Is it time to call it a day?

Foxy girl

Foxy girl

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I;ve posted on here before about my mare who had ragwort poisoning 4 years ago and survived thanks to Prof Knottenbelt. Since she came back home we've been happy hackers until she started behaving erratically. I retired her (she's 17) and she seemed content enough and manageable but the vet did say I'd have to make the call to have her PTS sooner rather than later as she could become dangerous as the toxins in her body increased and she couldn't mentally cope with life.

Where we live is so wet at the moment - she's on 24/7 turnout as she goes ballistic if she's in a stable. Yesterday I noticed she was lame - she's obviously had a small cut in her heel and with all the wet and mud it's become infected. So I pulled her in, treated it and have left her in the field shelter where she can see and touch her field mate, but she hates it and is getting herself so stressed. I've just been to look at another field to rent nearby but it too is a bog. I can't get her to livery as she won't box and can't be ridden (especially now lame) and the vet said not to stress her because she could go off like a bottle of pop.

So is this it? Has it come down to something so petty as a cut in her heel that will decide whether I PTS? I just seem caught in a vicious circle - I can't treat the hoof, I can't keep her in, I can't turn her out and I can't move here. What do I do?

Thanks for reading x
 
I think in your situation it's best to take it one day at a time. Would it be possible to fence around the field shelter with electric fencing and put down bark chippings or road planings? It would mean she was effectively 'out' but still confined.
The other option might be to try to wrap the hoof really well (nappy, plastic sack and duct tape) to try to keep it relatively clean and change the dressing twice daily and keep her out in the field. It will be difficult I know, but I think that that is what I would do, possibly just bringing her in at night if your field is really bad.
Fingers crossed that she is better in a few days and you won't have any difficult decisions to make just yet.
eta:- If you do find that she is becoming stressed and more erratic behaviour wise and it is affecting her and your safety, then nobody would think any the less of you for pts
 
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would a calmer help to chill her out while in the shelter, just until you get ontop of the heel?? just a thought..
You know her best-trust in yourself to know when the time is right to pts.
x
 
I second touchstone's advice, dress the hoof well, use duct tape and let her back out.
I'm assuming the damage affected her liver and kidneys which is why as they can't cope she gets more erratic. A similar thing affected my sister when she was ill and it made her incredibly bad tempered and difficult to deal with, yet she had no idea she was behaving badly.
I have to make decisions re putting horses to sleep several times a year.
Firstly I look at their quality of life, if they aren't happy why prolong their lives?
If they seem ok then I try to provide them with the best circumstances to allow them to thrive, in your mare's case she would probably be happiest out with a herd with minimum interferance. Then you need to put your sensible hat on, and think whether you can afford to keep a field ornament. If you can't, have her euthanised and find something you can enjoy.
I think you are suffering from guilt at the moment, but think why we have horses, it's for pleasure above all else, and if you aren't receiving that then perhaps it's time to decide to change it.
As the vet says, her behaviour is likely to worsen, so either get her somewhere she can thrive or make the decision. Do pm me if you need advice. (ps I am full for retirement with a waiting list so no, this isn't an ad!)
 
Take care with erratic behaviour following permanent liver damage. As the toxins build up the neurological symptoms increase and can be very very distressing for both horse and owner. Even aside from the cut on her leg, you need to think through quality of life issues, always remembering the old truism, better a week too early than a day too late x
 
Box_Of_Frogs said:
Take care with erratic behaviour following permanent liver damage. As the toxins build up the neurological symptoms increase and can be very very distressing for both horse and owner. Even aside from the cut on her leg, you need to think through quality of life issues, always remembering the old truism, better a week too early than a day too late x
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I agree with this....follow your gut instinct
 
I can only echo the advice others have given you, particularly Henryhorn whose advice is always helpful. I had to have my old horse who I had owned for 20 years PTS just before Christmas. You will feel better once you have made a decision. This has been a tough winter for horse owners. Good luck with your decision.
 
