PSD - time to call it a day?

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louise8667

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I am half considering having my horse put to sleep.

I'm sorry for the long dialogue below, but there is some history, I'll try & make it brief!

3 years ago he was diagnosed with bilateral PSD in both hinds, showing a mild lameness but enough that he resented being worked. Hes had all the treatment going ending in a fasciotomy neurectomy which at first seemed a sucess but since bringing him back into work he had issues with the sacroilliac. Both diseases are definately related, I suspect that the sacrolliac may have been the original problem causing the PSD. Anyway, again he had all the treatment going but was so unhappy that the only choice left to me was to turn him away for a year in the hope that it just needed time to settle down.
So a year on & I have been doing light hacking, but the last few weeks I felt he had got worse again. Called the vet, nerve blocked the suspensory, straight away he went sound and lame on the other leg. Vet is therefore 100% sure that he is feeling pain again and can only assume the nerve has regrown. Very rare apparently, but told that it does happen. The vet feels that it is a mild degree of lameness and is suprised I can even notice it. But the trouble is it is very noticable when he is ridden. He feels so stilted, every stride is so slow he feels like he could just stop at any moment. He does't look in pain, just very slow. The vet suggested to try giving him up to 3 bute 2 hours before I ride to see if that makes a difference. Not ideal I know, but if it means I can get 30mins enjoyment out of him a week, and its not actually causing any harm, then why not? So we tried it and was so pleased to find that he felt almost like my old horse again. Only went round the block but it was so nice to feel like he 'wanted' to go out. Tried it again the next day but results weren't so good. Tried again this weekend and he was the worse hes ever been. Very slow, tried a trot and I could hear him dragging both back toes. His ears were back. Came straight home & decided thats enough, he is 100% retired.
He's only 16, he could have another 10 years in him - maybe more! I love this horse to absolute bits and feel awful for even considering putting him down. My thoughts are that if his quality of life is good then how can you end a healthy horses life? He potters round the field OK, he lives out in a herd in about 60 acres. I'm in absolute no rush to do anything, but it is playing on my mind. When leading him to & from the field he moves very slowly so he must be feeling it. Its hard to know if its pain or just uncomfortable. The ligament hasn't ruptured as his fetlocks haven't dropped etc. Hes the kind of horse that does need looking after, hes TB so needs feeding everyday, if he gets a kick 9 times out of 10 he need antibiotics - so what I'm trying to say is I wouldn't be happy to give him away as a companion as I don't trust anyone to look after him as well as I do. Then theres the cost, I can't afford another horse & don't have the time to do another one, so I could end up not enjoying something I love so much for the next 10 years! I know this is one of the risks you take when owning horses but that doesn't help when your worst nightmare comes true.
Just writing this is helping me reach the conclusion that the right time will be when hes starting look fed up when hes out with his mates. The way hes gone downhill so quickly in the last few weeks, maybe that will be sooner than I think. Who knows.
I have tried everything to try & get this horse comfortable, I dread to think how much I've spent over the last 3 years to come back and be at square one again.
Thank-you to anyone who has taken the time to read this.
I am just wondering if theres anyone else out there who has been in a similar position & what they did.
 
Im always a firm believer that they will tell you when they have had enough, generally when they stop eating. If it was me and he was my horse, I would turn him out with his mates and enjoy the time you have with him rather than the riding aspect, dont rush him to come in let him take it at his own speed. When he is starting to look fed up and stop having any interest in his food then would be the time for me.

Big Hugs Its a hard thing to go through xxx
 
First of all ((((hugs)))) what a terrible decision to have to make; My ex pony had the same op, touch wood as far as I know he is still sound 2 years on.

I only know what I would do, easy for me as I have my own land so no bother for mine to live out their days, and I would probably try butless or something similar.

Sounds like you have made up your mind, but need someone to say, yes I would pts, I think in your situation I probably would.
 
Try searching on here for PSD. I'm sure there has been a recent post about a guy who is an MRCVS but offers a different approach.

Awful when you reach a dead end but at least you have come to the right place to find suggestions or even answers - if there are any to be had.

As you say, writing it down has helped you to see a little more clearly the way you are heading and I for one couldn't find any argument against allowing him to go, or, on the other hand, possibly trying a less radical, not too expensive last ditch attempt to get him right. 16 is the right side of 12 for saying enough is enough with a clear conscience. Good luck with this.

In fact here you go...
 
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brighteyes said:
As you say, writing it down has helped you to see a little more clearly the way you are heading and I for one couldn't find any argument against allowing him to go, or, on the other hand, possibly trying a less radical, not too expensive last ditch attempt to get him right. 16 is the right side of 12 for saying enough is enough with a clear conscience. Good luck with this.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with this, sorry, it's never easy when it's not black and white.
 
