Really Bad Arthritis - What would you do??!

I think it depends if you can keep him field comfortable on bute, he doesn't sound it atm so you could trial and increase before making a more final decision?
 
Thank you everyone for all your kind words and advice. DannyBoy is plodding round the field and trying to hide all the pain and discomfort even now but I can see it in his eyes that he is suffering despite the bute. I know that the winter will cripple him with the wet and cold weather and he will just be miserable.

I also would have to integrate him back with the other horses, including a new 3 year old that is full of it, over excitable and trys to beat the others up especially DannyBoy because he is such a gentle giant (her owners are new to horses and decided it would be wonderful to buy a youngster not knowing how much work it takes! Now she is stuck in a field with a load of oldies doing nothing bless her, she's already broken my old Shetland pony's rib!) This scenario wouldn't be fair for him either. We do not have enough grazing to keep them separated during winter and I couldn't move him to a different yard now at his age, he took a good year to settle at this yard.

Because of all this, I have decided to have one last summer with him and he will be put to sleep before the winter sets in. I think it is the kindest thing I can do for him, I know I wouldn't like to live in that much pain all my life.

I have decided to say goodbye to my Shetland pony at the same time as I know that she will miss her big brother so much. She has lived with Laminitis on and off for the past 7 years and has also got Cushings. Her feet are badly damaged and she spends a lot of her time very uncomfortable too. My grandad bought her for me 24 years ago and sadly suddenly passed away a month later so there is a lot of sentimental value which has made my mum determined to fight on with Sumi (feeling she was the last link to her dad) despite her nearly dying on a few occassions. Having had a talk mum has finally realised that the time is now right.

Sumi will turn 25 on 8th August, we have decided to get her to that milestone and after that ask the vet to put her and DannyBoy to sleep together. They will then be cremated together and their ashes returned to me. I will have rings made for my mother and me with some of the ashes so that they will forever and always be with us.

I'm so sorry to everyone for the long sad thread. Thank you to everyone from the bottom of my heart again. xxx
 
Thanks for the update. Have you spoken to the vet about increasing the dosage if he's still in pain, and you wish to keep him through the summer?
 
I have spoken to the vet and his dosage has been increased, she is not convinced he can be made comfortable but was hoping it possible last time she saw us having seen how upset I was. I will keep him through till August for the benefit of my mum to make her decision with Sumi easier. DannyBoy seems to be ok at the moment, as I said he is hiding it well and I'm pretty sure he will be ok until then and will enjoy all the fuss he will get from me and everyone else. Also his previous owner and YO would like to come up and say goodbye in the next few weeks. I know that it is when winter hits that it will make the big difference and I do not want to put him through that.
 
I'm so sorry to hear what you will be going through. You have just got to think of the good times that you all had together, no one can take your memories away. You are a special person for doing the kindest thing, never forget that. Big hugs xxxx
 
Ooooh you got me this morning ladies. Tears in my eyes. It's hard not to read all of this and relate it to your own. I wouldn't forgive myself if I let fatty get to the place where she could no longer get up - I can just imagine her face.

So sorry OP but it sounds like is time may well be near. Perhaps have him enjoy the Summer as much as possible provided you ca keep his pain under control. Or even give it week so you can spend time together and make arrangements. Sorry you have reached this point x
 
DannyBoy22 said:
Thank you so so much, this is going to be the one of hardest things I have ever done. xxxx
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It certainly will be about the hardest thing you have ever done, but you must remember that it is, for your ponies, the kindest thing you can do for them at this stage. You have thought long and hard about this, and you need to be brave for them. I know just what you are going through, and my thoughts are with you. Lots of hugs.
 
DannyBoy22 said:
Thank you so so much, this is going to be the one of hardest things I have ever done. xxxx
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It will be one of the hardest things you have done but it is the kindest thing an owner can ever do for an old horse and an integral part of being a responsible loving owner.You will have to dig deep to find the strength but you will be surprised how strong you can be.Hugs xxx
 
Been there. It's beyond pants.

Almost all the times I've had the deed done as soon as I could see it in the animal's eyes and/or in their movement. I once left it and I kick myself. He came okay for a little longer, but then went downhill quite rapidly and we had to say goodbye to my cheeky little s*d who I'd thought would live forever.

In this situation I would have a week/weekend of treats and nice stuf and pictures and laughter, then I would have him put to sleep with the sun on his back and his mouth full of apple.

Hugs darling.
 
