Euthanasia in the old horse

[4horses]

My 28 year old mare has fairly advanced degenerative ligament disease in both hind legs. I am thinking of making that tough decision of saying goodbye. She’s losing muscle down her topline, is getting rainrot which is a constant battle, and has been on pain medications for years now. Despite all this, her appetite is good. She eats everything you give her and still runs out the gate (which has been a lifelong habit). But stands resting one hind leg which has more pain, and walks very crooked on that leg. Now has even more swelling in the tendon area and in her hocks.

I could probably keep her going longer. She doesn’t seem miserable, but I worry about something happening to her and requiring an emergency euthanasia. And her disease is ever so slowly advancing. Her mind is just as aware and bright as ever, but her body is slowly failing.

My vet said she trusts my decision… The problem is I don’t trust myself to make the right decision. Part of me thinks it isn’t wrong to say goodbye now… Part of me thinks I could probably delay this decision for a couple more months. But I don’t think it will be any easier for me in a couple months and as time goes on, the risks of something happening go up.

Every time I have euthanized an animal, it has always been obvious… Cancer or severe colic, or stroke. This isn’t so obvious. She has been my horse since I was a child. 21 years.

She has that thoroughbred attitude… Would probably still be walking around like she was fine even if she broke a leg. She was fence fighting my other horse the other day- probably why she has even more swelling in that leg, if she kicked the fence.

[barnesthenoble]

I have never, ever regretted letting an animal go “too soon.” I am haunted by the ones that I, or people I knew, let go on too long.

Better a month too soon than a moment too late. Animals don’t have any concept of the future; they only understand the here and now. It sounds like she has lived a good life, and still has a reasonable quality of life–which is gradually and expectedly deteriorating.

If she were mine, I would load her up on pain meds for the next couple weeks, pick a day, spoil her rotten, and let her go.

I’m so sorry you’re in this position. The burden of loving and being loved by these wonderful animals is so great, but a peaceful and painless end is truly the greatest gift we can give them. Sending you healing thoughts and jingles.

[mvp]

I think you are right to not wait until it’s an emergency, like she can’t get up. So does she get up and down, choose to roll and sleep lying down regularly? Also, if the next season to come is hard, I’d give her one last great “good season” and put her down before the shitty one.

The first horse I euthanized I kept going via joint injections (to do nothing but be pasture sound) and, in the last 30 days of his life, daily bute and/or Previcox. I did choose to give him one last good summer. I asked my vet for his opinion a few times during this horse’s decline and he always said “I’ve seen people put them down for less suffering and I’ve seen people put them down for more suffering.”

I made the decision, the plans, I took care of him personally every day and I was there when he died. I did everything right and, meh… if I could do it again, I’d have done it sooner. It’s a very big deal to take the life of an animal you love. But, in retrospect and having lived through doing that, I’d spare them even less suffering than what my first oldster horse got. And his weight and attitude seemed great at the end. He was certainly lame, but he didn’t feel sorry for himself. But it was my job to protect him from that state where his body felt bad enough that he finally started to care how lame he was.

If the euthanasia is done well and they don’t see death coming, what’s the point in having them walking around in a pretty lame state? To be more specific, I think that if I had a horse get to the point that he/she was living on pain killers just to be pasture sound, I’d call it. And “pasture sound” means they can lie down, travel at all three gaits. It does not merely mean that they hold weight.

Good luck to you both.

[JB]

I had to make this decision last October. Rio’s mind was as sharp and active as ever, always on the lookout for food, amazing appetite.

But mobility was worsening. His gait had taken a dramatic turn for the worse. Winter was coming. Would it be muddy again? What about a big snow?

@4horses

Part of me thinks I could probably delay this decision for a couple more months. But I don’t think it will be any easier for me in a couple months and as time goes on, the risks of something happening go up.

Same. And no, it won’t be any easier, and you will be more and more miserable in the meantime because you know what’s coming.

The day I saw him hesitate - REALLY hesitate - in figuring out how to safely step over the ledge to his stall, was the day I knew.

