I am waiting on a call from my vet to schedule the euthanasia of a beloved horse.  I know this is part of responsible animal husbandry, I know it is the right thing to do and I know to soon is better than too late. But that said, I still am struggling with taking his life.  Heart > Head in this case. 

He is 30.  Yes that sounds ancient but we all know horses are living longer than ever with excellent care - which he has had. 

He is in advanced stages of cushings 

He has struggled with Severe Heave episodes for 15 years or better. I was always able to keep it in check but flare ups are very hard on his body condition and takes 5-10 days of Dex injections to remedy it.  He has NO muscle left to inject and frankly I am sick of poking him.  He is flared up a little today. 

His weight is dropping off to the point I panic when I look at him.  His Body Condition is well beyond what I am comfortable with and to me he looks skeletal. 

His attitude is unchanged. By all accounts he is happy, bossy and not "suffering" 

Words of wisdom would be much appreciated

No advice or words of wisdom from me, but you will get a huge HUG from me...

Such a hard thing we have too do and choose at times like this.

Hugs. Only you and your vet can make that decision.

I think I'm torn between not waiting too long and justifying that there is "enough" wrong.  Does that make any sense? 

I'm so sorry that you are faced with that decision.  It's just so hard.  I do however feel that making the final call is an act of love.  It doesn't make it any easier, but on a spiritual level I believe they understand.

I had to make this decision for one of mine in December 2016.  I still worry if it was the right time even though I knew it would have to be done soon.  My guy looked in great shape and his attitude was good but the cancer was growing and I didn't want him to suffer.  My vet said I made the right call, but I have always wondered if it was the right time.  I just tell myself that he went out feeling good and not in any pain.  If I had waited longer that might not have been the case and I would have prolonged the inevitable by being selfish.  Hugs to you - it's never easy.  

I agree with the above, I let them Tell Me to a point. There will come a time when they almost ask you to do it, if that makes sense. But doesn't make it any easier. 

I have put down 2 horses. The first mare KOko, we got her when she was 7 yrs old. She was good horse and we raised a couple of foals out her.  She got arthritis she  couldn't hardly back out of our slant load trailer and the winters we're getting rough on her with the arthritis and she had lost few back teeth.  She wasn't a happy horse. She got through her last winter and wasn't doing well come late spring loosing weight.   So we put her down, it was hard but it was time she was 23 yrs old. The second mare Jackie had stifle problems and the was getting laminitis.  We didn't have enough pasture to keep her and I didn't want her to take a long ride on a killers truck and end up slaughter.  I didn't want to sell her to someone and take the chance of neglect or being sold for slaughter.  So we put her down. She was 17 yrs old.  I did what I felt was right for the horse.  It is hard but it was the right decision for both horses.  

it makes sense, it's the head vs the heart... 

I had to make this call on 2 horses and 2 dogs... I can say this...  none of it is easy, it's hard to walk out and they are gone, and it's hard to make the call to give them rest... it all sucks... but if you know this is right ( and I do think we know)  you will just do it.  I gave tons and tons of extra treats, baths.. and love... save some hair..  and so many ((((HUGS)))) it's so hard  even when it's the right thing... I pray for peace for your heart, mind and soul...  

We have all had this struggle and it sucks---I think you know the right decision.

I have made that decision twice. I asked the vet "when" I should put my old barrel horse down and the vet told me ...... "he" will let you know. And he did. It got to the time where he had lost wieght and lost the luster in his eyes. He was 33 years old. My team pennig horse developed severe abcesses and founder and could barely move. THAT decision was a little easier. He was 28. It certainly is not easy to make "the" decision but it sounds like you are at the right time .... HUGS !!!!!

My thoughts and prayers are with you.Its better to let them go easier then to wait for a moment that is tragic,a I NEED A VET NOW MOMENT,IS NEVER GOOD.Thanks for loving him,and doing right by him.

I think when you start asking yourself the question, you already know the answer deep down.  JMO 

Prayers for you, it's not easy no matter the circumstance.

Knowing you Gail I know that you made the right decision, even if your heart was not really I know that you did the right thing for your guy. Its never easy, been there myself a few times and as I get older its just keeps getting harder for my soul..

Never ever an easy decision but inside you know it's time and the right thing to do. When we made the call to put chuy down when he got laminitis... his eyes told me he was through and in just so much pain, I could see that he gave up. We put our beloved Doberman down too not too long ago and she was amazing... been with me thru everything. I said I didn't want to be in the room when they put her to sleep and then I remembered I had read somewhere that they needed you there for comfort.. not surrounded by strangers in a strange place. Me and the kids loved on her and you could tell she knew it was time she looked so sad but thankful we were there with her to the very last breath. It was so sad even the vet shed a few tears with us. But I just think it's incredibly kind of you to do the right thing by your horse... a lot of people just send them off to the sale because they don't want to deal with the costs or the pain of putting one down. Poor horses go thru pure hell when put thru sales to end up on a trailer to Mexico... I think it's a Nobel thing to do, to do right by the animal and let them rest easy and comfortable even when it about kills us emotionally . 

I had to let my soul-mate dog go 2 years ago and it was by far the worst day of my life so far. Not ashamed to say that. I stayed in the room until he was sedated and then stepped outside to wait. I regret that choice every single day. I was so scared and so devestated.  I will stay with my horse.

I appreciate the kind words.  Whether I am a little late or not, I will do right by him and he will rest in my pasture. 

Boy its kinda hard to decide which like emoji to use on this thread. 

