How do you know when to PTS when its currently a 'healthy' horse

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Switchthehorse

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My 2yo has been diagnosed with wobblers, although she isn't displaying any symptoms currently.

She also has a few problems with one of her tendons, which is linked to growing too quickly and she should grow out of it but does require medical attention (i.e. £££)

I am besotted with her, have had her since she was 8 months old, she was box rested for a period so spent so much time with her, and we have an incredible bond.

But now she has wobblers, is costing me over £700 a month in livery/vets bills/remedial farriery etc, let alone normal jabs, accidents (cut herself yesterday needed treatment) etc. Due to her leg she can't be out 24hrs so can't at the moment be a companion/field ornament.

But outwardly is a healthy and happy horse. No one can tell me when wobblers symptoms will develop.

When do you put her to sleep? Now to save her dignity, and save you money? Yes thats the head answer but even typing this i start crying!! My heart is a whole other matter. I keep saying i will 'know' and money is no object.. but then fence has been blown down in garden, and boiler broke yesterday and i have no money to fix them.

I just don't know what to do. I know wobblers is a very distressing condition.. but she has no symptoms yet.

HELP :(
 
I had simliar situation but because of failing sight. Baby was 14 with bad sight and stress issues from her past. like you she was a healthy happy horse but i knew her sight had moved again and therewere changes in her stress levels plus other issues I argued with self for months. I sobbed tears daily till i decided just one day that yes now was right. To anyone she was ok but i knew my mare. she went peacefully in august. just quietly brought in from the field and her friends. Guilt?oh yes i felt that.Regrets?No. i miss her more can say but i knew was right. I feel for you so much as it was hardest decision i have ever made but go with what you belive is right . hugs x x
 
The longer you put it off the worse it becomes in your mind. You know the prognosis so know what has to happen for her benefit and the longer you put it off the more it becomes for your benefit (apart from the ongoing bills of course!)

I'm sorry to be blunt but if you do it now before winter sets in and get your other bills sorted as a priority, you will be amazed at what a weight off your mind that will be.
 
Oh you poor thing! I know EXACTLY how you feel, having my mare suffering from low grade laminitis. Every time I make the decision to have her PTS, she rallies and gets better again, but I know this cannot go on. The emotional toll it takes on you as an owner is terrible, if you love them dearly. There are various degrees of wobblers and not all develop to meaning your horse cannot lead a reasonably normal life. Do you know how bad your filly is? I believe there are five grades. Her leg injury is complicating matters too. As an outsider, I would say, that if the prognosis is poor, I would put her to sleep now. However, as an owner, I know how difficult that is to do. Especially if they are having a reasonable quality of life. How long must she be box rested for? Because this would have a bearing on my decision. I have already decided with my mare that I will not box rest her for more than a few days, and that if it comes to her being on longer box rest than that, then I would PTS.
 
I had my five year old PTS with wobblers back in May, I had only had him a year and barely rode him the wobblers was secondary to the original problem. I had the vet out in the am to confirm my thoughts on what was wrong he was PTS the same afternoon. I had been trying to get him better for four months and I was going insane, they live in the moment it is only us that over think it.

It is not quantity of life but quality. The stress of having a broken horse is huge I miss him but not the constant worry, my vet said to just get on with it rather than prolong the agony.
 
I would PTS sooner rather than later. What is the point in paying out hundreds on further treatment and livery when the outcome is always gonna be the same.

If she had no other issues and u could afford her I would say keep her going til the time is right but she does have other issues and your struggling financially because of it.

Luckily I have never been in a position where I've had to make that decision and I would and have given all my horses a fighting chance but unfortunately there is no light at the end of this tunnel :(

I would however seek a second option first before I made any final decisions as wobblers can not be detected by X-rays alone if that's all she has had and is showing no other signs
 
I'm so sorry, you must be gutted.

For me, if she could live a fairly happy life without needing medical treatment I would probably keep her going on grass livery whilst she was not showing any symptoms, however as she needs stabling and veterinary treatment for another condition I would struggle to justify that both from a cost perspective for a horse who is never going to have a useful working life and also her quality of life so would be considering PTS.

I think you also have to consider her safety and that of the people who are handling her, I know you say she is OK now but you would feel terrible if she had a fall due to the wobblers and injured herself or even worse a person.
 
I think that in the horse's best interests, you should pts before the winter gets any worse. We will all be struggling in month or so's time to give our horses the quality of life we would like for them, in the short days and bad weather which will inevitably come soon. Add to that the huge costs and uncertainty linked to your mare's condition, which can only have a poor prognosis and the tendon problems, there is no real sense in prolonging the horse's life.

