I'm scared

H

hairycob

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Pickle is 20, She has many sarcoids, She has had Liverpool cream treatment on 5 that were causing problems but despite finishing the last course of treatment at the beginning of March 1 has still not healed. She is uncomfortable when one back leg is flexed e.g for farrier but she is ok moving around. Vet suspects arthritis in pelvis & she has bute for a few days before farrier visits. She has cod liver oil & cider vinegar daily. The last sarcoid treated is now beginning to heal but it is itchy & she is rolling more than usual BUT in the last 2 weeks we have noticed on 4 occasions that she is slow to get up & seems uncomfortable. Normally as soon as someone goes in the field she gets straight up but on ach of these occasions she has had to be encouraged/helped up.
Tomorrow I am phoning the vet to ask his advice. I'm really worried about what he is going to say. I don't want to lose her, but I know it's not fair on her if she is struggling. It's not fair on her or on YO (who is 75!) or on the other liveries who might have to help her up.
Need hugs from people who understand.
 
Hugs for you both
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- and fingers, hooves and paws crossed that it isn't anything serious and she just needs some help for her old joints etc.
 
I'm probably over reacting I know. 2 months agoo we thought we were goiing to lose Bobby to colic (he's 27). The Vet was going through the "If he's not up by x blah blah but given his age you may not want to leave it that long etc" speech but he had an almighty fart & got up! So I'm hoping it works out the same for Pickle. She's so in love with the new gelding on the yard & desperate to have his baby so I know she's not ready to give up yet!
 
I have an arthritic 23 year old who has arthritis in all four legs. She was down a lot at the beginning of the year when she was brought back from the field and stabled through the winter and we had one charming vet who thought she she should be put down becuase she was old!
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It turned out what was keeping her down was a petula bone that was out of alignment and very sore. Regular excerise, danilon, cortaflex, and MSM and she is back in work! She just did a little fun show at the stables with my seven year old. Plus she has shivers in her left hind but she is far from giving up on life! Like you, I had quite a few bad nights were I contemplated losing her but don't give up yet. If she can flirt, then she isn't ready to go yet! Let us know how it goes. A physio got the bottom of my girl's problems it might be worth while calling one out for Pickle. x
 
I do understand hc - I expect every horse owner does. It can be a very hard and lonely decision to have to make and I don't envy you one bit. In the past, I've tried to help myself by asking myself: if my ned (cat/dog/hamster) could talk, what would he say to me? Would he say "mum, I'm tired and I hurt every day and I need to lie down and go to sleep" or would he say "where's my tea mother and by the way my hay net's empty". It sounds to me as if your girl would still say to you "out of the way mother, I may be stiff and creaky and got some odd aches and pains, but I'm gonna get that gelding's phone number and show him a good time!"

Just watch and listen to see if the message changes xxx
 
Poor you - its an awful predictament
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I had an old ex hunt horse who couldn't be kept sound by the hunt anymore. I had him and gave him a good couple of years of very light hacking accompanying my very young (at the time) children and he was brilliant at the job - steady as a rock. Towards the end though he kept falling with no warning and I retired him completely.

Unfortunately though he had a mass of sarcoids/melanomas and one summer he got flystrike - it was horrible. I could see in his eyes that he was totally fed up and had him put down.

I am sure he could have lived for much longer, but in my mind his quality of life had gone and I don't regret that decision at all.

You have to remember that once they are gone, they are gone, they won't be looking down wishing they had had another 6 months of grazing - its us left behind that have to grieve and justify our decision.

Whatever decision you come to will be the right one. xx
 
Thanks everyone. Had a rubbish nights sleep & dreamed of the 2 animals that are playing on my mind over this.
First was my ginger cat. We new he was failing but kept giving him one more week until we woke up one morning & had lost the use of his back legs & clearly wasn't going to survive the day. We to make a dash to the Vets to have him pts straight away & wished we hadn't put it off so long I swore I would never make the same mistake again.
The second was a pony in the paddock behind our house. She was similar to Pickle & in the end one day she just couldn't get up & it was horrid for everyone involved, especially as her owner was in a meeting out of her office & had her mobile turned off. I don't want that for Pickle, YO or other liveries.
But I have decided to be more positive. Hopefully the Vet will agree that it's probaly "just" arthritis & we can try bute. I shall get some linseed as well - can you give linseed & cod liver oil at the same time? And can you give devil's claw & bute at the same time?
 
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Why not give your horse 1 bute a day and also some linseed as that acts as an anti-inflamitory. Linseed in powder form can be bought in larg plastic drums.

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Sorry to hijack the post but can you tell me more about linseed? I didn’t know it was an anti-inflammatory where can you buy it from?
 
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