Making the final decision

[asbo]

In all the years of having horses, this is the first time I have had to plan having a horse PTS.

Jay is 25 yrs old now, he's been retired since 2009 due to suspensory damage, he now has arthritis in all 4 legs, gets cellulitis at least twice a year, struggles with mud fever, doesn't heal well anymore & the vet thinks he has cushions.

He went lame again yesterday after being out 24/7 for 4 days with the other retired geldings, farrier will be checking in case its a foot issue again, if not its the vet out for the 2nd time in less than a month, he had cellulitis a few weeks ago, £300 bill for that!

He's spending more time ill than healthy & I don't want to put him through another winter or box rest as he hates it, he's gone out as he was eating less than half a net of haylage a night & losing weight, his teeth are ok he just prefers being out . I lost Fizz last Feb to colic & had to make the choice there & then to have her PTS which was heart breaking but the right thing to do.

How do I plan this? Do I call the vet now to say I want to give him a lovely summer getting as much grass & treats as he likes then around Sept have them come out? Or do I wait closer to the time? I am on a working farm so the YO would arrange to have him taken away after being PTS on the yard, should I tell the YM my plans or wait? I am going to be a crying wreck talking about it so just want to get it over with tbh.

 

[Cortez]

I have long term plans for all my horses, including approximate timescales for retirement and ultimately their demise, based on average working lives and lifespan. I've had horses for 50+ years so it's nothing new, but usually, unless it's an emergency of course, the vet/hunt will be called a week or more in advance to coordinate with their schedules and a date set for collection or delivery to their premises. It's not pleasant, but is necessary and realistic.

If it is so very traumatising for you, can I suggest that you plan it sooner rather than later? There is no need to drag everything out and make yourself miserable, and it sounds as if the horse is not enjoying life very much.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I agree with Cortez, I'd be making the decision sooner, he doesn't sound very happy atm. However, if the vet thinks he's got Cushing's (which could well explain some of his problems) then he needs blood testing to check his ACTH levels. If he is does have Cushing's, then getting him on Prascend may improve his health a lot.

However, this can be expensive, he's an older horse, and you may well decide not to go down that route seeing as he has other issues. Calling time now does not sound cruel or unreasonable. No vet will query this in an older retired horse.

I keep my oldies going whilst they are hale and hearty (lost one age 42), but I watch them carefully for signs of deterioration, and if it's something I can't manage, I let them go.

Hugs, it's a tough time to go through.

 

[asbo]

Thank you both for replying.

I have always had an agreement with my vet that every 6 months they check him & we chat about if its near time or not for him, 3 weeks ago the vet was happy that he wasn't getting to a point we were dragging him on, but my heart tells me otherwise.

He is always bright & cheerful, he's currently bossing his way around his field & he's eating & grazing, I guess it would be easier to let him go right now if he was not himself, but I don't plan to let him get that way. I hoped for a summer for him but I will not hesitate to call the vet sooner if things don't improve this week.

 

[Gloi]

I'd second having the vet test for and treat the Cushings. We have two 28 year olds on Prascend and it has made such a big difference to them. One had skin problems too and since the Cushings has been under control he has had no further problems. It's certainly worth trying .

 

[MrsMozart]

It's always a rubbish decision to have to make.

The hard summer ground might be worse on him, or at least as bad, so there is that to consider.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Having been at this point with several horses I can tell you, you will know. While it's nice to have the " last summer" but sometimes you just look and in your heart you can tell. I was going to do this with my mare but one morning I went to let her out and I guess she looked at me and I looked at her, I mean, really looked at her and knew. I rang the knackerman that morning and arranged it all. Personally I wouldn't do loads of tests on an older horse. Red was 32 and up to the point was fine , sometimes it's just not worth the investigation, its best to let them go .

 

[MrsMozart]

Ditto Sukistokes2. With mine I've just known, as have those who've been close to them.

We were going to have Grey Mare pts. She'd been lame on and off and all sorts of issues. We just weren't sure though, couldn't quite get that feeling but was trying to balance the lameness, etc. Booked the vet who came out all ready. But that day the horse was bright eyed and bushy tailed. We decided to give it a week, see if she went downhill again. She's still here three years later. Others we've just known for sure. The look in their eyes. Every run through of any potential options came back to the same thing. Research, etc., still the same answer.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

I appreciate you want to give him one last summer, but realistically if he does have cushings, if left untreated he could come down with laminitis (if he hasn't already, that could be what his current lameness is as it's come on after time at grass). If you decide to test for and treat cushings (if he does have it), it can take time to get the dose right/adjust to the meds. Is it worth doing that when it's going to be his last summer? He could spend 1/2 of it getting settled on the meds.

With my older horse, I'm already treating/managing several long term health problems. I've decided if another crops up, I'm calling time on it all. He won't be treated for anything requiring months of box rest or an operation. And all that's if he's still looking bright and happy. If he starts looking miserable then it's definitely time.

As much as I love my horse I do slightly envy those with healthy uncomplicated horses, who can let theirs live out 24/7, pop down the yard for an hour for a quick ride/feed and return to the field. I'm there several hours per day and there are times I get fed up with that. But he's an angel and has worked hard for me all his life, so he well deserves what's needed to keep him happy in semi-retirement. There has to be a limit though, for my sake as much as his, it's time consuming and hard work as well as expensive.

 

[ruth83]

If you want some help and support in person with this difficult decision, contact The British Horse Society, who have a program called Friends at the End.
The program has a number of trained volunteers who can help with practical arrangements as well as offering support and assistance throughout the decisions and the entire process.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Prascend has made a world of difference to my Cushing's horse, she had all sorts of niggling issues prior to starting on it, it took about 4 days before we saw a difference, vet told me it could easily be 6 weeks and maybe 3 months. It is not a complicated procedure, just a simple blood test, we got the result in 2 days.
I can't advise about what you should do, only you know your horse and what his quality of life is like but I can certainly tell you that we have had several pts over the yrs, both young and old and quality of life has been the guiding principle, whether because of a longterm illness/condition or in an emergency. That is only fair.

 

[sarahann1]

Thank you both for replying.

I have always had an agreement with my vet that every 6 months they check him & we chat about if its near time or not for him, 3 weeks ago the vet was happy that he wasn't getting to a point we were dragging him on, but my heart tells me otherwise.

He is always bright & cheerful, he's currently bossing his way around his field & he's eating & grazing, I guess it would be easier to let him go right now if he was not himself, but I don't plan to let him get that way. I hoped for a summer for him but I will not hesitate to call the vet sooner if things don't improve this week.

It's definitely worth going the vet for another chat, ask them to come out and reasses. Older horses can deteriorate fairly quickly. I had to make the decision twice last year it's heartbreaking, big hugs to you.

 

[pippixox]

I would certainly get a Cushings test and if needed consider the medication, but with his many other issues it may be wise to decide a time scale.
My old boy was very ill last summer- possible brain tumour- but it shrunk so luckily was a cyst. But I decided to give him 2 weeks out with his mates with painkillers and strong anti-biotics and then if he had not improved I would call it a day (or if he deteriorated rapidly over night I would get him out ASAP. He recovered and is still going. His arthritis gets a bit worse in the winter but he is happy.

Happiness is the most important thing, you know when their spark has gone. This happened with our dog who got cancer- I knew he was ready to go, even if medication could of kept him alive for a few more months

Sorry you are going through this