Help my horse is breaking my heart! Sorry long

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kellysmith

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My much loved 21 year old cob has been ill on an off for the last 2 years. Last November he spent 2 weeks at RVC and we still didn’t get a firm diagnose. It appears he had a infection witch has caused nerve damage which has left him lame behind, which puts pressure on his joints and rest of his body. 6 weeks ago I/vets put him on one Bute a day. He now seams happy if a little wonky!

My problem is when we have had him blood tested over the last 18 months it show’s his liver is slowly deteriorating. I could have a liver biopsy done but it won’t change the way the vets treat him. So it seams unfair to put him through it.

He is living out at the moment which and is fine. I know it’s a long way off and any thing could happen before then but I worry what will happen come winter. We live on clay and it gets very muddy and sticky witch will put even more pressure on him. But if things carry on the way they are he is unlikely to make it through the winter.

So dose any one have any ideas to help and /or opinions if we can’t get him better is it better to have him put down in the autumn before winter while he is still happy or wait till he is really ill.

He see the physiotherapist every other month, we have tried different shoes and now no back shoes. He is also on restore from global herbs.

Any ideas welcome as I just don’t know what to do.
 
My heart goes out to you - I have just been through an almost identical situation with my 21 year old heavy cob. We managed to get him through this winter on 1 bute per day - 8 weeks ago when weather improved we got him on devil's claw and comfrey as an alternative (with vets OK BTW). For several weeks he seemed very well but still lame and uncomfortabel'ish but happy in him himself.

He did struggle this winter just gone, for all the reasons you have mentioned and I had decided that I could not put him through another winter and come this autumn when the weather became colder I would PTS.


Sadly 2 weeks ago he suddenly went downhill over a 3 day period and even 6 bute in 24 hours did not relieve his suffering and he was PTS.

I now wish I had had him PTS sooner, he suffered terribly the last few days - and now I have got over the initial heartbreak I realise I was only keeping him going as long as possible to help myself, not him.:(

Sorry - not a very helpful post but just my recent experience and I dont envy you the position you are in right now. I just hope that you can get him through the summer as I had planned and then let him go with peace and dignity before next winter starts to take its toll on him.
 
Didnt want to read and run.

You know what you need to do and there is a very true saying "Better a week early than a day late"

If he was mine, i would give him summer and then plan a decent end for him.

((hugs))
 
I totally agree with the majority of other posts. We had a little shetland who we had owned for 27 years but her trouble was over the winter she looked fab but over the summer no matter how we treated her she always had laminitis or had to live a very sorry existance in. As a family we debated her scenario for to long and I went up to the yard last June to check all was well and she couldn't get up in the tiny paddock. Instantly we knew something was wrong and the vet was called and she had to be put down. I regret that we didn't make the decision sooner. Its so tough whether you have to decide or a vet but I have always felt guilty. Hope you find the answer for you
 
i do agree with everyone else, it is sad to say put i feel that if you were to have him PTS, it would end the suffering on both parts. my friend recently put her old lad to sleep and she said that she will no longer worry everyday if he was going to be in a worse state. it is very sad what your going through, but i think that lots of quality time with your boy over the summer and then if you feel he isnt in a good position to cope with these horrible winters we seem to be getting you should think about whats best for him :)

best of luck and i wish you all the best :) xxxx
 
I've got a similar situation with my 18 yr old IDx mare. She's got advanced liver disease (so much so that Leahurst couldn't find her liver in a biopsy) but is fine retired, out at grass and enjoying the sun. However I won't be putting her or I through another long hard winter like the one just gone - she hates being in but we're also on clay so I have to bring them in at night to try and save the field, and to stop any ailments - last winter she had an abscess and it was so hard to keep it dry and clean.

I'm going to give her the summer and make the decision in Autumn - it's horrid having it looming over me but I just remember what poor condition she was in come Jan and how miserable she looked in the mud and the cold. I'm hanging on to that expression 'Better a week too soon than a day too late...'.

Thinking of you - it's so hard to know what to do, and when. x
 
Darkly_Dreaming_Dex said:
Didnt want to read and run.

You know what you need to do and there is a very true saying "Better a week early than a day late"

If he was mine, i would give him summer and then plan a decent end for him.

((hugs))
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. You're asking the old boy to put up with too many bad problems which will only deteriorate and he won't thank you for it. Sorry.
 
Age catches up with us all, sooner or later. And eventually there's nothing you can do to prolong quality of life.

Give him a good summer, if you can, then say goodbye (((((( )))))
 
^^^^^ With all of the above. I feel for you.

But you know what you are going to do, i know sometimes it just helps for us to back up the hard choice.

have a good summer with him and then it will be time to say goodbye in the sun.
 
hi, if your boy does have liver disease or your think he has liver problems then id put him on Milk Thistle asap.
We had a horse at yard who had it, they thought it was from ragwort all liver function tests where very very poor. Owner put him on Milk Thistle and this guy is now out doing XC and having a great life.

He was on the brink of being PTS as it looked so poor, so if you just wanted to keep your boy happy, its worth a chance of trying the milk thistle.
 
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