Land Of Oz | TMEquine - 2014-07-10 1:58 PM Bibliafarm - 2014-07-10 12:51 PM wasnt it injury related? or am I thinking of someone else. It was, this is why I am confused about the degenerative part. But each vet is giving me different explanations.
Probably because it will never get any better, even if it doesn't get any worse. |
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 Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| The one I had was injury related also and the vet at UofM in minnesota told me I would come home one day and he would be down unable to get up. I left him at the vet hospital to be put down. Was hard be I believe was the best thing for him. |
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 Peecans
| I dont have any personaly experince (thank god)
But just thinking logically id say I would expect one to get worse more often than not. The way the horses gate has changed, and compensating for weekness has got to take a toll on their body, espicaly on a young undovelped horse.
My heart hurts for you that you have to face this decision. Im so sorry. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I can't remember if it was ever confirmed by X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, fluoroscope where the injury and what structures are involved.
I would want to know the cause of the wobblers then look at the quality of life specifically to that cause |
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Mouhahaha
Posts: 1786
Location: British Columbia | I love how someone can hold so much of a grudge against me that they are disliking a conversation about euthanizing a poor colt. Very tasteful.
Edited by TMEquine 2014-07-10 2:25 PM
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | TMEquine - 2014-07-10 2:58 PM Bibliafarm - 2014-07-10 12:51 PM wasnt it injury related? or am I thinking of someone else. It was, this is why I am confused about the degenerative part. But each vet is giving me different explanations.
must be very difficult since you have a few differant opinions.. to know in your heart what to do.. very sorry.. |
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 Texas Lone Star
Posts: 5318
Location: where ever my L/Q trl is parked | I've never heard of one getting better or even stable enough to be a companion horse. I wouldn't hesitate to do the kind thing of letting them go as oppose to suffering as it get worse. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I do know of one who had trauma diagnosed wobblers, he got worse before he got better, I think he is 5-8 yrs not my horse, but he is a pasture pet and gets around well considering.
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | My friends horse had wobblers. Very Very sad. Unfortunately it will only get worse. I am very sorry. Sending prayers for you on this tough decision that has to be made. |
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 Saint Stacey
| Sidekick had injury related wobblers. He would have good days and really bad days. He was doing good (or so I thought). But then one morning he was down and in a huge amount of pain and no vet could be found so my poor husband had to take care of it. From my personal experience, I would probably have the horse put down. Yes, he might somewhat function as a pasture pet. But they never have the quality of life they once had. You could see it in Sidekick that he didn't understand why he could no longer run and play like he loved to do. Yes, puttingone down is hard. But iit's even worse when you are put in the situation we were and having to take care if it because you waited until you were forced to. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 302
| I haven't dealt with this, and can't imagine how hard it is, I do work I. Orthopaedics though and with a human, after a vertebral with nerve damage or compression they often experience early onset osteoarthritis at that segment which may be the degenerative part they are talking about with your little man, in a human with that type of symptoms often they would have a surgery to stabilize that segment, plus rehab, where I come in, I don't know if this helps.... |
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 Veteran
Posts: 211
Location: Vinton, La. | When my two year old filly was diagnosed with wobblers last year I also thought like you did, she would get better. But it didn't happen and she went downhill very fast in three months. I researched, talked to vets, trainers, and cried a whole lot watching her struggle. I just wanted her to get better and was hoping she would do so in time. It didn't happen. She fell one day just walking to her stall, knocked out all her front teeth and had her neck folded under her. Thank goodness I was there to get her neck straightened out. It was right then I realized how very selfish I was in keeping her alive just for "me." I had her put down the next day.
If you have the funds, there is a surgery that can be done depending on what stage wobblers they have. It can improve them but the surgery is not a fix all and will probably have to be done again in a few years. Good luck with ever decision you make. It hurts like hell.
Melanie |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1096
| My 2 year old was diagnosed with this. It was so so sad. I could see though that he wasn't happy, he couldn't run as well anymore and I could see he was stumbling. Because I live in the cold north we decided to put him down. He was not going to get better and the thought of him slipping or falling on the ice was just too dangerous. |
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 Queen Boobie mascot
Posts: 706
Location: Mayerthorpe Alberta | TMEquine - 2014-07-10 2:22 PM I love how someone can hold so much of a grudge against me that they are disliking a conversation about euthanizing a poor colt. Very tasteful. Perhaps they are disliking what you are going through. Edited to add that I am sorry that you are having to go through this. I know it is difficult and you will make the best decision that you can.
Edited by lurker 2014-07-11 8:01 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 197
| I put the one I had down. Hard to do but for the best I think
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 Color My World
Posts: 4940
Location: My perfect world bubble | We had a mastiff that had it - she got progressively worse until she could hardly stand and wasn't able to support herself to go to the bathroom. We put her down - that was almost 2 years ago and we just now are ready to get another dog. Very heartbreaking condition. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | I can't remember where I heard this quote first...but it is said "There are worse things in life for an animal than death"...meaning...sometimes a humane end is far better than a life of discomfort or pain.
We often have a hard time letting them go...but in some cases it is the kindest thing we can do for them. If they are in chronic pain...or the quality of life isn't there and is not going to improve...well...I truly feel for your situation...and I know it's one heck of a tough call.
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Wobblers is Degenerative?