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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
    
Location: Florida.. | PLEASE get another opinion .. post xrays if you can. |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | I hope you think again after reading this thread. That's the beauty of a place like this. I think it's safe to say that consensus is that the horse really doesn't need to be put down. There's nothing wrong with changing your mind, especially when you could be saving your son's horse. Let us know how everything goes. |
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Cold hands and Warm Heart
Location: oklahoma | Bibliafarm - 2014-11-26 10:24 PM
PLEASE get another opinion .. post xrays if you can.
I had one misdiagnosed. Good advice. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | I remember the owner of Oklahoma Farriers Collage (Bud Beaston) telling our class he had dissected hundreds of hooves of horses put down due to "navicular"... and only found 2 that really had it..
Edited by komet. 2014-11-27 1:26 PM
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 Veteran
Posts: 149
Location: Mississippi | I agree could be abscess. We had one last summer with a really bad abscess and he showed holes. Ended up slufin off half his hoof, had a brand new one under it |
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 Cyber World Challenged
Posts: 2526
Location: My Own Little World | HotbearLVR - 2014-11-26 2:21 PM Rather than euthanize the horse, why don't you just find a home where someone is willing to spend some money on a good farrier? "Navicular" is such a wastebasket term anyway. The best remedy to begin with is a farrier who can do a nice, balanced trim.....for starters. That's what I would do, particularly on a 3 year old.
This is exactly how I am getting a very nice rope horse for my daughter. He was xrayed and told that he had "street founder." It's not traditional founder. No hoof wall separation and no coffin bone rotation. The coffin bone is VERY arthritic due to damaged blood supply as a young horse. The first Vet said put him down. 2nd vet says if I want, we will MRI his front feet to be sure, but he thnks that we can do OsPhos and stem cell therapy. 80% probability of bing 100% sound. 20% probability of him being able to work lightly. This horse is just that nice to take a risk on |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| A 3yo with navicular? Do you realize how uncommon that is? I would for sure have a second opinion. I've seen vets diagnose navicular, and then it just ended up being an abscess when we checked them out. I agree with everyone else, navicular is so over-diagnosed and is not even a death sentence. There are so many ways to keep a navicular horse comfortable, and useable for many years. I would consider changing vets if he did suggest putting it down without a second opinion. |
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 Mouhahaha
Posts: 1786
Location: British Columbia | HotbearLVR - 2014-11-26 3:21 PM
Rather than euthanize the horse, why don't you just find a home where someone is willing to spend some money on a good farrier? "Navicular" is such a wastebasket term anyway. The best remedy to begin with is a farrier who can do a nice, balanced trim.....for starters. That's what I would do, particularly on a 3 year old.
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | I had a horse RUNNING for 10 years for me with Navicular. Special Shoes and de nerving. Works wonders. It isn't a death sentence. Many of today's top horses have it. It's just a condition, not a life sentence.
Prayers for you.
Updates? |
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 Chicken Chick
Posts: 3562
Location: Texas | suzy2qtee - 2014-11-26 2:25 PM IF you decide to put her down I would be totally honest with the son... THEY are way too smart and I feel would resent you when they figured out what happend to his pony. AND he will find out some time... I have always been honest with anything with my boys and humane deaths are a part of that.
I'd tell the boy that pony is hurting all the time and as a responsible horse owner sometimes they need to be put down. End of story... Don't put human emotions on the animal... WE are intelligent humans that are able to make these decisions. JMHO
When I was around 9 or so I came home from school and was told that my grandpa sold my shetland pony Lady. I was crushed and for years I was afraid that everytime I went to school they were going to sell one of my animals. I held that against them until I was grown, I thought they really sold her and didn't even care that I didn't get to say goodbye or anything. Lady was actually put down but my mom thought it was easier on me if she didn't tell me my horse was dead... just sold. If they had told me she was dead I would have been upset, but that is part of life and I would have understood.
Because of that I have always told my son the truth when it came to things like that. From the time he was able to talk to now. I have cried many times with him when his favorite chicken "Sweetie-bell" died, or his favorite rooster, a dog or whatever it was. He understands though, and he will get past it. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | 3 years old seems young to me to have navicular. I would get a second opinion. Navicular is also super managable. You need a good farrier, special shoes and a supplement or what the doctor recommends. The horse will be good as new. I would try the supplement THE NutraWOUND to help. But honestly I don't think the horse should be put down. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | I wonder what the OP finally decided to do. I hope she posts a followup. |
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 Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | I admire people putting down their unsound (and unfixable) horses rather than unloading them on some unsuspecting buyer or sending them to the sale. But are you sure this is navicular? First of all, she's very young. Secondly, does navicular make them lame when it's cold? I never heard of that. But I'm no navicular expert. And even if it is navicular, there are so many things to try. My vet also told me about the new medicine that she is looking into for one of my horses. We also discussed denerving, which someone else on here suggested. My vet said it's a myth that they can't feel their feet. They just don't feel the pain. It just seems pretty radical to put a young horse down, especially someone's pride and joy, without really digging into it. Or maybe you have and we just don't know.
And if it turns out that you do have to put her down because she's in pain and you can't fix it, be honest with your son. Keep in mind that he will pick up on how YOU react. It's okay to show sadness. In fact, you should. You will be teaching him empathy. But you will also be teaching him responsibility and how to have the courage to do what's right for an animal even though it hurts us. This is what we do for the ones we love. And then I remind them that the other animals need some love now because we are all sad. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Bumping for an update. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | . |
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Cold hands and Warm Heart
Location: oklahoma | HotbearLVR - 2014-11-29 8:07 PM .
With the long weekend, she may be busy and not able to get another vet check yet. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | I would just like to know what a vet plans to accomplish in just two weeks with navicular. So if no progress is made, then it's a hopeless situation? Is that what he thinks? Just wondering. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | My moms old good mare was diagnosed as navicular as a 6 year old. My mom competed on her until she was 15. A majority of my brother's calf horses have been navicular because it's all we can afford. A little maintenance and they are good to go. We've nerved a couple, but mostly keep them on isoxuprine and corrective shoeing and a little bute when needed. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 721
Location: The Great West | HotbearLVR - 2014-11-30 7:43 AM I would just like to know what a vet plans to accomplish in just two weeks with navicular. So if no progress is made, then it's a hopeless situation? Is that what he thinks? Just wondering.
He's going to a conference this week were ther will be discussion on a new drug "osphos" that is comming out in the US, has been used in Europe for years. He wants to get more information about it from someone that isn't selling it.
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | hammer_time - 2014-11-30 2:18 PM
My moms old good mare was diagnosed as navicular as a 6 year old. My mom competed on her until she was 15. A majority of my brother's calf horses have been navicular because it's all we can afford. A little maintenance and they are good to go. We've nerved a couple, but mostly keep them on isoxuprine and corrective shoeing and a little bute when needed.
Isoxperine did wonders for both my navicular horses. So will corrective shoeing. And a good daily joint supplement. |
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