Of course it is much easier to say this about a stranger's horse than to organise for your own youngster. Thinking of you.
 
I sympathise, but agree with everyone else. Thinking about it is much worse than the deed itself. Your horse does not know and takes each day at a time. Ultimately she is going to be PTS, due to her condition.
So if this is going to happen anyway, why delay? She could have an accident and be hurt and distressed. It is very hard to make a decision like this by yourself, but are you delaying it for the horse or yourself?

Once the horse is gone you will feel great grief, you will be in mourning but there will also be a feeling that you have done the right thing for the horse and you will remember the good times and how lovely she was.
 
I remember when I was in the same boat as you with COPD and it is truly awful so my heart goes out to you, but I do agree with others that when you know this is what you are going to do, it is probably best to do it soon.

It is so heart breaking having to have a horse PTS that looks so well and happy, but if you wait it out until you start seeing symptoms, you will suffer massively with your own emotions and that will rub off onto the horse. We can't help it, they just pick up on it when we are sad. Better to make a decision, save any future suffering and have only good memories knowing that your horse knew only good times. xx
 
Horrible, but you know what is to come, horse doesn't. My thought would be with a condition with no reprieve like this though if you wait until they show symptoms then you are waiting until they start to suffer. That would be enough to make up my mind, without even going into the financial issues. They live for now, & trust us to do what is right for them. To save them any pain & distress surely has to be a decision with them & our feelings for them at the core of it, & that can never be a bad decision.
 
Horses are so heartbreaking .
To my mind as long as the horse is not suffering in which case you need too PTS at once there's no right and wrong in this.
It's perfectly ok to PTS based on the fact you want a riding horse and have an expensive lawn mower that's costing at lot and is not going to get better.
But it's also ok to go with the flow while the horse is comfortable and take the desision when something changes.
Personally I would do the former but it's a person choice as long as the horse is not suffering its your call.
I am sorry this has happened to you there's nothing to say except to wish you better luck with the next one
 
Personally, I think pts healthy horses is no different to slaughtering healthy farm animals, so if you want to do it now for economic reasons, especially when you know things are only going to worsen and she is not healthy without medication and ongoing treatment, that's absolutely OK from my POV.

It would also be OK to enjoy being with her and keeping her as a pet until she becomes uncomfortable or dangerous. At that point it would be irresponsible not to PTS.
 
Maesfen said:
The longer you put it off the worse it becomes in your mind. You know the prognosis so know what has to happen for her benefit and the longer you put it off the more it becomes for your benefit (apart from the ongoing bills of course!)

I'm sorry to be blunt but if you do it now before winter sets in and get your other bills sorted as a priority, you will be amazed at what a weight off your mind that will be.
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This 100% I am sorry, but prolonging things tends to make it worse in my experience, x
 
I was in this position 8 weeks ago with my 4yr old mare. She had several problems particularly with her pedal bones and her back over the year I had her. When we moved yards she hit her head on the trailer (she had severe loading problems) and was then kicked in the side of the head by another horse. She became dangerous to handle unless on danillon. X-rays showed nothing and she didn't improve over several weeks rest.
The vet came out and gave me options turn her away for winter and reassess in spring (which wouldn't be possible because of her extensive remedial shoeing to correct her pedal bones) load her and take her for more diagnostics and scans (this would of traumatised her and financially would of crippled me) or PTS.

I instantly knew PTS was the route I wanted to go down. She was unhappy, I was unhappy and financially it just was not viable to continue.
I was devastated but I knew and still know I made 100% the right decision for her, for me and my family.
It a very hard decision to make but you will know when it's right and there is no shame in looking at it in a practical and economical way.
At the end of the day your horse is loved and its the final kindness. Leaving this world in a dignified and loved way is a luxury we can give our equine friends.
 
OP can you image if this was not your horse? if someone else had posted the list of issues and the short/long term prognosis or out come what would you suggest as a route? it is very difficult and also virtually impossible to think of this decision in an objective way when it is your own horse. i am a firm believer in a day to soon than to late, you have to remember that they have not advanced notice of the actually PTS day, it is a normal day that has come with treats. yes you will feel guilt and regret but you eventually will feel relief. all i can offer in this post to be positive is a hug and i hope you make the decision which is best for both of you. you don't have to make this decision this afternoon, but soon.
 
