When is enough enough?

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sodslaw

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Hi.
I have reached the end of a very long tether. I bought a horse 3yrs ago, who, within 3 months of having him has been diagnosed with Kissing Spines. I followed the vet treatment (cortisone injections) and we did the rehab, things started to get better. Over the next 3yrs we basically kept rebuilding, schooling and getting ready to compete. I was pregnant thru our 2nd summer together so didn't compete then. This year everything looked set for us to have some fun.... an then it all went pear shaped. First horsey started losing his balance in the trailer... more rehab, but I had to travel with him. His back gradually started deteriorating despite our work not really having changed. Within a matter of weeks he went from not being forward in canter, to refusing to trot on after a rein back to simply not want to walk if any degree of lateral work is asked. The ridden symptoms goes on, so I won't bore you. In the stable he would sweat up under even light rugs and he is obviously in pain when you touch his back (and today his neck!) and SI. I've had the vet (who again injected the back) 2/3 times had the chiro twice and apart from a few better days initially he seems to be getting worse. He is 14yrs and to be honest, I cannot afford to throw more money at the vet to try and figure it all out! I cannot retire him as he would be in agony with his back if left with nothing to stimulate the muscles and he is not too nice to his field companions, so not even a rehome as companion. My last option: PTS:( I have tried everything. Is it fair to let him go on when he is obviously in pain?
 
sodslaw

I'm really sorry for you, but you know when enough is enough - if he is in pain, and he is not going to get better, then there is only one thing a responsible owner can do :(

I had a beautiful 10yo PTS earlier this year, I knew I didn't have any other option, but it was a difficult decision. I had only had him 2 years, and for a year of that he was injured. I had to do what was best for him and what was best for me. It was horrible at the time and for the following few weeks, but I am sure that I made the right decision, and he is in a better place now. It's been 3 months and I am now able to talk about him without dissolving into tears, so it does get better.

Good luck and hugs (())
 
PS mine also was no good as a field ornament - he was very high maintenance, couldn't be turned out with other horses, was "difficult" to handle (not when he was in work, only once he was injured), there was only one decision to be made.n Sounds harsh I know, but I had considered all the options.
 
Im in a similar position :( I'm devestated and feel like I have failed my girl. I don't think my girl is in as much pain as yours, it reads like he is in a lot of pain but it is hard to gage from text. If he is hurting that much then I would have thought bute would be a good option to keep him comfortable, it may not be a long term solution but I am a believer that if a horse can't be a horse without being in pain then there isn't many options.

I won't tell anyone it's time to call it a day same as I would never question anyone that has ever had the bravery to make the decision.

Is he in regular work? Is he shod well? What does your vet say?
 
As a course of action for your own piece of mind you could consult a decent vet. My girl is uninsured due to previous history but I have booked us in at our vets for a couple of weeks time. I am taking all our old scans etc will do a mini work up and see what we find. I will then take their advice as to what to do... I want to feel I can take comfort in the fact I did all i could as I know it's going to cripple me.

I feel for you xx
 
sodslaw said:
Is it fair to let him go on when he is obviously in pain?
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IMHO, yes, it is fair and very possibly the best decision for the horse. You have done a lot more for him than many people would and given him a fighting chance. He sounds like an unhappy little horse from what you have said :(

Big hugs whatever you decide, you obviously have his best interests at heart :)
 
Hi
My insurance won't pay out for his back anymore as we exceede our time limit. So I am carrying this cost on my own and it is crippling me, which is a constant worry. Horse is shod only in front as he didn't need hind shoes when he was doing very little. He is in as much work as I can give him AND I have drafted in help with the other horse, so I can focus all my attention on this one. My vet seems very knowledgeable. He is with a practise that specialises in competition horses and had his own practise in Spain where he seems to work with a lot of dressage horses. We have re-done the back X-rays last week, but found no significant changes. He then injected his back ans SI joint as well as doing mesotherapy. That alone is going to cost nearly £800!! Vet is no on about looking at the rear suspensory ligaments... but I simply cannot afford another course of treatment. (This is not even counting the £300 of the previous bill for steriods!) And today, after lunging, my horse's neck (brachiocephalic muscles) are really sore too. If it is suspensory ligaments then he will probably need boxrest, which will in any case kill his back... This has been going on for weeks now and it is really getting me down. I have always been around horses and can't breath if I can't ride, so I need to keep a few pennies in my kitty to replace him if worse comes to worst. Thanks for you thoughts.
 
These horses that have a complicated history and sometimes multiple sources of discomfort seem to almost be on a downward spiral as they compensate the pain in one area causing problems somewhere else.
You have done what you can and the chances are that each time one place is fixed another will show up, they are all connected to some degree and it sounds as if pts may be the kindest thing to do.
 
