Tough Decisions :(

[Baldybear]

My pony has hepatitis and isnt getting any better, has had steroid and antibiotics and nothing is working. He was on 75% liver failure and with high steroid use managed to get down to 60% but now a month later there is no improvement, just staying as he is and not getting any better.

The worse thing is we dont know what caused the hepatitis, could be ragwort poisioning from over 14 years ago where he possibly could have had some, or maybe a massive bacterial infection, hence the anti-b's, it may be even cancer we just dont know!

He is fine in himself but so very skinny He wont eat anything has has no appetite, apart from grass which there isn't much of! Just bought some dried grass and some sugar beet today to see if will eat that, couldn't use sugar beet earlier as possible laminitis risk due to such high steroid use!

So tough decisions now on whether to go for further treatment, biopsies, scans etc which may not even be worth it and at 22 is it fair to put him through it, and of course the cost factor. Or whether to just leave him be and let him carry on just doing his own thing running round the field happy with his mates and just see how he goes, think summer will be ok, but when winter comes it will be hard as he is so skinny! But could deterioate before then so just a waiting game

Just so very hard to know what to do but I am preferring option 2 at the moment as I think he would prefer to be left alone and do his own thing!

He is not a people pony and prefers to be in his herd, there are 4 of them and have been together over 12 years and they all get upset if one of them goes out for a while, they all get stressed if they aren't together properly, just love to be as a herd! Which begs the other question if he does go how will the others react to him not being there as he has always been the leader of the pack, the one they look too when something is scary!

Just wondered what other people may do, its just so hard not knowing

 

[Happy Horse]

I would definitely go with option 2 as well. By the sounds of it you could go through all the tests and still not have an outcome by which he is cured. At 22 I'd be tempted to let him enjoy life and call it a day if you think he is deteriorating to a point where his quality of life is in doubt. I know how you feel, I was in the same position with my old boy when he was 18.

 

[touchstone]

I would definitely go with option 2; as he is already elderly I think it is unfair to subject him to a battery of further tests that may still prove inconclusive.

Speedibeet is safe for laminitics as it doesn't have any mollasses added, so you could use that instead of mollassed beet?

I wouldn't worry too much about the rest of the herd, they will cope just fine and I wouldn't let it influence your decision about letting your oldie go when the time is right.

 

[Baldybear]

Thanks for the support, think that is the best decision, just let him be!

Have the speedibeet as that was all that was in stock so am going to try that tomorrow!

Really appreciate the replies!

 

[smossy]

really sorry to hear about your pony,we sadly lost my daughters first pony and had to make the decision to let her go,that was some years ago. All I can say is that we did your option 2 and we new when it was time for her to go to a better place. Believe me you will make the right decision at the correct time as you sound as if you love your pony very very much. Try ready mash fed warm that may help.