How do you know when it’s time ?

[kateandluelue]

Hi all.
My dear forever horse has been struck with a nasty case of laminitis. She’s 20 and since being with me, has never had it before and it’s been difficult to manage since her diagnosis 3 weeks ago. She can’t be stabled or tightly restricted as per guidelines because she hates it and will get stressed and pace. She’s on a much smaller bare paddock than before and is having fast fibre feed as she hates soaked hay.
Had the vet out initially and again last night as was worried about pain. She’s pottery and struggles to turn without looking uncomfortable even on bute. Vet said she can’t have any more bute as has had the full dose for 3 weeks and she’s worried about side effects. we are trying paracetamol twice a day which is helping but she’s not sound.

I rescued her from France where she was starved and her whole desire in life is to eat and the thought of having to restrict her grass and feed her soaked hay all year round fills me with dread for her quality of life. Equally I feel like I’m giving up on her too easily. The vet has advised giving her 24 hours on the paracetamol and if the pain is not managed by that, because she can’t be on Bute any longer,she said she would call it a day. It feels im
Giving up too easily without stabling her and following the guidelines to a t, but she would be so unhappy.
I feel lost wth with to do. I’ve made changes to her management and not noticed any improvement. I’m aware that ill
Have to stable and do all the soaked hay and box rest if I’m to get anywhere. I
Hoped with the changes I made it would be enough but it’s not. But I’m trying to think of her quality of life. Please can anyone advise or just share their experiences. I don’t want to regret having her put down thinking I could have done more. Likewise I’m trying to take me out the situation and see what is best for her and her life. Xx

 

[View]

For me, quality of life comes first. If the pain can't be managed, and she can't be box or pen rested, the damage in the feet will only get worse.

Euthanasia is not a welfare issue. Not euthanasiing because you don't want to give up when the horse's pain can't be managed may be a welfare issue.

My instinct from the information you have given is that your vet's approach of 24 hours and no improvement would mean PTS is what I would do.

I don't mean to be harsh, and I know it's easy for me to say - but we owe our wonderful companions and friends a peaceful, dignified death.

Hugs.

 

[Shay]

Big Hugs. You'll get a lot of opinions on this. But for me - I think you would be making the brave courageous decision to respect your freind as the personality she is. I faced this and PTS a very beloved very qwirky ISH because he would not have box rested for 6 mopnths for a tendon inury. I took a lot of flak for it from some but I have never regretted my decision. Its not a kindness to make them miserable just to keep them alive.

 

[Bs_mum]

Honestly, if it was me, I’d put her to sleep.
You’ve seen no improvement, bringing her in & following protocol will cause her distress, don’t put her or yourself through it.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I agree with your vet. And also think that QOL has to be paramount. Try to think of it that you have given her a very good life since you have had her and she would not enjoy the only life that she could have after laminitis.

 

[oldie48]

Quality of life is also key to me, without it I wouldn't keep a horse going. It's a hard decision, I know, but we all need to do what is in the best long term interests of the horse and laminitis can be very painful.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

She's 20 not 12; you and your vet have done your very best and all you can realistically do, and personally I'd be inclined to have a serious chat with your vet as I'm not sure you have many options left, sadly.

You cannot stable or restrict her grazing due to the fact that she gets stressed and is unhappy.

You have tried pain relief, but bute isn't going to an option long-term and the paracetamol might not be effective.

You rescued this mare and gave her a life that she'd never have had if you hadn't done so, she's known happiness and love with you; and sadly, I'm afraid that you may now have to perform the ultimate act of kindness and let her go.

I'm so very sorry. I had to say goodbye to my two oldies last autumn so know what you will be going through.

 

[AmyMay]

Follow your vets advice.

 

[be positive]

I would also pts as you cannot help her by management and even if you do get her over this bout managing her longer term may prove impossible.
My only other comment is regarding the bute I have never heard a vet stop giving bute after such a short time because of the side effects, some sedalin may have helped initially as well, I have had some on it in fairly high doses for months to keep pain under control and as yet have never had concerns about them although if they had already been diagnosed with other issues it may be different, if she were mine I would at least give her bute until I made the call.

 

[honetpot]

I gave my oldie 6mth on old pasture when I realised that a life on a strict diet was not for her, and treatment made her miserable. Like yours she lived for food and would snack on dirty straw on the muck heap given the chance.
I was lucky we had a dry summer, she started to look in pain on the Monday, I brought her home and she was shot on the Tuesday.
Animals are wonderful they live in the moment, her moment is pain. I sorry but how you feel should not come in to it.

 

[splashgirl45]

its worth giving her bute to keep her as comfortable as possible, my old vet always said that the horse will be PTS because of other reasons and not the side effects of bute,. at 20 you have nothing to lose if she stays on bute and paracetamol for a week or so to give you a bit of time to come to terms with the inevitable. i am afraid that even if you get her over this episode you will have problems giving her a good quality of life. has she been tested for cushings? if not and she tests positive starting on prascend may help to control the likelyhood of further laminitis attacks and you may be able to give her a good quality of life...

