EquestrianE01
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone,
Apologies in advance as this is likely to be long. I'm after some reassurance that I'm doing the right thing.
I've currently got my wonderful girly booked in to be PTS tomorrow afternoon. This is after a very long hard battle with an abscess that I'll try and explain as briefly as possible.
It started about 3 months ago when she came in hopping lame, normal procedure of farrier, then vet when there was no improvement. Went a whole week with it still not draining and she was eventually referred to the veterinary hospital. This was late on a Friday evening and we were all very stressed. So, when they suggested doing a pedal scrape on Monday afternoon (something I've had no experience with), I asked them could they please ring me Monday morning to explain more and I would then make the decision as to whether to do it or not. Ava (the horse) was hospitalized over the weekend and I went to visit her.
Cutting a very long story short, Monday comes around and, despite my best efforts of trying to contact them, they went ahead without my consent. Had I know what it was and the after care, for this particular horse, I would have said no and taken her home to have her PTS then.
As she'd had the procedure, I felt that I owed it to her to at least attempt the healing process. This went amazingly, we went back to the hospital for the farrier and surgeon to have look at her and they were astounded by how good her foot looked. We left making an appointment for 5 weeks time, and I was told I might even be looking at riding her again after that.
Cut to 2 weeks (so about 1 month ago now) before we are due back, and I call my vet out as Ava's gone lame again and a large ridge had appeared in the middle of her foot. We're called back to the hospital a week early, surgeon and farrier both scratching their heads as not sure why this has happened. It was decided that the issue *could* be being caused by her thin hoof wall and too much instability in the foot, so a clog was fitted. I was happy with this, not invasive and fairly simple. She got put back onto box/pen rest and another appointment made for 5 weeks time.
It has now been 2 weeks since the clog was fitted, her foot has developed a ridge again and she's also quite lame, even on bute. I had my vet back out on Friday evening, and we spoke to the surgeon and farrier. They're running out of ideas, none of them have seen anything like this before and have no idea why it's happening.
I've been given 2 options.
1. Is to go back to the hospital again, after doing 3 weeks total box rest (we did the box rest last time which made no difference, and I had a very stressed horse). She will not stay in on her own, and the only horse we have to box rest her with is only 4 and didn't cope at all last time.
They have no idea what they are going to do if we go back, it would either be more surgery (definite no) or another clog. I would consider another clog but, in the surgeon's own words, why would we do it again if it hasn't worked this time?
I'm also struggling to see how 3 weeks stuck inside is any different to her going out in a stable size pen (current situation)? Please correct if I'm wrong here though.
2. Is to call it a day here.
My own vet has said she will support me in either decision, however she's not optimistic at Ava making any recovery. Of course there's a chance, but none of us know what that chance is as it's so unusual. She's worried that we'll get months down the line and end up in exactly the same place we are now, having put the horse through yet more (unnecessary) stress and pain.
If someone had asked me months ago, I could have predicted that she would not heal well from something like this and wouldn't have done it at all. Her feet have never been her strong point and I've always been aware that any serious problems with them would probably not end well.
My (very horsey) Mum's view on it is that I've given it a very good chance and have done everything the vets have suggested, and if it had been up to me I never would have done it in the first place, so why am I dithering now?
I've currently got a horse that is obviously in a huge amount of pain and is constantly miserable. She has other issues with her back, back legs and shoulders, those are all flaring up now with all the extra strain being put on. So even if the foot gets better, what other damage has now been done?
So I'm asking you lovely people of HHO, for reassurance that this is the right thing to do? She's only 14 but incredibly high mileage. She's not got the best temperament in the world and can be very aggressive in times of stress.
I love her to pieces and, although I've had to make the call before with other horses of mine, this has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. She's been through hell and back, even before all of this, and I just want to know that I'm doing what's right by her.
Tea and biscuits if you've made it this far.
TIA
Apologies in advance as this is likely to be long. I'm after some reassurance that I'm doing the right thing.
I've currently got my wonderful girly booked in to be PTS tomorrow afternoon. This is after a very long hard battle with an abscess that I'll try and explain as briefly as possible.
It started about 3 months ago when she came in hopping lame, normal procedure of farrier, then vet when there was no improvement. Went a whole week with it still not draining and she was eventually referred to the veterinary hospital. This was late on a Friday evening and we were all very stressed. So, when they suggested doing a pedal scrape on Monday afternoon (something I've had no experience with), I asked them could they please ring me Monday morning to explain more and I would then make the decision as to whether to do it or not. Ava (the horse) was hospitalized over the weekend and I went to visit her.
Cutting a very long story short, Monday comes around and, despite my best efforts of trying to contact them, they went ahead without my consent. Had I know what it was and the after care, for this particular horse, I would have said no and taken her home to have her PTS then.
As she'd had the procedure, I felt that I owed it to her to at least attempt the healing process. This went amazingly, we went back to the hospital for the farrier and surgeon to have look at her and they were astounded by how good her foot looked. We left making an appointment for 5 weeks time, and I was told I might even be looking at riding her again after that.
Cut to 2 weeks (so about 1 month ago now) before we are due back, and I call my vet out as Ava's gone lame again and a large ridge had appeared in the middle of her foot. We're called back to the hospital a week early, surgeon and farrier both scratching their heads as not sure why this has happened. It was decided that the issue *could* be being caused by her thin hoof wall and too much instability in the foot, so a clog was fitted. I was happy with this, not invasive and fairly simple. She got put back onto box/pen rest and another appointment made for 5 weeks time.
It has now been 2 weeks since the clog was fitted, her foot has developed a ridge again and she's also quite lame, even on bute. I had my vet back out on Friday evening, and we spoke to the surgeon and farrier. They're running out of ideas, none of them have seen anything like this before and have no idea why it's happening.
I've been given 2 options.
1. Is to go back to the hospital again, after doing 3 weeks total box rest (we did the box rest last time which made no difference, and I had a very stressed horse). She will not stay in on her own, and the only horse we have to box rest her with is only 4 and didn't cope at all last time.
They have no idea what they are going to do if we go back, it would either be more surgery (definite no) or another clog. I would consider another clog but, in the surgeon's own words, why would we do it again if it hasn't worked this time?
I'm also struggling to see how 3 weeks stuck inside is any different to her going out in a stable size pen (current situation)? Please correct if I'm wrong here though.
2. Is to call it a day here.
My own vet has said she will support me in either decision, however she's not optimistic at Ava making any recovery. Of course there's a chance, but none of us know what that chance is as it's so unusual. She's worried that we'll get months down the line and end up in exactly the same place we are now, having put the horse through yet more (unnecessary) stress and pain.
If someone had asked me months ago, I could have predicted that she would not heal well from something like this and wouldn't have done it at all. Her feet have never been her strong point and I've always been aware that any serious problems with them would probably not end well.
My (very horsey) Mum's view on it is that I've given it a very good chance and have done everything the vets have suggested, and if it had been up to me I never would have done it in the first place, so why am I dithering now?
I've currently got a horse that is obviously in a huge amount of pain and is constantly miserable. She has other issues with her back, back legs and shoulders, those are all flaring up now with all the extra strain being put on. So even if the foot gets better, what other damage has now been done?
So I'm asking you lovely people of HHO, for reassurance that this is the right thing to do? She's only 14 but incredibly high mileage. She's not got the best temperament in the world and can be very aggressive in times of stress.
I love her to pieces and, although I've had to make the call before with other horses of mine, this has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. She's been through hell and back, even before all of this, and I just want to know that I'm doing what's right by her.
Tea and biscuits if you've made it this far.
TIA