Well this sounds very similar to a friend of mine who only last week made the painful decision to PTS her lovely mare.
Her horse had a sacrolliac injury and was on box rest for 6 months, turned out on field rest for 3 months before bringing her back to work.
3 months after being in work her tendon went at the front. She had the tendon filled (sorry i don't know the technical wording) and another 3 months box rest before she could slowly build up the work load.
Her horse was sound for 6 months and 3 weeks ago she was lame on the front again. The vet was called and after scans it reviled that the "plug" was starting to break up and had small holes in it.
So she was left with the decision to go though the box rest etc again however the vet said the tendon could go again at anytime or retire her and have her as a field ornament.
The trouble with the box rest option is her back leg needed exercise whilst her front leg needed rest.
She wasn't the type of horse that would stand in a field and munch on the grass and her running around the field was the reason her front tendon went in the first place.
So, after giving it some thought and weighing up the mares quality of life, the fact that my friend couldn't afford to have 2 horses and the mare was never going to be able to do the things my friend wanted to do she came to the painful decision to have her mare PTS.
Her mare was also a TB and only 14 but sometimes you need to do what's best for both of you.
If your horse is finding some days harder than others then your not doing him any favors keeping him going.
Only you know your horse and the situation you are in however if it was me and as heartbreaking it is i would PTS.
(((HUGS))) and good luck
 
I can't really advise, but can only say that personally I would never retire to the field or keep as a companion a horse who has had a neurectomy. Because there are no nerves (although some feeling may 'grow back' as you have experienced) you will never really know if there is any new injury or a foot abscess. Neurectomy horses have to be soooo carefully managed as a result, and can so easily end up in horrible situations.

The risks are clearly sometimes worth taking to extend a ridden life, as you tried to do, but are they really worth taking for a horse who is uncomfortable already in retirement? For me, the answer would always be no, and I would pts in your situation.

Hope you are able to decide on the right decision for your horse, and sorry for the horrible situation you're in.
 
Hi, im really sorry he's gone back to square one again.
Firstly after loosing a horse that i really really loved I would have to keep him as a pet if he was happy being retired, I wish id of had that oppotunity with mine.
I know its very hard to think about selling him as a companion and that someone wont look after him, but we brought out 9 yr old mare who has bad kissing spine as a companion and we took all the advise from the old owner, she was terrofied that we would try and ride her, but we never have and we look after her as well as she was beofore, she's just a big pet.
If someone is looking for a companion they know that the horse is retired for some reason and they should be prepared for any vets bills like any other horse.
Maybe you could do a perminant loan, or a long trial before.
If the vet thinks that he will get worse to the point that he will start to be lame just walking around the field then thats when id think about putting him to sleep.

By the way I know its no substitute for vettinary medicine, but if you do retire and keep him, consider using Global herbs, old age, or bute x, we use this on another of our retired mares who has had many leg injurys and things in the past and it makes her feel so much better, she runs around like a 5 yr old!
 
As you have said, you will know when it's the right time. Trust me when I say your horse will tell you when it is time. I can't give you any advice apart from that. Good luck x
 
I think that if he is happy out in the field then there is no reason for him to go, like you said when he starts to look fed up you will know when its time. We ent through a similar thing with our mare, a different condition but anyway, she was retired at 23 and pts at 28 because her condition got alot worse very fast in the last year. Also my little pony bracken had coushins and suffered with laminitis even with careful management, he was retired at 16 unfortunatly he was pts at 19 :( My point is you will know when its the right time. x
 
We are able to retire ours on our own land and do so. The deciding factor for us is quality of life . IMO prolonged periods of box-rest is very poor quality of life. If you are able to retire the horse until he looks miserable more often than he looks happy, that would be great but this is not always possible. PTS is not the worst thing that can happen to a horse.
 
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Thank-you so much for all your replies, I really appreciate everything that has been said. I've been a bit of a tearful wreck today but feel a bit calmer now.
I think for the time being, providing hes stays as he his, I'll see how hes goes this winter, if he does struggle I may think twice before putting him through another. This really isn't a decision I have to rush thank god.
The vet did suggest that the neurectomy could be tried again but since it wasn't really a full sucess the first time, he didn't recommend it. Then theres the underlying sacroiliac problem which is likely to make a re-appearace again. My heart isn't really in it anymore, I've had 3 years of hoping we'd get him right. I think now I just need to accept that its not going to happen. Maybe if he was 10 years younger I might have considered it.
Also someone mentioned that they'd never let a horse live out who'd had a neurectomy. To some extent I agree but in this situation I think hes much better of being out 24/7, I see no point keeping him in at night if he doesn't have a use. I know that sounds harsh but I'm prepared to take the risk. He wouldn't be happy cooped up.
I might try doing a companion advert, I guess I don't have anything to loose as I can always change my mind.
Thankyou again everyone. Its comforting to know there someone else out there whos been through it.
 
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