Following on from the feeling guilty PTS thread, Have you....

[Switchthehorse]

Yes - but only because I always wonder if I tried everything I could have. Did I miss some miracle cure on a google search that might have helped?

With you on this one, still quite raw for me only a month ago, but starting to wonder if there was more i could have done, she wasn't even 3... but also somewhere at the back of my head i know it was the right time

 

[khalswitz]

Yes I felt guilty. I feel even more guilty two years later as now I know a lot more about what might have been done to help him. I miss him loads, and I have to keep telling myself that e was lame even in the field, and was getting worse and worse to handle as he was sore.

 

[montanna]

Had two of mine PTS last year. My mare was written of by the RVC after a year of diagnosis including a bone scan, an MRI, endless trips to the vets. My own vet told me to have her PTS, I was horrified and refused. She was box rested for 9 months, spent the following 8 months in a field, had just come back into the only sort of work she would ever do (hacking) when she was kicked in the stifle field resulting in another spell of box rest (prescribed 3 months), she lasted 4 days before I realised how unfair it was on her and had her PTS. I wished I had saved myself all the heartache and had her PTS when my vet originally advised me to.

My gelding had an accident shortly after my mare was PTS, resulting in joint flush surgery to his fetlock as the joint had been compromised. He was hopping lame even after months of box rest, he spent a month in the field before he was PTS in August last year.

I feel guilty about both of them, but do know it was for the best in both cases.

 

[_GG_]

No. When I've had to do it, I've done it because it needs to be done. My feelings are irrelevant really, it's about the horse, so no, never felt guilty.

This. It is never a decision which I have taken lightly but guilt is an emotion that I don't think has any place in making decisions for a horses welfare. Heartbroken, angry, frustrated, defeated, lost, desperate, yes...but guilty, no.

Lack of guilt didn't stop me saying sorry to Fly a hundred times as I held and kissed her as she drifted off, same with the others, but that was me being sorry for the fact that nothing else could be done...not sorry for doing the right thing.

 

[Charem]

I thankfully haven't had to have one of my own horses put down, and I pray it will be a long time until I need to make such a decision but I remember the day I had to say good bye to my childhood dog, who had reached a great age, like it was yesterday.

He started deteriorating early in the week and by Thursday he was constantly whimpering in pain. I begged my mum to take him to the vets but she couldn't bear to do so until the following morning. I remember sitting up with him that night, it was the worst thing ever seeing him in pain and not being able to do anything about it. I swore then that I would never put any of my own animals through that and when the time comes that I have to make that decision I will do so with a huge amount of sadness, but not guilt.

 

[rowan666]

I had my my luso pts a few mnths ago for a few reasons and absolutly knew it was the right thing to do at the time but now its not so much guilt as an overwhelming sence of loss, i miss her so much and wonder if i should have jst kept her on various drugs for life instead of taking the easy option out

Im considering having my shire pts, hes come back from loan with alot of issues im trying to determine the cause of through process of illimination, hes well into his 20s, has the worst case of sweet itch i have ever known so if i decide to pts i will not feel guilty atall because hes probobly had the best/easiest few years of hus life with me and his loaner so je deserves a happy end and u fear his quality of life is somewhat comprimised at the minute so if me and vet cant figure out whats wrong then i guess its all just his way of telling us hes ready to go

 

[MagicMelon]

I count myself extremely lucky that I have only had to make the decision once during my 20+ years of owning horses. I had to have our shetland who I'd had since the very beginning PTS a few months ago due to cushings finally getting the better of her. I believe as long as I do absolutely everything I can to try to help them then I shouldn't feel guilty for making the decision which would be the only remaining option. I have two in retirement who will remain with me for the rest of their days so I know I will have to make the decision with them eventually which is a utterly horrid thought but its part of owning animals sadly

I would never put a healthy horse down unlike an old neighbour of mine who decided one day that she was fed up having to look after 2 of her daughters horses who were merrily enjoying retirement (perfectly healthy) and so out of the blue one day she had them shot. Those two horses had given their daughter so much fun, yet they weren't even allowed to enjoy a nice retirement in return (and money didn't come into it, they had plenty). That's wrong IMO.

 

[Sparkles]

No. There was no other decision in my ones case. With how bad he was in front of me so suddenly and having no other chance of another option from vet it was a no brainer and very releived his suffering was gone.

I did however obviously feel devastatingly heartbroken and distraught and miss his prescence everyday...but guilty, not at all.

 

[Wagtail]

I think it is part of the normal grieving process to feel guilty. And yes, I did to start with. I don't feel guilty now, but I wish her death had been more peaceful. If I allow myself to think about her last moments I physically hurt. I have never had such palpable hurt. But looking back on her death, at the time I remember thinking what rotten luck that she redid an old tendon injury, just as I had got her sound after her latest laminitis attack. But now I think of it as a blessing, because it made the decision easier. There was no way I was going to put her on box rest when she was on such meagre rations. It was made all the harder though because she was such a happy soul, right to the very end, so it hurt an awful lot to take away that life force. She was a character and a half. I miss her every single day.