Vet on Tuesday....

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poiuytrewq

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Im going to speak to my vet about my TB and his quality of life :( I just wonder if he can have an enjoyable long retirement as things stand- I keep thinking he's not too bad (and he's not) but the bigger picture, overall with all his niggles im not sure what to do for the best.
Arthritis and Laminitis seem like such difficult conditions to manage together, either one alone I could handle!- with my facilities at least and his temperament. On top of this he has other problems, Physical and mentally!
I thought id almost cracked it by getting a bigger paddock (to keep movement going)which was escape proof (big hedge), rubbish grass so supplemented with last years hay and a little buddy to keep him happy. This morning he's sore again and his feet are boiling. If I stable him he will go nuts and his knee will seize up.
Im more than happy to keep him as long as a second knowledgeable opinion tells me its ok!
 
It's difficult to know what to say, is he happy as it is at the moment? Can you pop him onto a smaller field with no grass whilst he recovers from this bout of lami? Have you got him on anything for the lami and arthritis supplement wise? I think if you have a vet you can talk with honestly who you respect it would be worth asking them what they think.

Sorry you are going through this.
 
Can not really advise, but do offer sympathy, my TB is on box rest atm as he has chipped his pedal bone but also has some arthritis and his legs are swelling, but I can,t do much about it because of the foot!
I do feel for you as I let my last TB go as he had cushings and then lami, he was 22 and I could not see him having a good quality of life after this!
I suppose the best option for yours would be some sort of turnout without grass but to keep him moving!
You know your horse and if it is happy or not! Sorry not to have been much help, but I did not want you to feel nobody would answer you as I find that horrible!:(
 
If you have your own place you could look into creating a grass free tunrout with pea gravel type surfaces and then just feed with hay. It's a brilliant surface for his feet, no grass and movement for the arthritis
 
My 26 yr old had lamnitis, and arthritis. It meant that managing one condition caused the other. Common sense was to pts, which I did.

Having been there for me its an easy answer. Faffing around with special enclosures and hay only supplemented diets seemed pointless.

For my horse his happiness required 24/7 turnout with a big herd on good grass to keep him sane, happy and healthy into his latter years.

Its hard to say goodbye but once you have it is a huge relief.

Retirement isn't meant for all horses, its a nice and loving human concept which I wanted my horse to experience but if it meant he was in pain and ill then it was to be short lived.
 
I have just made the decision on my elderly mare. She is only 24 but has melanomas in her head, down her throat and in her bottom. She struggled last winter eating the haylage, the cold and was very depressed. I have had vet out and decided to make the decision before another long, cold winter hits us. I feel better now a date has been booked. The vet said , better a week too early than a day too late. Its the last thing we can do for our horses, pts sleep when they are still enjoying life, not suffering.
I totalky understand what youbare going through. I have had my mare 20 years and love her to pieces, the world will be a sadder placd when she is not with me but she is such a proud horse, always in the ribbons, competed to foxhunter and loved the limelight. Retirement has not been a happy time for her, i need to be strong for her. Not looking forward to it though! X
 
Sorry just seen this, if lami has flared up again is there a compromise? Smaller paddock/less hay/grazing muzzle. I've just had my old boy put down as he had arthritis of the spine. Was struggling to get up so was right decision before winter although not an easy one. If you think he can cope the winter with lami being less of a risk and what vet recommends then go for it. Of your worried his arthritis is going to be too bad make the decision. I echo the better a week too soon than a day too late. My boy went peacefully with the sun on his back and pain free. I couldn't bear the thought of finding him unable to get up in the winter maybe having been down all night in mud etc : (
 
I think that talking through his problems with the Vet will help you decide as you can go over all the options. I personally feel that if a horse is no longer able to enjoy being a horse, then it's time to say goodbye. Whether or not your horse is at that stage yet, you will need to decide.

I really feel for you as it's a heartbreaking decision to make, but when the time comes it's the right one.
 
Thank you for your replies Im grateful and I apologise for my second post- I was upset and wanted someone to talk too I guess. My family all dislike this horse and don't really care. Well obviously they care about me and want to help but when your not emotionally attached to a horse its different.

