Angelbones
Well-Known Member
Today we lost Tatty pony - our 3 yr old 14.3hh Connie.
Poor Tatty was doing so well with the backing, made it out on his first solo hack a while ago but that was when we wondered if he had problems. It transpires, after a long route of lameness issues, handling problems, and a general down turn in his movements etc, that he had some sort of neurological problem, around his cervical spine. We didn't pursue it further, with diagnostic tests etc, as two vets believed that the likely diagnoses would be untreatable and would have the same sad ultimate outcome.
So we decided to do what we could with him to slow down what was considered to be degenerative, and keep him happy and comfy as long as we could. He was going well until last week when he went lame with an abscess. We treated it but being on box rest didn't help his mobility at all. Today we had the vet out for lameness on another leg. Turned out to be another abscess.
Whilst inspecting the foot the vet noticed how much Tatty had gone down him over just a week. Poor Tatty actually fell over at one point. He seemed confused in a really deep down 'my brain isn't working' sort of way.
We had to take the decision to say goodbye. We knew that at some point this day would come but obviously wanted it to be a way off.
He went peacefully and quickly by injection. He did let out a cough / sneeze after death but as the vet said himself, we knew this could happen but it is still unnerving.
So not sure why I'm posting this, I've been through it before and in many ways it wasn't any different to before, except I think my sadness is largely down to the fact that Tatty had such potential as a youngster, and should have had a long and fulfilling life, but instead he is gone at just 3.
However, I do feel some relief as I was dreading his getting worse and us finding him upside down one day completely unable to right himself or worse.
I think my point is: Better a day too soon that a day too late.
RIP Tatty xxx
Poor Tatty was doing so well with the backing, made it out on his first solo hack a while ago but that was when we wondered if he had problems. It transpires, after a long route of lameness issues, handling problems, and a general down turn in his movements etc, that he had some sort of neurological problem, around his cervical spine. We didn't pursue it further, with diagnostic tests etc, as two vets believed that the likely diagnoses would be untreatable and would have the same sad ultimate outcome.
So we decided to do what we could with him to slow down what was considered to be degenerative, and keep him happy and comfy as long as we could. He was going well until last week when he went lame with an abscess. We treated it but being on box rest didn't help his mobility at all. Today we had the vet out for lameness on another leg. Turned out to be another abscess.
Whilst inspecting the foot the vet noticed how much Tatty had gone down him over just a week. Poor Tatty actually fell over at one point. He seemed confused in a really deep down 'my brain isn't working' sort of way.
We had to take the decision to say goodbye. We knew that at some point this day would come but obviously wanted it to be a way off.
He went peacefully and quickly by injection. He did let out a cough / sneeze after death but as the vet said himself, we knew this could happen but it is still unnerving.
So not sure why I'm posting this, I've been through it before and in many ways it wasn't any different to before, except I think my sadness is largely down to the fact that Tatty had such potential as a youngster, and should have had a long and fulfilling life, but instead he is gone at just 3.
However, I do feel some relief as I was dreading his getting worse and us finding him upside down one day completely unable to right himself or worse.
I think my point is: Better a day too soon that a day too late.
RIP Tatty xxx