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Post by evs not logged in on Nov 27, 2014 16:33:53 GMT
My old boy, 25 yrs developed a slight cough followed on by snotty nose, then infection, he has been treated with bute and penicillin but this is just really for welfare atm for the past 3 days to make him more comfortable, the vet is back tomorrow once get swab results and to see if improving and we then have to decide if he should go to the Royal willy vet to investigate what is causing it. The penicillin has cleared the infection - there is now no smell in the discharge however as vet has said its likely infection is secondary to something worse further down his respiatory system, so now I know that this is likely as he still has discharge from his nostrils. He is a stallion and has been with us 12 years, he has started to show his age the last year or two but always been happy until recently, he has been a little distressed being stabled the last few days (he is usually out where he is most happy unless we have a bad bad winter, rugged up, fed and with access to field shelter) although settled a little more now however the main reason I post is I am in a dillema that he is going to be extremely distressed to be transported to the vet school and then stressed whilst there (he hasn't left home since I got him 12 years ago), then from what I can gather he is likely to be pts there as I have a feeling its likely tumour/s in his lungs. Should I put him through this incase they say they can do something? Or do I have him pts at home without going further with finding out what it is - my vet cannot investigate the cause at my stables and he must be taken to vet school for this. I don't even know if he'd survive the journey tbh but I would hate to have him pts if its something simple, although from the look of things (bloody discharge) temp, dropped weight its not looking simple. Vet says he is in great condition for age but do you put a 25 yr old entire through stress incase it keeps him going, for a few more years? Want to know what is best for him and his own well being, ultimately I will do what vet says is best however I know my boy and I know if we do decide to go to willy vet he will become distressed, which I can cope with as long as it ultimately doesn't make the end of his days on earth hellish
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Post by judyh on Nov 27, 2014 17:58:48 GMT
Sorry but at 25 I would not put him through it. I have always said I would rather PTS once any sign of loss of quality of life shows than keep them going for my sake. You know your horse and it seems to me you really feel it would be kinder to say goodbye now rather than get him stressed and have him suffer. My vet is brilliant and would tell me straight not to carry on.
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Post by maxandpaddy on Nov 27, 2014 18:04:47 GMT
My heart goes out to you but I agree with the above, I wouldnt take the risk that his last days were stressful and away from his home
You'd never forgive yourself, I know I wouldnt. Surely its kinder to follow your heart and know his ending was with you where hes happy
Big hug xxxx
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Post by brindlerainbow on Nov 27, 2014 19:13:32 GMT
Kindest thing to PTS, no point in distressing him with a journey to an unknown place. His last few weeks/days should be stress free and happy. When you know it's time to say goodbye it it very hard but in your heart you know it must be done
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Post by gillwales on Nov 27, 2014 20:16:10 GMT
I agree with the other members, quality of life over quantity, I would not put an elderly pony through something that would distress him even if the outcome was a certainty. In the past I have allowed my heart to rule my head and was the one thing I really regretted.
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Post by eskvalleystud on Nov 27, 2014 21:34:39 GMT
Thank you all for your input. It has assured me that I was making the right decision of keeping him here and pts here. I felt sick to pit of my stomach that William would trust me entirely if I took him to vet school then be subject to unpleasant investigations to find out what's wrong. It's hard enough to take a younger one there and they become stressed out but he is such a gentleman he would not protest to anything but become stressed out, poor soul has been a pin cushion with me injecting him and not once complained. He is too precious to suffer and I feel taking him there he would. Thank you, it's breaking my heart but know it's best to call it a day before quality of life is compromised I think he's told us enough is enough x
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Post by maxandpaddy on Nov 27, 2014 21:40:21 GMT
I'm all tearful now, but you're doing the right thing by him which is what matters xxxxxxx
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lovebird
Full Member
SandbankEarlybird & Freya, Evening Performance HOYS 2013
Posts: 348
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Post by lovebird on Nov 27, 2014 21:58:25 GMT
My old girl is 27, been with me since weaning, she would have stay at home, where she is happy, and loved.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2014 22:27:47 GMT
You have my deepest sympathy. I lost our 28 yo lad in july. We decided to let him go before he went down and couldn't get up. Surrounded by loved ones. Heartbreaking but for the best. Sending love from here xxx
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Post by gilbertgrape on Nov 27, 2014 23:25:09 GMT
You have wisely thought through this dilemma but everyone has said just leave him at home and say your good byes there.Its very quick and gentle in my experience.You will feel guilty at the time but you will soon accept it was completely right. Winter is a miserable time for a sick horse.x
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Post by thatboythatgirl on Nov 28, 2014 11:39:17 GMT
We had our 20yr old pony operated on earlier this year as other than his penile cancer he was perfectly healthy, he made it through the op 5 days after had a seizure and died in the vets arms. As heartbreaking at is to make that call our much loved pony died away from home without anyone around he knew we didnt get our final goodbye and it's a horribleto not to have a had our goodbye. Its been 5 months and when I think about it I still cry my eyes out.