Right! We need the giving a hug emoji here 

YES!!! We need a huggy emoji added to the like. Or a huggy Bear 

<<<<< Best one I could find!

Hugs to you. I'm 65 years old and have had to say good-bye to many throughout my lifetime of great horses. It's never easy.  Please know that there are folks out here who totally understand your feelings. 

I had to put my 16 year old Cocker Spaniel to sleep in December.  A lady vet I had heard about has a service where she comes to your home and with kindness and sympathy puts your dog down in his own surroundings.  Patch died in his very own reclining chair that he slept in every night.  It was a costly service but well worth it.  I told the folks at work about this veterinary and since then two have used her services for their dog buddies.

My 28 year last-I-had or will ever have in the way of horse had to be put down.  He was in agony and I called several vet clinics who refused to come out because they were too "busy."  Finally I found one who understood and was on the road immediately.  Then there was the task of finding a way to bury him.  Again expensive all the way around but you do what you have to do.  It just hurts.

Over the years I have been involved in rescue especially of special needs animals and I have had to face this decision so many times when their time came.  My vet who has always been amazing always gave me this to go by.  Think beyond your heart, when there is no longer quality of life it is time.  Your beloved horse lived his best years with you, HUGS!

Is it just me or is anyone else sobbing reading this thread? It just brings up so many memories of losing our furry loved ones. Even though it's the kindest and humane thing to do for our friends. Having a great vet that shows compassion and empathy lessens the blow for sure. My vet and her assistant were nothing short of amazing when she came to lay chuy to rest. Her assistant comforted my daughter and told her how lucky chuy was to be loved by a little girl and she snipped off a large portion of his tail and braided it for her and hugged her while he went down. He went down text book and it was quick and painless.  They were so sweet and send us a sympathy card in the mail. In fact she didn't even charge me to do it when I finally went back to the vets office to square up. She's now my number 1 go to vet for everything. We are fortunate to be able to bury our pets on our property and we have a backhoe. We had our Dobie cremated and they put it in a beautiful wood box for us with her paw print and sent a packet of wildflowers to plant and a lovely poem about the rainbow Bridge. I keep it on our entertainment center. 

Just wanted to say I am so sorry. Have had to make that decision to many times  :(    Prayers for you & your horse.

I haven't had to put one down yet thank God, but I do have a 28 year old with cushings myself so I know what you go through with yours. Mine luckily has been mild stage for 10 years and does jsut fine most days. But I do know that day is coming and it's like ok how do I make the right call when it does. There's days he struggles with laminitis and then 5 days later he's spinning, running, & bucking in his paddock. So I'm always like well if he can do that obviously he's fine. Some days he can't lay down to roll & others he's covered in mud. So every time he has a bad spell I'm like, ok are we close, is this it? And then he's back to his normal lunatic self. So I feel you on where you're at, its such an up and down disease so often. You never know when the up is going to be the last up. You know your horse, if you feel its time then its time. You know what you're willing to keep putting them through or not. They don't always tell you with their soul, but their body will often tell you before their heart does. Sending prayers your way to get you through it 

As a former vet tech I would just say that the MOST heartbreaking thing is to see an owner realize that they waited too long.  A humane end is the kindest thing we can give our furry friends. 

I always say that euthanasia is the last gift we can give them. The worst part is the time leading up to it, whether it takes you a week to do it or you mull it over for a few weeks. It's absolute agony. But you have to be strong for your friend. You can do this hon. You have all our shoulders to lean on. We understand. 

My old man was laid to rest last week. Thank you for all the kind and supportive comments, it definitely helped me find peace about the decision.

things went very well and he was surrounded by his small "herd" and my husband and myself. It was terribly sad but I couldnt have asked for it to go better than it did. 

   I'm sorry for your loss,and your broken heart,its never easy,but you set him free.

We had to put down our little yorkie 2 weeks ago. 1 day after we had him for 15 years. Rescued him from a puppy mill. He was supposedly 1 year old when we got him. The vets thought he was older. So he was at least 16 years old. He pretty much died in March. We were ready to pull the plug after 4 days of IV and lifelessness but somehow he pulled thru that. He had been deaf for a couple years. Blind for about a year. He had to wear a diaper the last 6 months but he seemed so happy. All of a sudden he took a bad turn for the worse. Wandered in circles and then would get in his bed and just howl. The vet said it was dementia. It was hard to put him down even though it was right thing. And it's the responsible thing for us to do. We take that oath when we get them. 

But it's still devatating. We are comforted by the wonderful life he had for 15 years after getting out of that cage at the puppy mill. 

Now I'm faced with the same deciision for my great horse Easy. He is 31 now. Hard to keep weight on even though he eats more now than when we competed. Last two times he was trimmed the shoer said he's getting stiffer and stiffer. He seems fine but now when he lays down he has a terrible time getting up. If in his stall he falls agains the wall and fights and fights to get up. Now I've seen the same thing out in the field. And he's a horse that's always laid down a lot. Now he doesn't lie down much. I'm sure it's from fear of not being able to get up. 

The problem for me now is that once he's up he seems fine. He moves around well and he eats good. I'm more concerned about waiting too long. I did that last year when we had to put my wife's horse down. Probably went 6 weeks too long on him. He was dropping weight so fast that you coluld almost see him lose weight. I don't want to make that mistake again. But I also don't want to make the decision too soon.

Again, it is our responsibly and our covenant to do right by the animals we have sworn to take care of. Still mourning the little dog and completely torn on what to do about my horse.

It seems we are all from the same force when it comes to loving animals and having one heck of a time letting go.