Amputation - is this really ethical??

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noodle_

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i saw a programme a while ago of an elephant with a prosthetic limb.....it could lead a "normal" captive ()! life........it looked happy and well loved...

i woudlnt do it to MY horse though.....their flight instinct is compromised.... and to me a horse should always be able to react...in the wild if it broke its leg/severed etc it would die.....therefore to me its going totally against nature (same with the elephant sadly..)!
 
yaffsimone1

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applecart14 said:
http://www.equinewobblers.com/other_surgeries/amputation.html

Sorry but I am of the opinion that if it were my horse that required amputation it would be farewell.

What do you think?

Only in America eh? lol
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i'm not saying I would but as we know not that long ago (15-20 years maybe) when a horse broke its leg it was PTS. Veterinary science and medicine has come on leaps and bounds in a short space of time and it needs trials like this to move even further. I don't see a problem with the prosthetic leg provided the horse is happy and the owner can afford the necessary up keep. Ok the animal is being used a guinea pig but at least it’s been given a chance of a relatively normal life. The prosthetic limb might not work and ultimately the animal might have to be PTS but at least they tried....providing it didn't suffer in the process
 
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highlandponygirl

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Oft! Personally I don't think I would go that far. I would imagine that horse will have a very restricted life after his amputation? I'm not sure I would want that for any horse of mine, not that I wouldn't want to do everything I could to save them. Just no to this.
 
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yaffsimone1 said:
As we know notthat long ago (15-20 years maybe) when a horse broke its leg it was PTS.Veterinary science and medicine has come on leaps and bounds in a shortspace of time and it needs trials like this to move even further. I don't see aproblem with the prosthetic leg provided the horse is happy and the owner canafford the necessary up keep. Ok the animal is being used a guinea pigbut at least it’s been given a chance of a relatively normal life. The prostheticlimb might not work and ultimately the animal might have to be PTS but at leastthey tried....providing it didn't suffer in the process
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but it also begs the question - WHY keep the horse alive??? its no use with a fake leg....!!.... cant be ridden - WHO is choosing to keep the horse on the planet!?

of course.........us, the human - selfish as per usual...!

(i agree tho about vet science moving forward.........however i do think the statement "just because you CAN fix it dosent mean you SHOULD applies.......
 
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noodle_ said:
but it also begs the question - WHY keep the horse alive??? its no use with a fake leg....!!.... cant be ridden - WHO is choosing to keep the horse on the planet!?

of course.........us, the human - selfish as per usual...!

(i agree tho about vet science moving forward.........however i do think the statement "just because you CAN fix it dosent mean you SHOULD applies.......
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This has hit the nail on the head.. us humans are selfish!!
 
MileAMinute

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yaffsimone1 said:
i'm not saying I would but as we know not that long ago (15-20 years maybe) when a horse broke its leg it was PTS. Veterinary science and medicine has come on leaps and bounds in a short space of time and it needs trials like this to move even further. I don't see a problem with the prosthetic leg provided the horse is happy and the owner can afford the necessary up keep. Ok the animal is being used a guinea pigbut at least it’s been given a chance of a relatively normal life. The prosthetic limb might not work and ultimately the animal might have to be PTS but at least they tried....providing it didn't suffer in the process
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I agree - whilst it's something I wouldn't choose for my own, all these medical breakthroughs have to start somewhere.
I imagine the first few horses who weren't PTS when their legs were broken had owners who were criticized.
 
yaffsimone1

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It is difficult.... I agree with 'just because you can it doesn't mean you should', but then 'you don't know unless you try'.

Totally agree about the human being selfish but what if as a result of the trial something was to develop that was of some use and benefit to the animal.
 
Spring Feather

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As for the whole "horse would not be useful, just a field ornament" thing, I've just asked to be given first refusal on a polo pony when he's eventually retired/sold and I'm half expecting to be buying a field ornament. But I love this horse and don't want to see him go to another home. So I'll deal with it, and the fact that I may not be able to ride him doesn't mean that I would love him less than a ridden horse.
 
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Jinx94 said:
As for the whole "horse would not be useful, just a field ornament" thing, I've just asked to be given first refusal on a polo pony when he's eventually retired/sold and I'm half expecting to be buying a field ornament. But I love this horse and don't want to see him go to another home. So I'll deal with it, and the fact that I may not be able to ride him doesn't mean that I would love him less than a ridden horse.
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The very fact that I love my horse is why I would never do this to him.
 
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Since the weight ratio is 60:40 forelegs to hindlegs, the weight on that prosthesis is 30% of the horse. How are you going to stop that from getting sore and breaking down?

It's not a road I'd go down.
 
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Spring Feather said:
Actually no, not only in America. The first horse in England to have a prosthetic limb was way back in 2001 http://www.oandp.com/articles/news_2002-09-27_01.asp

I wouldn't have it done but everyone makes different choices and medical advances are only made when we have people who do decide to make those different choices from the masses.
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I took a horse to the vet in question when the 3 legged horse was there, the vet I spoke to about wasn't happy about the situation at all but they went through with it as the owner insisted & said if they didn't do it she would find somebody who would. I asked about his quality of life & she said it was pretty poor.
 
Spring Feather

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turkana said:
I took a horse to the vet in question when the 3 legged horse was there, the vet I spoke to about wasn't happy about the situation at all but they went through with it as the owner insisted & said if they didn't do it she would find somebody who would. I asked about his quality of life & she said it was pretty poor.
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Perhaps. I was pointing out that this doesn't just happen in America. As far as I remember the English horse lived for many more years after his amputation.
 
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