If he has deteriorated to the point where he is in that much pain I would be seriously thinking pts for his sake. It could possibly be suspensory problems, but if the treatment will make his back worse its putting him in a no win situation :(
I would talk to the vet with all that you have said above and ask for his honest opinion as to the outcome.
 
where are you based? I had a dreadful time with my horse with chronic SI dysfunction. I sent him to a brilliant holistic vet - she is osteopath and acupuncture trained also - she assesses every horse to get to the cause of the problem and many vets don#t do this. My bill for sending him to her with daily treatment for over 2 weeks was under £350.

Worth a try if you are anywhere near Newmarket. Her name is Donna Blinman and absolutely brilliant
 
I think if he was my horse I would PTS you've given him a really good chance and he's been through a lot. I think it would be cruel to keep on with him if he's in pain all the time then thats no quality of life for him. :( Good luck with whatever you decide but you know him better than anyone and know what is best for him.
 
I had my 10 year old boy PTS just over 2 weeks ago, I had only owned him for 10 months and he went lame weeks after buying him. He had Ringbone of both coffin joints. I had injections done twice to no effect. He was always lame in trot and even on 2 bute a day didn't come sound. In the end he couldn't even walk from the field so my decision was easy because I could not see my boy in so much pain and he was clearly unhappy. I had 6 months of my insurance left to run but my vet made no suggestion to carry on treatment. Rather a day too soon than a minute too late. Hugs to you and do what's best for your horse xx
 
I really feel for you, I had my horse PTS 4 weeks ago for very similar reasons to you. He had been lame since November of last year and was found to have KS. He had surgery in March of this year to remove 5 Dorsal Processes and after a very long rehab I finally managed to get back on board around the end of September. Unfortunately within 3 weeks he was lame again on both fronts, Navicular and his right hind, Higher Suspensory desmitis which had been found a year previously. He, like your horse would never be a field ornament, he was always bad tempered and obviously in pain, a horse that only his mum could love. With the help of my vet the decision was made to PTS, the hind needed box rest, the fronts needed remedial shoeing again and the back needed working. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. Questions I asked myself, could he retire, no, could he go to a new home as ahappy hacker, probably not and I couldn't guarentee a forever home, was he in constant pain, definately yes. Although it was the most awful time, when the day came for him to go, it felt like a weight was lifted, I don't regret the decision in fact, I feel like I did the kindest thing that I could for my best friend in the world, and because I had tried everything I could to help him I do not feel guilty, sad, yes, but know in my heart of hearts that my best friend was no longer suffering and is as we speak galloping freely without pain in the paddock in the sky. All the best, the decision is yours and yours alone, no one will judge you for doing what you think is best for your boy.
 
I am in a similar position with mine, he was treated for SI issues and after lengthy rehab was working well. He then went badly lame and has been diagnosed with DJD in both hinds. He has the added problem in that he has low bone density and the hocks which have nearly fused are being crushed. He has been treated with Tildren and my vets feels we shoud try one more treatment. I am aware that I will have a hard decision to make soon. My boy like yours is not happy in the field and for the safety of my other one is turned out on his own.

You are the only one who can make decision as you know your horse best.
 
Hi all
Thank you so much for all your replies. It is kinda comforting to know that I am not alone in this. It is suc a hard decision to make. I lost my old horse only 3yrs ago, so it feels really soon to have to go through this again! I will chat to my vet again. I have the added complication that I am keeping my 2horses at home (normally that is a good thing!) but if things come to the worst I will have to find livery for the other boy in the mean time.

Thank you for all your kind wishes, I really appreciate the response.
xxx
 
Sorry about your situation but I just wanted to check where are you and who is your Spanish vet? If it were one I've had experience of I'd say try another vet!!
 
We had a horse on loan for a while with inoperable kissing spines. What did it for us was when we gave him a high dose of bute for a few days. He transformed from this grumpy unpredicatable horse who would explode violently if he caught himself 'wrongly' into the sweetest, easiest, gentle creature - heartbreaking. That was the horse that he should have been.

Unfortunately he wasn't our horse so the decision wasn't ours to make. His owner wanted him working regardless so we had to send him back.

You have my best wishes xxxxxx

ps Hind limb problems often go hand in hand with kissing spines.
 
cm2581 said:
Sorry about your situation but I just wanted to check where are you and who is your Spanish vet? If it were one I've had experience of I'd say try another vet!!
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Hi. I am in Hampshire on the Surrey/hampshire border. Where are you? You can pm me if we seem to be in the same area.
 
Not in the same area but I had to check as I had massive problems with a seemingly very knowledgable Spanish vet. I'm in Scotland so not the same one! Best of luck with whatever you decide.
 
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