antigone
Well-Known Member
I would very much appreciate thoughts on how I should proceed in what is a horrible situation.
Until June of this year I had two lovely cobs- one ridden and one retired. Sadly the retired mare had to be pts. This was not sudden and I had time to arrange to adopt a rescue pony (from a well known charity) as the geldings new companion. She was a delight and all was well until September when she was slightly unwell but recovered within 24hrs. Seen by vet and illness thought to be related to recent dental work. Dentist said she had not had her teeth done for years.
Two weeks later my gelding became very unwell - noisy breathing, high temperature but no swellings/discharge. He did not improve and was subsequently scoped and diagnosed with strangles. The rescue pony's blood test as also positive. His lymph nodes were enormous and he had to be admitted for an emergency tracheostomy. His new friend went with him. She was also scoped and her gutteral pouches were found to be full of chondroids. She had surgery to help clear this.
To cut a very long and sad story short he is home but still has his tracheostomy in place. He cannot breath without it. The lymph nodes on his right side are still enormous and there is no sign that abscesses will burst soon. The temporary trachy is getting scarred and will not be useable much longer. As time goes on I am told it becomes less likely that there will be a burst and he may have the swelling long term. So the only answer for him is a permanent trachy BUT he will probably continue to be a strangles carrier. With his tube in he is relatively well and enjoying life in the field.
On top of all this the pony companion has "reactivated" her strangles and also has a lot of mucus in her upper airway. She is very unwell today.
I just don't know what to do. If she gets worse she could go back to hospital for further surgery but there is no guarantee that this will make her "clean" or cure her. She gets stressed very easily and I would hate her to become so upset again. It is not really a money issue but she is uninsured as the charity rather unhelpfully put her age as unknown in the passport. I was told she was 6. If she stays here and I have to have her put to sleep the vet has suggested that the gelding could live here alone. (Obviously I cannot get another companion). The gelding has never been good on his own but he is more independent since he lost his long term friend in the summer.
If the crunch comes should I try it or should I just have him pts too? It seems so wrong to do this to him when he is relatively well but is it fair to keep him alone? I love him dearly and cannot imagine my life without him but this has to be for him, not me. I have them both at home, we don't compete and could live with not hacking out/ visiting friends horses anymore.
Any opinions brutal or otherwise appreciated. sorry for such a long post.
Until June of this year I had two lovely cobs- one ridden and one retired. Sadly the retired mare had to be pts. This was not sudden and I had time to arrange to adopt a rescue pony (from a well known charity) as the geldings new companion. She was a delight and all was well until September when she was slightly unwell but recovered within 24hrs. Seen by vet and illness thought to be related to recent dental work. Dentist said she had not had her teeth done for years.
Two weeks later my gelding became very unwell - noisy breathing, high temperature but no swellings/discharge. He did not improve and was subsequently scoped and diagnosed with strangles. The rescue pony's blood test as also positive. His lymph nodes were enormous and he had to be admitted for an emergency tracheostomy. His new friend went with him. She was also scoped and her gutteral pouches were found to be full of chondroids. She had surgery to help clear this.
To cut a very long and sad story short he is home but still has his tracheostomy in place. He cannot breath without it. The lymph nodes on his right side are still enormous and there is no sign that abscesses will burst soon. The temporary trachy is getting scarred and will not be useable much longer. As time goes on I am told it becomes less likely that there will be a burst and he may have the swelling long term. So the only answer for him is a permanent trachy BUT he will probably continue to be a strangles carrier. With his tube in he is relatively well and enjoying life in the field.
On top of all this the pony companion has "reactivated" her strangles and also has a lot of mucus in her upper airway. She is very unwell today.
I just don't know what to do. If she gets worse she could go back to hospital for further surgery but there is no guarantee that this will make her "clean" or cure her. She gets stressed very easily and I would hate her to become so upset again. It is not really a money issue but she is uninsured as the charity rather unhelpfully put her age as unknown in the passport. I was told she was 6. If she stays here and I have to have her put to sleep the vet has suggested that the gelding could live here alone. (Obviously I cannot get another companion). The gelding has never been good on his own but he is more independent since he lost his long term friend in the summer.
If the crunch comes should I try it or should I just have him pts too? It seems so wrong to do this to him when he is relatively well but is it fair to keep him alone? I love him dearly and cannot imagine my life without him but this has to be for him, not me. I have them both at home, we don't compete and could live with not hacking out/ visiting friends horses anymore.
Any opinions brutal or otherwise appreciated. sorry for such a long post.