Well the vet came out and gave him his boosters then we ran blood tests for cushings which sadly come back today as positive. Im actually really stunned at this result. Stunned and upset.
The reality of the situation is although ive not discussed anything yet with my vet that my horse isn't happy, he's in pain and I keep thinking "he'll be ok once I get this bit or that bit sorted" but he's just not himself anymore. He's quiet and easy which although sounds lovely just isn't him.
I am going to speak to the vet this afternoon, he's calling me back as I was at work when he rang and he had a bad line. but in my head I think a decision has been made. Im going to get loads of bute and just dose him up for now so he can have a pain free time.
Why is life so unfair at times.
 
poiuytrewq said:
I am going to speak to the vet this afternoon, he's calling me back as I was at work when he rang and he had a bad line. but in my head I think a decision has been made. Im going to get loads of bute and just dose him up for now so he can have a pain free time.
Why is life so unfair at times.
Click to expand...

Sounds very sensible.

Hugs.
 
So sorry you are going through this. My horse was also diagnosed with cushings yesterday so I know some of what you are feeling. I was really not expecting it to come back positive either
 
OP why not have a chat to Wagtail. Her horse has cushings and it also has had repeated bouts of lami. I gave her some advice re using chaste berry powder as there was a letter in the BHS magazine a couple of months ago from a lady with a pony with cushings. instead of Pergolide she gave the pony chaste berry and she said that it transformed the pony. She had it re blood tested several months later and the blood levels were normal. Chaste Berry is a hormone regulatior - often used on rigs and mares. It is cheap at around a tenner for a kg and I use it on my cushings pony ( I suspect he has it and have not had bloods run). Wagtail recently reported that she believed that the chaste berry made the lami bout her horse was suffering disappear. It's worth a try. Maybe call the BHS and ask if you can purchase a copy of that members magazine issue. It wasn't the last one but the one before I believe around May/June.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VITEX-AGN...t=UK_Horse_Wear_Equipment&hash=item4170c9b532
 
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Just wanted to say how hard it is but when they sort of stop being themselves it is probally time, you know him best.
You are being sensible best wishes to you at what is a very difficult time.
 
YasandCrystal. Thank you. If this was the horses only problem id jump at absolutely any chance I could give him but in truth he's spent much of the last 6 years on box rest or off injured for one thing or another and I always try to keep him going. This time I just think we have both had enough. I cant continue trying to make him happy and failing because its doing neither of us any good.
I also have to think whats next, because I know with certainty this wont be the last of his problems. I also worry his feet are making his back bad again.
Thank you so much tho'
 
Sending you good vibes OP - it's a very hard decision, but you know your horse and it is a decision always made with love for the animal in my opinion. The hardest is so often the kindest.
 
I so know how you are feeling, my 30 year old mare has had cushings for around 12-18 months i think, not had it diagnosed but its fairly obvious she's got it, she's obviously a little stiff at 30, but she's lost so much muscle mass this last winter and this summer she's looking very lean, so i've also made the decision not to let her struggle through the winter, just have to bring myself to speak to the vets to organise :( thats the hardest bit, i know in my own mind i've got to do it but having done it once before for my little shetland (he too had cushings / lami) i know how hard it is.

I had the farrier to trim them all yesterday and my mares 22 year old son was struggling a little with picking and holding his legs up to be trimmed, he nearly sat down at one point :( he's normally been fine but has known OCD issues with his knees and also looks to be starting with cushings. Why do they have to get old :( !

Dont worry about blubbing, it shows you care, I'm sat here with tears streaming down too, its a horrible experience to have to go through, but from having done it once before you do come out the other side, eventually, you just have to keep thinking of the good times you had together, and the bad ones but laugh at those !

I hope you make the right decision for you both, and dont beat yourself up about it, you are doing your horse the one last kindness you can - my thoughts are with you
 
It is a hard hard decision and one only you can make with your heart and head. i made that decision recently and my baby was just 14. Be strong but allow yourself your tears you are a human and you care and love your horse. In my heart and thoughts x x
 
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