 

[PapaverFollis]

Some horses cope well with box rest. For others it's just about tolerable if the prognosis is good. And for others it is a torment that just isn't worth it whatever the outcome.

You know your mare best. If anyone judges you for deciding that box rest would be too much for her to cope with then they aren't people worth worrying about. Do what you and your vet decide is best for your girl. X

 

[Melody Grey]

At 20 with no previous laminitis bouts, I'd be mindful that this could indicate underlying metabolic issues and be the start of a downward spiral which could require continual management. Given what you've said re: restricting grazing, I don't think PTS is a wrong choice, definitely so if you can't manage the pain.

 

[Trouper]

I have been here twice. It is time. Be brave for her and then look after yourself.

 

[McFluff]

So sorry. I’ve just been there.
For me, the answer to your question was when I couldn’t manage the pain and ensure quality of life.
It’s so tempting to keep going and ‘save’ the horse, but at what cost (and I don’t mean financial). Sometimes the kindest thing is to make the hardest decision. Hugs.

 

[blitznbobs]

When you ask a group of strangers this kind of question, I think you’ve answered your own question... it’s never easy, I know, but you already have the answer ...

A month early is better than a day late.

*hugs*

 

[kateandluelue]

Thankyou so much for all your reassuring replies I appreciate the support and kind words so much. I’ve had horses put to sleep in the past but this one is absolutely crippling me. It’s the what ifs. What if I just try and she’s not as stressed as I think. What if I try and she recovers quickly but I think ultimately in the long term she will be unhappy. Especially next spring when her ultimate desire is grass and She can’t have it. ThAnkyou guys. Xx

 

[SadKen]

I have just been through very similar circumstances with my girl, albeit less acute.

She came down with lami in May, not overweight and subsequently diagnosed with cushings. She went straight onto prascend, I removed shoes and she was on box rest for a week. The lami was relatively low grade, but she sent her pulses skyrocketing by box walking, she hated it. I decided she would need to go out. We can't feed hay in the fields, so she was muzzled in a small paddock on meadow grass. She seemed to stabilise, and I began in hand walks and some hacking, all in walk, all in boots and pads. She was moved onto a different paddock early August, and became footy and uncomfortable even in the boots and pads. She didn't cope well with the level of prascend she needed, and became quite zombie-like. Back onto meadow grass, but there wasn't much improvement. I considered moving her to track livery, but I felt it would be unfair to her to put her on a track with her feet sore without me close by to monitor her.

She did have other issues (hock arthritis, atrophied frogs which refused to grow, and potential navicular) which I think would make it unlikely for her to come sound long term. I can't afford to keep a retired horse on livery long term (she was only 13), but the primary issue for me was her mental wellbeing if forced to live on a small bare paddock with just hay for the rest of her life. She would have hated it, she loved grazing more than anything.

I made the decision to PTS last week, and I don't regret it even though she was my perfect horse. Sometimes there is too much wrong to fix, and it's not in the horse's interests to do it. I could not subject my mare to a lifetime of misery for my sake, even though there were other things I could have tried.

In the event, my mare went peacefully with a full belly of grass. I took a video of her eating, she had a blissful look on her face and did a lot of snorting. I will miss her more than I can say, but I am glad I made the choice I did.

You know your horse, and only you can make the decision, but whatever you choose, you love her so you will do it with her best interests at heart. I think if you're asking the question it's time to seriously consider it. There are much, much worse things - my mare's PTS was a fitting and dignified end to a wonderful life.

 

[splashgirl45]

so sorry SK, that must have been very difficult as yours was so young but it sounds like her QOL wouldnt have been good and you have done the right thing......its so hard to make that final decision....

 

[Firefly9410]

I would put to sleep because a 20yr old horse never shown signs of laminitis before has probably developed an underlying condition so I would be thinking it is not going to be a one off case. Laminitis once by accident would not be pleasant for either of you but laminitis on repeat from underlying causes would be hell.

 

[SadKen]

so sorry SK, that must have been very difficult as yours was so young but it sounds like her QOL wouldnt have been good and you have done the right thing......its so hard to make that final decision....

Thank you... to be fair I had an inkling early on that it wasn't going to work out for us, but I had to try as much as was feasible before I could accept that the last option was the best for her. Once I'd accepted that we were out of palatable options, it all became very easy and very clear, and I felt a lot better. It's agonising over the what-ifs that's difficult, before you make the choice itself.

 

[wills_91]

I think if your asking you probably already know what your leaning towards. I had my mate pts last September, she was only 11 but had ongoing lameness issues and after a lot of rehab (and money) she still wasn't right or happy. It was a tough decision and the "what ifs" was the worst part. When the day came of course I was incredibly sad, but once the deed was done I felt nothing but relief that it was over and I knew instantly that it was the right decision to make.