Do it a home let him know he was loved and its all for the best and don't feel guilty for doing the right thing, you'd feel worse if he went away and never came home
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Post by dizzydora on Nov 28, 2014 12:14:37 GMT
Thank you all for your input. It has assured me that I was making the right decision of keeping him here and pts here. I felt sick to pit of my stomach that William would trust me entirely if I took him to vet school then be subject to unpleasant investigations to find out what's wrong. It's hard enough to take a younger one there and they become stressed out but he is such a gentleman he would not protest to anything but become stressed out, poor soul has been a pin cushion with me injecting him and not once complained. He is too precious to suffer and I feel taking him there he would. Thank you, it's breaking my heart but know it's best to call it a day before quality of life is compromised I think he's told us enough is enough x OMG I didn't realise this was William, I'm so so sorry to hear this. I used to loan William in his younger days and he was the best behaved stallion I have ever come across and such a lovely boy. It was only the other day I was thinking about him and wondered how he was. You know what's best for the little man as hard as it will be. My thoughts are with you all. Give him a big kiss from me. Claire xx
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Post by viking on Nov 28, 2014 13:52:24 GMT
It sounds as if he has been a good servant and friend. He deserves the best, and that is to go into his long sleep at home, unstressed.
A sad time for you. Sympathy.
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Post by eskvalleystud on Nov 28, 2014 18:18:29 GMT
HELP! My vet wants to refer him to royal d.ck vet school just incase it's a bit of something stuck in windpipe although she and vet she spoke to there think it's probably something more sinister/terminal. She doesn't want to put him down without being totally sure however if they think it's something more sinister he will have gone through sedation, endoscope and travel (albeit we are 15 mins away) to be brought home to be pts. She thinks if it was to be something lodged and they successfully remove he's still got good amount of years ahead. Can't think from his field there is anything that would do that bar some docks. Should I take him incase it is this? How old do you keep them going to? If I refuse to take him is this selfish incase it's a simple thing as lodged item somewhere? This is so hard and think it's cause of his age mainly then being entire for the stress
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Post by judyh on Nov 28, 2014 18:46:22 GMT
No, it's not selfish. It's your decision not your vet's , when I had a 25 year old mare PTS I had to call the vet 3 days in succession and on the third occasion I insisted they brought the humane killer. It was 6 o'clock on a Saturday night. I knew the mare as I'd had her from a 3 year old , they ran me up a big bill when I knew all along what was needed. I would never let it happen again a 25 year old horse has had a good life and deserves not to be made to suffer in any way at the end.
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Post by ponymum on Nov 28, 2014 19:28:04 GMT
I would keep him home and let him go with his dignity intact x He will be calm and be somewhere he recognises....god bless , not a decision you ever want to make , but we are here to look after them to the best of our ability ..xx
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Post by m1hht on Nov 28, 2014 21:22:11 GMT
Due to his age and not being happy travelling, could you not speak to the referred vet at Royal Vet school to see if they can do any sort of investigation at yours seeing as you are so close xx
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Post by Deri on Dec 3, 2014 11:46:21 GMT
My old chaser was 36. He had nasal discharge and treated with antibiotics (he hated them!!!!) it turned out to be his tooth abscess. The vet decided that at 36 they were not happy about sedation to rectify the tooth problem. That was fine by me as it cleared . He looked fab and other than turning very grey he didn't look his age. Two months later I could see he wasn't happy, nothing I could put my finger on, he was eating, he wasn't completely sound but had arthritis as expected. On 24th October he didn't look himself, nothing I could put my finger on but just "that look"! So I called the vet and he is now buried next to his pal who he lost in July. Just remember, better a day to early than a day to late.