Thanks everyone, and yes you are all right. I know what I need to do but I also sort of hope its all a mistake or there will be a miracle cure!! Foolish I know. I think I am sort of still in shock - the vet was only called out to look at her hoof, and 10 mins later I am told the bad news... I never had any idea - and still no symptoms.

I could afford to keep looking after her, but then someone pointed out £10k a month is a LOT of money.

I don't know, I guess my dreams have been shattered, she was going to be so much, we have grown such a bond but yet I haven't had any of the fun yet.. that was all to come, the breaking, the riding etc. I feel cheated, I feel life is very unfair, I feel very shocked (she just had a dodgy leg!!!) but most of all i can't ruddy stop crying!!

I don't know whether to do it this week or to take time to deal with it.
 
Oh I feel for you. I have had two PTS this year, one unexpected and one planned and the hardest thing is deciding when. I would let go now, she is not going to get any better, she will not know its her last day and you will never get never get that sick feeling when you need to get a vet fast and wish you had done it sooner.
I was really lucky with my old mare she had a super summer and that's the memory I have of her, even if she did look like a woolly over stuffed teddy. Love and let go.
 
OP this all seems really strange. Your horse does not have symptoms yet your vet has diagnosed wobblers within ten minutes of coming to look at her hoof? The only sure way to diagnose wobblers is by xray. I would not accept such a diagnosis without it. Did the vet do any physical tests before diagnosing wobblers?
 
Wagtail said:
OP this all seems really strange. Your horse does not have symptoms yet your vet has diagnosed wobblers within ten minutes of coming to look at her hoof? The only sure way to diagnose wobblers is by xray. I would not accept such a diagnosis without it. Did the vet do any physical tests before diagnosing wobblers?
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I too thought this. I do remember you saying you were getting x-rays done; what were the results?
 
If she has wobblers, then I would put to sleep before Christmas, regardless of how she's looking.

However, if she's not exhibiting any symptoms how do you know she has wobblers? And what tests did the vet do to establish wobblers?
 
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Sorry i am summarising. Vet was looking at hoof/leg issue and noticed she was dragging toes... so did wobblers tests. Xray happened next day and she has OCD and bone chips at her atlas joint and some compression c2/c3.. was given option of surgery, box rest and steroids to see if they do anything or do nothing or PTS. Surgery expensive, success not guaranteed and 'success' would not necessarily mean she could ever be ridden. Not convinced steroids would make any difference. When I say 'no symptoms' she drags her toes in walk but much of that is due to her leg, trot and canter she looks normal, she has never fallen, never 'wobbled' - but i understand that is all to come.

When i say 10 mins that was the first bolt from blue, 24 hours later it was confirmed - but like i say never expected any of it - expected him to say she was a bit club footed.

When I say £10k a month - i mean a year!

I guess i am going round in circles, one minute she is being pts, the next minute i am thinking she might grow out of it, the next minute she is pts again, can't get my head straight at all. Am seeking second opinion just in case but over the phone he said what i described as what was found sounded like it was wobblers and she was prime age, breed etc

Sorry for any confusion Wagtail
 
Ah, ok got ya.

Well being entirely practical about it - I'd be making a phone call today to have her pts this week.

Easy for me to say though....
 
Chin up hun and be brave. I had a homebred youngster with problems. As a yearling vets recommended I pts. At that stage not because she was in pain, but because she would never make a riding horse. I chose to keep her going, paid a fortune in remedial care and medications but this lunchtime, despite all our efforts, she was pts age 6. Do I wish I'd been braver 5 years ago? Yes. Outcome is the same but the financial investment I've made and the loss I am feeling now is incredible. I am so sorry for the position you are in. Life really does suck sometimes. (( Hugs))
 
Poor you, OP. No wonder you feel shocked and cheated.

From reading your posts on this thread, it seems as though the horse isn't having the "healthy, happy" life you initially described. She is having a fair bit of medical treatment and can't go out 24/7, so the conditions that aren't going to get better are affecting her life...

The other consideration is they are affecting your life. You're struggling with bills and your boiler.. If this was a temporary condition and the horse was going to recover, then yes, I'd say struggle through it, sort yourself out later when the horse is better, but its not going to happen in this case. Theres no point, if you see what I mean, other than the fact that its breaking your heart, in carrying this on.

Hugs to you OP. Horrid place to be, but theres only really one way forward. I would have her PTS sooner rather than dragging this on. Pay your bills, get yourself back on your feet for a few months, lick your wounds, cry. Then think of perhaps getting another in late winter/early spring.xx
 
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