You have my sympathies, and being the one with the weight of responsibility is tough. Ask others close to your situation for their honest opinion, its hard to advise over the net. All I would say is you can't make the decision a day too early, but you can make it a day too late.
 
Thank you all SO much for your advice (as always on here - brilliant). Today she's ok still very lame - the vet came out yesterday and couldn't find anything wrong with her hoof - the cut I had found didn't seem to be the issue. He was reluctant to dose her as it would put extra strain on the liver and told me to turn her out as he thought it might be a bruised sole which didn't require her to be in.

I think the thing for me is to now find her some better grazing for the brief time she has left - at least then she doesn't end her days up to her knees in mud...

Thank you all again - as you say it's hard to know when to make the decision but I'm hoping I'll know when the time is right.
 
Foxy much worse today - can barely put weight on her front right leg. Vet came out first thing and has removed shoe and poulticed foot but is questioning laminitis. Excuse my ignorance about laminitis but is it possible to get it in just one foot and why would she have it now when she's been on the same high quality hay all winter, very little grazing and no hard feed?

Just wish there were some black and white answers so I could make an informed decision.
 
I would still be thinking along the lines of a deep abscess which gives the symptoms you describe but I too, am very ignorant of laminitis so couldn't rule it out and of course your vet should know best of all.
Can you tub the foot at all then while you're doing it, gently knead the pastern and coronet band and feel if there is anywhere that seems to pit at all which could be a site for the abcess to burst from?
A neighbour's horse went lame on Thursday, so badly, she feared the worst, it could hardly put the foot to the floor. Shoe off and abcess found, opened up and immediate relief for the mare. My vet says an abscess is like a miracle cure; total dispair one minute, relief the next. Let's hope that's what's wrong before you make any long lasting decisions.
 
Thanks Maesfen - I have the farrier coming tomorrow and although I have a lot of faith in the vet, I am hoping he might just spot something the vet hasn't yet found. No decisions til after I've seen them both tomorrow.

Fingers crossed for an absess.
 
There is no reason you can't keep her out really I think! I would cover the wound accordingly (via vets instructions), get some duck tape (silver stuff from hardware store) and overlap it in a criss cross pattern over the sole of her foot and tape around. If you're not convinced, grab a hoof boot and whack it on her!
She's only got a cut hun, not the end of the world. The ground is horrid at the moment admittedly, but try the duck tape trick.....it really does work to keep it dry.
Put her back out tomorrow with it on and change once a day (or twice). I'm sure your vet will agree that keeping her sane is the main thing, and her hoof WILL get better.
:)

Just reading your last post....I kept a horse out all winter with recurrent abscesses with tape on and a hoof boot.
 
Wonderful wonderful farrier just been out, found abscess straight away (where I thought it was but vet said no) popped it and she's immediately better. Am going now to practice my poulticising which is not my strong point, but hoping that and keeping her in for a couple of days will make a huge difference.

Thanks all for your advice
 
Foxy girl said:
Foxy much worse today - ....... Just wish there were some black and white answers so I could make an informed decision.
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To be honest with you, F-g, I think that you've already made your informed decision, haven't you? The damage done sounds to me to be irreversible, and as B_O_F, it's better to end her suffering, whilst you have a choice, and before you have no choice.

I'd like to advise that you keep her hanging on, in the vain hope of improvement, but that wouldn't be kind, to you or your mare, would it? I'm really sorry.

Alec.

Ets, whilst typing the above note, you've also posted!! They are two separate issues, obviously. I wish you well. a.
 
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Brilliant news! And believe me, you will soon be very very good at poulticing ;) I broke my arm the same time my tb got an abcess so I also got quite good at doing them one-handed :D
 
I'm so glad he found the abscess but as Alec has said, I think if they are recurring too often and with her past problems, I think you do have to question her quality of life which I know you are prepared for.

Good luck, hope it goes well.
 
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