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Post by gillwales on Dec 3, 2014 18:00:59 GMT
Vets really annoy me when they put owners through this sort of mental stress, it is your call and they have no right to question you. I had my old lady lab who was not right and I could see in her eyes it was the time, the vet that came out said that she had only had a heart attack and put me through a guilt trip by saying would I put a human down for having a heart attack, we kept her going for 3 days, she stopped eating, lost her dignity and was in obvious distress, the vet came out again by which time she had a nasty discharge he said oh well she would not recover from that infection and put her down. Cinders was my dearest friend and companion, to say I hate that man , in it's true sense would be an understatement and I would never allow a vet to do that again. I would call in your local hunt and give your lad the dignity and love he deserves. My heart goes out to you and could happily smack your vet for you xx
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Dec 3, 2014 18:15:58 GMT
I must admit I've never had this from equine or dog vets. Maybe I'm just a stroppy old bat but they've always respected my decision. I do normally get the hunt when I've made my decision though for the ponies rather than the vet unless the animal was under their care. Dog vets are lovely, happy to put the dogs down in the back of my car rather than subject them to the surgery.
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Post by brindlerainbow on Dec 3, 2014 19:35:59 GMT
My vets are very good, I use 2 different practices, one for the ponies and one for the dogs. Both have always respected my decisions. Dog vet always comes to the house to PTS my boxers. For the ponies I use the knacker man who is on fact a lovely lady, very kind and sympathetic. I don't use the kennels for the simple reason that you can't sedate if they are going to the hounds.Having had a mare who reacted badly to having the bolt put to her head by a strange man even though she did have her head in a bucket of feed is not something I would ever want to go through again so now if I have one that I think might be upset by whats going to happen then I just give some sedalin before hand to relax them.
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Post by catkin on Dec 3, 2014 20:43:45 GMT
Poor you. You must do what you think is right. You will have to live with your conscience. I had two old mares put down a couple of weeks ago. One was lame but well and in her 20s. The other, again in her 20s, was sound but lacking enough useful teeth. I probably could have nurtured both at huge expense to continue living for a while longer, but made the decision to put them down before they were in a bad state. It was a horrible thing to do but I feel more content now that the deed is done. Good luck with whatever you decide.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Dec 3, 2014 22:06:34 GMT
I have never sedated before the bolt and never felt any need to. The people I've used have always been very kind with the horses and rubbed them between the eyes, put the gun up and down etc until they took no notice of it, and mine are handled enough not to need much if any of that anyway - they don't know what it is.
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Post by brindlerainbow on Dec 4, 2014 9:49:27 GMT
I have a gelding who im keeping a close eye on, when his time comes he won't need sedating, he's a quiet laid back boy. It depends on the individual horse. My 16hh TB mare who had been in racing and was obviously looked after by someone who was a bit handy with their hands was very mistrusting of strangers around her head, sedating her made it less stressful for her. My RP mare who came from a well known stud had run in a herd and was virtually unhandled by the time she was sold as a 9 yr old. I had her for 3 years before she was PTS, I could do anything with her but she was a wary mare around people she didn't know or situations that she hadn't encountered before, so again sedating her was in her best interests. Every horse is individual and what might be acceptable for one may not be acceptable for another.
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Post by evs not logged in on Dec 5, 2014 16:54:26 GMT
Well against my better judgement and also Williams as he really didn't want to leave home, I took him to the willy vet for the endoscope, however they said they would do xrays first....this showed cloudy areas on his right lung, then they did ultra sound which again showed the same but not clear to say what, then he got the endoscope, I could see the tumour in his rh lung, by that time we had been about 2 hrs and that is when the vet said this was decision time, I knew it was going to be this outcome but I burst out crying anyway. I had put him through all this and he was going to be pts. I guess what the issue was is he looked exceptionally good for a rising 26 year old stallion and there was a slim chance it was bacterial infection in his lungs, I did think, knowing my boy, it was something more sinister. He was pts at the vet school on Tuesday at 1.20pm, I cried my eyes out. John Keen the vet was very understanding and I was given time away in a quiet box with William, I took a part of his forlock to keep forever, I gave him his favourite treat of extra strong mints - he got packets, then we took him to the box and he went quietly, I was there with him all the time and I got time to kiss him goodbye when he went down. I do feel gutted I wasn't able to have him done at home however he went peacefully and because I was with him all the time at willy vet bar when they took the xrays, he was comforted by my presence. He truely was an exceptional gent to the end and I miss him like crazy. I do not think I have ever met such a well mannered, kind natured pony like him. Thank you for your kind words and advise.
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Post by gillwales on Dec 5, 2014 16:59:41 GMT
so sorry xx
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Post by brindlerainbow on Dec 5, 2014 17:06:19 GMT
Sad news
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Post by catkin on Dec 5, 2014 17:52:25 GMT
I am very sorry to hear this. But you can at least be confident that you did all you could.
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Post by Louise Dixon on Dec 6, 2014 18:52:56 GMT
Very sorry to hear this, you did your best for him.
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