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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1161
  
| Wanted anyone else's opinion or Experiance. Vet just left said bad arthritis in a 4 legs she is having a hard time walking. I have her on bute twice daily not helping .. Have her on arthritic med but isn't takin affect yet. I am preg with twins and don't even know if I will be able to take care of them myself when I get further along... To sum it up I don't really know whst to do she is bad right now I have to board for the winter and don't know if I can take care of them myself so I am consists ring putting her down. I want to do what's best for her but for myself in the near future too. |
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
 
| We are dealing with the same decision. Ours is a 16 yo paint gelding about 1200lbs. He is fine as long as he walks in a straight line. Any turning and he is obviously in alot of pain especially on his back legs. xrayed a couple of weeks ago and vet said he has pretty significat ringbone in all 4 legs. But vet thought he would be fine for another few years as long as we bute and use real easy. But just in the last few weeks it has got much worse. Really tough decision to make to put a good one down. |
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 Scorpions R Us
Posts: 9586
Location: So. Cali. | I think you're doing what is best for you and this horse. There is nothing wrong with that. And it's only going to get harder on her in the winter months. Even trying to find her a home as a pasture pet is hard these days, and you never know where the 'free' ones will eventually end up. All I can offer is hugs as it's never an easy decision, even when we know its the right one.  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1161
| The vet said give it two weeks. See how she does |
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Veteran
Posts: 234
| The fact that you are debating this in your mind pretty much answered your question. It shows how much you care for your horse that you are putting her physical well being above your emotions. We have had to put two down because of extreme arthritis one was old but the other one was only 17 their quality of life was not good and I could just tell they were tired of being in pain despite all the medicine which was not working any more. You can lay your head down at night and know you did what was right for them and not you. Your going to need it if you are expecting twins. Good Luck with what ever decision you make |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | I had to let my favorite horse in the world go last summer because of this...I still cry every time I think about him. I've owned lots of them, but he was a huge piece of me.
He had arthritis, ringbone, bone chips.....really didn't have a good leg left. This was a guy that LOVED to run and be wild. When you could tell it hurt him to just walk around, inj didn't help at all. I just couldn't put him thru that, he deserved better. I wanted to be able to let him live out a long retirement and feed him cookies every day. He would watch the others running around and you could tell it broke his heart not to be running. It was the toughest thing I've ever done, but I was with him at the end and I know I did right by him.
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Location: OK | Putting a horse that is in pain that will only get worse is the best thing you can do for the horse. I put down the horse of my lifetime that I had owned for 22 years. It was really hard to do but I owed him the relief. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| If it was my horse I would euthanize.
I have one that day will come, he is 22 diagnosed with osteoarthritis in coffin and pastern joints in front feet, he is currently pasture sound. I always said if my horses cannot live pain free, I would euthanize.
Hugs to you, as it is not an easy decision. |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| I was thinking these thoughts about my Zephyr mare when she turned 21. My vet had me put her on previcoxx. She was like a frisky youngster again for two years, then the third she started suffering again. I put her on double dose and that helped through that winter, but the next spring she told me it was time.
I love it that I got to have her for another few years, and that she got to feel much better for that time. I was ready, sort of, or at least knew that there was no where to go when the drugs didn't help anymore. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Three*C*Champs - 2014-10-24 12:16 PM
I think you're doing what is best for you and this horse. There is nothing wrong with that. And it's only going to get harder on her in the winter months. Even trying to find her a home as a pasture pet is hard these days, and you never know where the 'free' ones will eventually end up. All I can offer is hugs as it's never an easy decision, even when we know its the right one.
This ^^^ |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | We had our 14yr old stud put down mid August from Arthritis. He had injured a knee years ago and he developed it in the other knee and both hind pasterns through the years. I still miss him, I don't think a day goes by that I don't think of him. I knew it was best, but it doesn't make it any easier. Now I need to make a call to have my 10yr old Lab put down. His hips are giving out. Sad times.
Edited by wyoming barrel racer 2014-10-25 12:33 PM
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | For long term maintenance Previcox works much better then bute. I have a old mare who fell on the ice last winter. We thought we were going to have to put her down bute she got much better. The bute was tearing her stomach up so she again was losing weight. We switched her to Previcox and she is doing great and gaining again. I dont think it is quite as strong a anti-inflamatory, so every once in a while ( once every 2 weeks or so) I give her one dose of bute. |
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| I've got a 19 yr old with arthritis in his hocks, right knee and some SI issues. While he is still getting around pretty good, I will put him down if he gets to a point of no quality of life or if I just cannot take care of him. My work has gotten busier and I'm starting to travel, so it might just be that I don't have the time anymore. Sad, but sometimes those things happen. Better than selling him for dog food or for someone to ride the p*ss out of him, cause he's still a pretty nice barrel horse. It's a tough decision, but if you cannot give her the care she needs because of your life situation, then that might be the best for her. However, this is a very personal decision. Just don't feel guilty whatever you decide.
I have my guy on Previcoxx which helps his comfort level and helped with a flareup with his knee. It is relatively inexpensive and is better on his stomach than Bute for long term use.
Best wishes, and congrats on the twins! |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | 2 years ago, I put down my 14-yr-old gelding. Had arthritis in his hip and stifle. He was just a retired pasture pet but Bute was not keeping him pain-free. His attitude was changing and he was getting grumpy ... Not like him.
I I didn't want to let go of him but it was the right decision to put him down. I miss him, but he is no longer in pain. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1161
| I am going to make the appointment this week to put her down she had a lot of trouble walking this morning.... She's been a good girl taking care of my dUghter for two years.. |
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 I Am Always Right
Posts: 4264
Location: stray dump capital of the world | |
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 Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| eventually the bute is going to tear up her guts and you'll be fighting to keep weight on her too... Don't feel bad We the keepers and thus need to make humane choices to thier pain and when it's OK to let them go quietly. |
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They Don't Know Me
Posts: 3299
Location: Bastrop, TX | I just put a 9 yr old down. But he had other issues that started his futurity year. We thought we were just dealing with a navicular issue. He had a torn suspensory that we got healed. Then he got inflammation in check ligament. Then he was always gimpy after every time we thought he was healed up. Over a 6 year period it was thing after another. I had over $25,000 tied up in him. For the past 6 months he seemed fime. Could run in the pasture like nothing wrong. Was going to send him out for a month or 2 of riding so decided to Xray first just to make sure. He didnt come home with us that day. He had signs of an old DDFT injury, his navicular bones were jagged all the way around. He had high and low ring bone in both fronts. And what hurt so bad was he was trimmed religously every 6 weeks. Ran and played like nothing wrong. There was nothing else I could do to help him. Good luck with yours but I have always stuck to my heart and swore I would never let any of mine suffer. We just didnt realize how bad he was.
Edited by bobbyjosocks 2014-10-26 7:03 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
Location: Glendive Mt. | I just put one down two days ago for the same thing. It was the best I could do for him. The cooler weather really made it worse. No more suffering for him, he is in a better place. I was very worried about how he would do in the middle of winter, it gets very cold and snowy here. As I said he is in a better place running in the pasture in the sky. I hope this helps with your decision. |
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