Can I just ask how was he prior to the fall and was the fall out riding or just something that happened when he was in the field? I ask because many years ago I had a pony with spavin who could be quite stiff at the start of exercise but improved. He still competed and was on 1 Bute a day. One day we had a nasty fall xc in a water fence. He was cut, bruised and in shock but otherwise ok. However within a week he seemed rather crippled and I really thought that was it for him as Bute was not helping. But we got a physio to see him. She treated him twice in the space of two weeks and afterwards he was better than he'd been for years! I think the combination of compensating for the arthritis and then damaging muscles in the fall had made had resulted in him being in a lot of pain. I also experienced similar with my 27 yo pony last year and this year. I think he's had a fall at some point and he did not look well? Sort of had a pinched look about his face, dropped weight and just wasn't 100% himself. Again physio treatment has done wonders for him. It may be worth a try for yours. Of course it can't make the arthritis go away but having arthritis can mean they cause soreness elsewhere so it could help relieve him a bit.
 
ladyt25 said:
Can I just ask how was he prior to the fall and was the fall out riding or just something that happened when he was in the field? I ask because many years ago I had a pony with spavin who could be quite stiff at the start of exercise but improved. He still competed and was on 1 Bute a day. One day we had a nasty fall xc in a water fence. He was cut, bruised and in shock but otherwise ok. However within a week he seemed rather crippled and I really thought that was it for him as Bute was not helping. But we got a physio to see him. She treated him twice in the space of two weeks and afterwards he was better than he'd been for years! I think the combination of compensating for the arthritis and then damaging muscles in the fall had made had resulted in him being in a lot of pain. I also experienced similar with my 27 yo pony last year and this year. I think he's had a fall at some point and he did not look well? Sort of had a pinched look about his face, dropped weight and just wasn't 100% himself. Again physio treatment has done wonders for him. It may be worth a try for yours. Of course it can't make the arthritis go away but having arthritis can mean they cause soreness elsewhere so it could help relieve him a bit.
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He was stiff and not moving quite right prior to the fall, a friend who is a riding instructor came to visit us and rode him for me to see if she could loosen him up as she is a much better rider than me. They were just riding in one of our fields. She was walking and trotting to see what he was like in each one. He didn't seem to loosen much but seemed happy enough and pushed on for canter so she let him that's when he tripped and fell, landing on top of my friend. He didn't get up straight away, he sort of sat on his back end for a second (almost thinking about it) and then pulled himself up.

The vet has said definitely no riding as she does not believe it would be safe and that the discomfort will not be helped with walking in hand so I'm sure physio or a chiropractor wouldn't help.
 
MrsMozart said:
Been there. It's beyond pants.

Almost all the times I've had the deed done as soon as I could see it in the animal's eyes and/or in their movement.
In this situation I would have a week/weekend of treats and nice stuf and pictures and laughter, then I would have him put to sleep with the sun on his back and his mouth full of apple.

Hugs darling.
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Oh this absolutely! Honestly, if your horse is in so much discomfort I really wouldn't be wanting to make it wait until August for the sake of turning a certain age. I realise it is for sentimental reasons, but the horse/pony won't care a jot that they celebrated a birthday. Far better to make the most of a shorter time with minimal discomfort for the horse and reducing the risk of him going down in my opinion.
 
Well it's entirely up to you obviously but my pony this year was struggling to walk - he moved in a crab-like fashion. Our mctimoney guy said he was really sore and treated him for a considerable length of time. The day after pony was back to his normal self. As I said, it won't get rid of the arthritis, of course it won't, but it can help ease associated muscular issue that may be caused by the horse trying to compensate for the arthritis. Just a suggestion anyway - it certainly can't worsen the problem afterall
 
Only you can make this difficult decision and I really do feel for you has I was in the same place a couple of years ago. Luckily my boy is still here.

My boy injured his back, hock and stifle. He spent nearly a year on box and paddock rest yet at the end of the year he was still on 5 bute a day with not much improvement. I had a long chat with the vet and made the decision to pts.

Anyway on vets advice we booked the date for a months time as she wanted to try a couple different supplements and more physio treatment.

Anyway it worked and we got him down to 1 bute a day and he was happy and comfy so delaid pts. about a year later I was back to making a decision of either pts ot try moving him to a different yard where he could go out in a smaller herd with older horse - has he was in with 30 others at the time.

So I moved yards and have never looked back - been there a year now and he is on half a bute a day living out 24/7. He is currently happy and comfy but he is 28 this year and I would not hesitate to pts if I felt he was in pain.
 
Putting your horse to sleep is one of the kindest and most responsible things you can do for a horse.

I stopped riding my 29 year old mare when she stumbled on both front feet and went down while riding around a field. Luckily we where both o.k. 6 weeks later I found her in her stable one morning unable to get up and called the vet knowing that this would be the end. The vet put her down peacefully by injection and she just went to sleep. It was the most dignified ending that I could give her for the 21 years of fun and adventures we had together.
 
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