Sad dilemma

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splash30

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I am having a dilemma.

My horse has had tendonitis on his right hind leg in the SSFT just below the hock for the last 4 months he has been receiving various treatments from the vet but nothing has worked, he was sound at the start but recently has become lame as the swelling has continued to enlarge – there is no fluid as first thought just granulation/scar tissue, he was re-scanned last Tuesday and the prognosis was not good.

My vets spoke to a specialist/surgeon who said the only option now is to operate to remove the scar tissue and see what is going on, so if anything else aggravating it as no cause we can pin point or the other option is to PTS.

My dilemma is that there is only a small chance this will work; he will be in a full leg Robert Jones bandage and box rest for a long time with no guarantees, he is only 6, my first instinct was that I have to try but the more I think about it, im thinking will it be fair to him to put him through it?

It breaking me up inside as I want to do best by him and not let him suffer, but do I have it done and never have the ‘’what if’’ question for the rest of my life or do I PTS now, as you can imagine im crying now as its so hard
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Thank you for reading any comments or thoughts more than welcome
 
Sorry to hear this, he olny a baby really.

I would try the op even if it is a small chance, I would want to know that I did everything possible for him before the other oppition. If he does not come through or gets worse after then I would PTS, but not before trying.

(((Hugs and good vibes)))
 
I suppose the question to ask is how you feel he will cope with the recovery period, and will you be able to manage it yourself?

On the other hand if there is only a small chance of recovery, he is a young horse and you could potentially have him as a field ornament for a long time.

If it were my horse and there wasn't a good chance of recovery I would be leaning towards PTS.
 
Im sorry to hear this and my heart truly goes out to you.

At a young age like your horse is i would be looking to operate I think. Age is on his side and he could get over it. Maybe he will never be worked again but many horses make great companions and go on for many years. Is that something your horse could be and are you prepared to financially support something that you cant ride? I know i did in my old horses latter years and it didnt bother me.

Will your horse cope with the operation? Only you know the answer to that, does he keep his weight? does he look well? Im a great beleiver of "they tell you when they have had enough" and mine certainly did. Although mine was old i knew that the time and come and didnt want to see him suffer. And i beleive i did what was best for HIM although it was the hardest thing ive ever had to do he was always at the front of my mind. I wanted him to go with dignity and he did.

I think whilst you have a window of opportunity you should explore that, although it may be a small window it could turn into a larger one as time goes on and he could respond to treatment.

A friend of mines horse has guttural pouch syndrome and was operated on a few months ago. Prognosis wasnt good for him but he has made a full recovery and is enjoying his winter off before starting hacking out spring
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Things can turn around but no one knows the horse any better than you and at any time you truly think he is suffering then to be PTS is the kindest thing an owner can do.

Be strong and keep us updated xxxxx
 
Have you spoken to your vet about giving him a year off in the field and seeing what happens?

Having gone through major surgery with my youngster, I would never, ever reccomend surgery
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It was horrific and I dont think he is the same horse now (even though he is amazing lol!)

I know 2 other people who feel the same too.
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I have to say I would give him the chance with the proviso that if there is any worries from the surgeon while he is on the table as to him making a decent recovery you are rung and given the option to just PTS then.
 
thank you all for you comments very appreciated, part of the time off he has had so far was field rest then he was on box rest with controlled walking in hand, but now he is on full box rest, as slowly got worse, he is coping well with the box rest so far but its the indefinate box rest might make him become very unhappy.
 
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I have to say I would give him the chance with the proviso that if there is any worries from the surgeon while he is on the table as to him making a decent recovery you are rung and given the option to just PTS then.

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This seems like a good suggestion.
I am so sorry you are having to go through this.
I think you have also got to think about how he will cope with the recovery. Mine would be fine as she is happy in her stable and doesn't mind box rest. others wouldn't manage so well. Also, how would he cope with being retired, mine would hate that, but others wouldn't mind.
He is your horse and you know him best. He is also very young, I think i would have to give him the chance.

I really hope it works out for you and your horsey x
 
Very sorry to hear about your boy's situation. As he is young I would be tempted to try the operation. I had my old (23 years) mare PTS when she came in from the field with a severe kick and the only chance for her was an operation to flush the joint but with a poor prognosis. After discussion with my vet I decided to have her PTS as we did not think she would cope well with the operation or recovery period.

However I have had two 3 year olds that have had emergency surgery. One was for colic and the other for a puncture wound into a joint. Unfortunately neither survived the operation but as they were young I definitely thought it was worth trying.

The irony is that the insurance paid out for the two youngsters but paid nothing for my mare as it was not essential to have her PTS (I knew this would be the case when I made the decision) but would have paid out if she had had the operation.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Hello. I know what you are experiencing. Beanie severed one of her extensory tendons on her near hind when she was 5. She had to have it trimmed down and wear a Robert Jones bandage for a long time. It was a horrible time and the same thoughts crossed our minds as well. We decided to give her every chance as she was so young and I am so glad we did. She made a full recovery and after extensive box rest and a VERY gradual return to work she was back to normal. She did however, 2 years ago get kicked on the back of the very same leg! It resulted in a fractured splint bone which had to be operated on to be removed. Talk about bad luck! She is now back to her normal self and doing all the things she loves. She has BSJA'd, XC,PC Teams, Hunts etc, so it may well be worth giving him time to heal and see what happens. Time can do wonders.x
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