When is enough, enough?

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hmeikle

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Hello, (sorry its a bit long!)

I have a dilema and would be very grateful for some advice!

My boy (16ish 17hand, Irish Draught X) has been semi-retired due to having a variety of problems. He has arthritis in his hocks, sidebone and ringbone in his front two.

He was on and off lame for over 8 months due to all of the above and then the vet put him on 2 bute per day and said that he could be lightly hacked and should be put out on grass livery (there is a big shelter in the field) so that he doesn't stiffen up at night.

He came right time and again and things keep happening. first he went lame with a suspected tendon injury which luckily (after many vet visits!) cleared up in a few weeks. Then he goes a little off but comes right in a few days. Now today he was taken out for a hack by a friend of mine and whilst totally fine in walk he went lame in trot (she brought him straight home). He is now hopping lame and on box rest in the yard.

I guess my question is what should I do? My ideal is to have him living out and hacking round the common once/twice a week as he loves to go out. However, I think that I should just accept that he shouldn't be ridden now and keep him out. BUT with him going lame on and off is it fair to do this.

The last thing I want is for him to be in pain all the time and if he's still going lame whilst on 2 bute a day I dread to think how bad it really is!

Would it be kinder to put him to sleep? If so what is the process - does the vet have to come and say this is the best for him? Or what? Sorry I've never had a horse that I've had to put down before so have no idea!

I really want to just keep him in the field but would welcome peoples opinions as don't want him to have any undue suffering.......

thanks.
 
The answer is in your hands only. what do you think you should do for him?. you could turn him out on bute daily for a couple of months and see how it goes, but sorry it still comes back to you and I wish you the best.
 
Being harsh about this (sorry if it offends)

but i point blank refuse to keep any animal alive if its suffering/in pain. Animals have no concept of tomorwo and its only our guilt that keeps them going.

I would also never keep a horse as a lawnmower. Been there, never again.

Only you know the answer about your horse.
 
Is he still on the bute? If he is & is still showing signs of lameness, then it is indeed time to call it a day. If he isn't, & all you really want is for him to be sound enough to enjoy life in the field get him back on it, & forget about even light hacking. Long term use of bute can cause other problems, but to be honest in this situation that isn't really an issue.
I would think that if you were to ask your vet to put him to sleep that he would have no concerns about doing so given the history that you have posted above. On a personal level I certainly wouldn't try to change anyones mind had they made that decision in similars circumstances to your own.
Hope that helps.
 
I had a mare that had been virtually retired since age 12 because of completely unrelated issues, (she lived for most of that time on our land). Aged 24 she was on 2x bute daily and still hopping lame, as a last resort, literally, I got some magnet boots. They worked like magic. She wore them overnight (12 hrs) in the stable, went into field for 12 hrs and then TROTTED back in for her tea. She got so that she would give me her foot to have the boots put on, as though she knew that they were helping her. Unfortunately she died of a stroke about 3 months after getting the boots, which I don't think was related to her previous problems.
 
Sorry im going to be harsh.

Personally I wouldnt keep a horse on daily bute I had a 9 year old cob with arthritis in hes hocks and i had him on daily bute doing light exercise and it didnt pay off all i done was mask the problem and let it get worse. He ended up with stress induced colic and being pts because we couldnt see how bad his arthritis was and the pain he was in because all the vets would say is up the bute and he was our first pony and we didnt really know any different we just went with what the vet said.

If he was mine i would be considering having him pts I know its very easy for me to sit at the computer and say that but after seeing my pony the way he was I feel very strongly on this subject.
 
Thank you for all your replies. He is still on bute (and lame) so will talk to the vet tomorrow and see what he says.

Thank you!
 
Honey08 said:
At this point I would discuss it with my vet to see what the prognosis is... Then make up my mind. xx
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the horse is arthritic! arthritis doesnt get better its degenrative! imo when its at daily bute stage its game over.

sorry i dont want to offend anyone but i have kept a pony going and regret it now!
 
I have a horse that is on one bute daily most of the time. Sometimes none, occasionally two, but most usually one.

He has arthritus. He is 29. He gallops around his field, drags me there every morning, especially if I'm a bit late.....

He hacks out once a week or fortnight and canters at other horses walking pace (no way of stopping this.....)

We don;t trot, we don;t ride on the road and we don't do anythign at all if the ground is hard. Although he still gallops round the field.

Vet has adviosed to keep riding him once a week as it helps with stiffness and keeps him happy (or stops him being grumpy, whichever)

So I think its difficult to say that keeping a horse on bute is wrong. It depends on the cirs.

I will say the magnetic boots are a help. As are turnout socks inthe winter.

Maybe two bute a day and still on off lame at 16 is a worse case than mine.

I think you are right to speak to the vet, they are best placed. My vet WILL tell me when she thinks it time......
 
Thanks potty for the blunt retort. I had worked out that it is degenerative!! I meant the vet would say if he thought that the horse was suffering too much or not... Good luck HM...x
 
yes honey but when the horse is 16 years old and on 2 bute a day and still lame people saying oh never mind there there doesnt really help i would rather people be blunt and say it how it is than pussy foot around me.

I know its hard making decisions about what is best for the horse i had my 25 year old pts last month. I also know a pony that should of been pts a long time ago through lameness but he's owner just didnt want to hear or accept it now she has accepted it he is being pts very soon.

My mum stood on the yard looking at my old boy towards the end of the winter and said to me take the sh!t out of your eye and look at him! I knew he didnt winter well but it wasnt until I was told bluntly I really saw what other people saw! This is why im blunt in what i say. When i saw what other people was seeing i done something about it and he picked up lovely and him being pts wasnt anything to do with how he was over the winter he got colic.

Hm asked for peoples opinions and experirences this is what i have given.
 
I had a 9yo on daily bute for a couple of years, but he's now off it as it started causing digestive problems. I've decided to PTS in sept/oct before the ground gets bad again. He was still sometimes lame, but very happy and still galloping around the field and bucking. It's a personal decision that only you can make based on his quality of life. Maybe he will be more consistantly sound if you stop riding? It does sound like he is getting towards the end bless him.

You don't need the vets input to PTS, although his/her opinion can be helpful as you said. The 3 main decisions you then have to make are:

1-Which method to use.

As a veterinary nurse, I've helped with horses being shot and injected and believe there are pros and cons to each. Personally, I believe shooting is very slightly better for the horse in most circumstances and is certainly more consistant as injecting can vary from horse to horse. Having said that, if you want to stay with him it might be better to go for injecting.

2-Disposal.

Talk through the options with whoever's doing it.

3-If you are going to be there or not.

Lots of people say you should, but I don't. I say goodbye and leave them with a good friend to supervise. I can't see how me being there will help. As I said, I get mine shot and I don't want that as my last memory of my horse. I certainly don't want to see them winched into a trailer.

If you get them shot, shop around. When I had my pony done a month ago, the prices I got varied from £80-£200. Sorry, this isn't very pleasant but hope it has helped answer your questions.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.
 
Don't do anything too hasty. I have a retired 15 year old with knee arthritis and last October he went very lame in the field.

I was convinced this was the end and that it was all to do with his knee deteriorating, but it was actually pus in the foot (yippee!!!)

You are bound to think that this recent lameness is due to his existing problems, but if I were you I would definitely get him checked by the vet/farrier before making any irrevocable decision.
 
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