Ethical and emotional dilemma

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LifesRemedy

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I have an Irish Draught who is 16.1 and is 23 years old. In the last 18 months he was diagnosed with cushings and subsequently treated with prascend and has been very well on that until about 7 weeks ago when he could barely walk. We called the vet who initially thought it was an abscess and to cut a long story short it was laminitis which got worse despite treating the standard way from the start anyway - stable, analgesia, soaked hay and heart bar shoes after xray. He was also given a course of metformin in the likelihood of having ems, but this was stopped to see how he progressed. Having been up and down over the last 7 weeks, today the poor boy looks to be in pain in all 4, worse than at the beginning. However, in himself he seems relatively ok - still tucking into his hay, still being his cheeky pushy self etc. My head is saying we have tried everything and at 23 we should not put him through any more but my heart is saying if he'd given up he'd be more miserable than he is. What would you do? Thanks for reading
 
LifesRemedy, I have just been through the exact same thing with my mare. She will be 23 in December. She got laminitis in our autumn, and has had the worse winter ever healing.

She stopped eating and was spending a lot of time lying down. She was so thin, I didn't know how she was still alive. I bred this mare and she has been my number one horse from day dot, she was a brilliant endurance horse for me and we had the exact same conversation about four weeks ago.

I promised her that as long as she carried on fighting, I would fight right along with her. And that week she turned around. Her hooves are healing, she is eating and putting on weight. Spring is coming and she is moulting out her coat, which has dags from her lying down matted through it. She still looks a mess, but she will be ok, for now.

Next winter, we may well have the same conversation, without the laminits. But it will be a conversation between me and her. I know I will have the courage to make the right decision when the time comes, but I knew in my heart of hearts that wasn't the right time. And that's all I can tell you.
 
I have already made the decision with my mare that she will be pts if she develops cushings related laminitis which doesn't improve in a few days, she is 21.

After seven weeks I'm sorry to say that I would be calling it a day. xx
 
Have the ACTH levels been checked after the prascend was introduced? Is there rotation on the xrays? Is the analgesia given the same level as at the start or has it been reduced?

Big horses do also seem to struggle with lami more once they get it as I don't think the extra weight helps. I'd have a chat to your vet about his discomfort levels today.
 
What were the results from the xrays? Any sinking/rotation?

Could you possibly fit with lilypads to support his sore feet?

Have you spoken with the vets to ask their very honest opinion on his recovery?

My horse developed lami in all four feet caused by EMS, I honestly did not think he would come home after the xrays. No one was more surprised than me to find me had no rotation or sinking, however he was a big horse (IDx) so was fitted with lilypads and given sedation so he would lay down in his stable and take weight off his feet. I can honestly say it was heartbreaking to see him like that, he was a big horse and full of attitude, I saw him turn into a horse who no longer kicked the door or even attempted to escape from his stable. The vets told us it would be a long road and his lifestyle needed to change in order to control the lami and EMS. I would say it was a good few months before he came around and felt better, I was actually quite happy to hear him kicking the door one morning!
He did come sound again, however he was a difficult case to manage, he was incredibly sensitive to changes in the grass and became footy easily. We had to limit his turn out due to this so he spent more time then I would have liked in his stable simply because if i put him out in the school he would stress and jump the fence. My life became making sure he was managed with a strict routine and ridden everyday come rain or shine. I was paranoid about checking for pulses, footiness and hot feet. We had one last summer before he passed away from colic aged 35+ (i didnt know he was that old)
You dont need to explain why you feel that maybe its not ethical to keep him going anymore, I often felt the same when I saw him in pain or watched him enjoying abit of sun on his back. Have an honest chat with your vet. Best of luck x
 
Thank you so much for your comments, very realistic and sensitive. He had the xrays (which showed minimal movement surprisingly) and had all the bloods after the meds started which showed the levels to be well under control. He did come down on analgesia but went up again the last few days. The vet has previously said no one would argue if you gave up at any point. I rang them this morning and am sorry to have to say he has been relieved from any further pain or suffering and has been put to sleep. Devastated. Thanks again, good luck to those of you still going xxx
 
LifesRemedy said:
Thank you so much for your comments, very realistic and sensitive. He had the xrays (which showed minimal movement surprisingly) and had all the bloods after the meds started which showed the levels to be well under control. He did come down on analgesia but went up again the last few days. The vet has previously said no one would argue if you gave up at any point. I rang them this morning and am sorry to have to say he has been relieved from any further pain or suffering and has been put to sleep. Devastated. Thanks again, good luck to those of you still going xxx
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I am really sorry to hear this :( I can completely understand, not that it makes it any easier for you. Thinking of you on this sad day x
 
so sorry that you have had to make this decision but sounds like the right one. my mare is also 23 and has cushings,is on 4 prascend daily and I have said that if she gets laminitis I will PTS....BUT its easy to say at the moment and I hope I can be strong if it happens, its never easy..hope you are ok...
 
It's a horrible decision to have to make, isn't it?.
I had to have a 6yr old Shire pts with Cushings related laminitis, which had been allowed (mis-diagnosis by vet) to go on for 3 months. I don't regret the decision, although, of course, I regret the necessity for it.
 
I am sorry to arrive here after the sad result.....did you explore any barefoot possibilities? Sometimes they can help....I am sorry, but you did the best you could with the horses best interests at heart....cyber hugs
 
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