That didn’t mean I had to make the call that day, but I did start the preparation - calling my vet, talking options, finding out cremation vs burial, and then setting the day. The weather was amazing, and I got to give him really good deep-cleansing baths which he always loved His tail was squeaky clean by the end

I will always be grateful that we did this on good terms, not some horrific fall or worse.

I had him 22 years, plus a week or 2, purchased as a weanling.

I think you know the answer here It sucks. The days and hours and minutes leading to it sucks.

And when it’s done, no matter what you do with her, you will be SO SAD, but also so relieved that she’s not in pain and compromised any more, which is so, so stressful for a prey animal.

I’m facing this point again with my 31. It’s going to mean that good cushy hoof boots have to really help him, or I’ll be down another horse before Winter.

[cornfed]

We just put my horse down from founder. I knew it was going to get her eventually, but I figured we’d have time, even to the end of the summer when I got home from being out of state. Then, I thought, I could be the one to make the decision, and I could say goodbye. I figured I’d just know, and her prospects for the 2 months I’d be gone seemed great. She was still bright and alert, her happy self, and my dad was taking care of her and sending me videos every day of her trotting and cantering around our sand arena.

However, it turns out that we never stopped the progression of the disease, and although she wasn’t showing pain she really just was a ticking time bomb. She went from cantering to walking to dead lame on one leg in a matter of three days. There was nothing that could be done, so she was put down and I never got that chance to make the decision and never got the chance to say goodbye. I’ll go home and the only thing I’ll have is pieces of her tail and forelock. It is really, really hard.

If you go a few more months, what will the benefit be, to you and her? You know she isn’t going to get better, so do you think it would hurt you more if your hand is forced or if you are able to make that decision beforehand? If I were you, I would talk to your vet; I know she says she trusts your opinion, but I’m sure she has an opinion as well and has seen much more than any of us. Hearing it from a trusted healthcare provider might help you feel more okay with whatever decision you decide to make. I don’t think any of us are ever ready, nor is it ever easy, but I’ve always heard the phrase “pick a good day” so that your memories of her last days are happy instead of distraught.

Best of luck and hugs to you.

[phantomhorse]

IME, if letting her go has crossed your mind, there is a reason. Your gut knows but your heart is harder to convince. Better a month too soon than a day too late. Horses live in the moment, so quality over quantity.

Pick a day. Make arragements. Spoil the heck of her meanwhile, then let her go on good terms.

The final act of love is taking their pain and making it our own.

[vxf111]

This. A day too soon rather than a day too late. I’ve had to do it twice with horses. It never gets easier.

[Mango20]

I’ll be in the same boat in X number of months or years. I currently have a 27 year old who I’ve had for 25 years. She’s a little creaky but still doing well right now - pasture sound and happy. I know that could change at any moment and every day I evaluate her as she walks in, looking for signs of her going downhill. Sometimes I think I could be in this state of alert for 7 more months or 7 more years, there’s just no way of knowing.

I did once have to put down a youngish (17) year old, mostly healthy horse and that was really hard. He had gone blind and was not coping well with it at all. Other than that, he was perfectly healthy. But, he was miserable, and becoming dangerous to himself and others. I waited a little too late for a 32 year old pony. It was his second time going down and not being able to get up instead of the first time (I actually had already made the appointment for that day, but found him down in the morning). Another was a decision made for me by a shattered leg on a 24 year old. None of them were easy and it’s always hard to know when to make the call. It’s even harder with dogs for me. What would waiting a couple of months really gain you or your horse? They don’t know the difference, they’re just alive in the moment until they’re not. Good luck with your decision and emotions.

[ChocoMare]

I was where you are now back in November of 2020 with my 20 y/o OTTB gelding… sorta/kinda recovered from bad EPM.

But just like you, I KNEW that I’d rather let him go on a good day, full of every yummy he could eat, instead of on a cold, wet, muddy day when he couldn’t get up.

Your heart has already told you but here tis again: Better a day/week/month too soon, than a minute too late.

Just because you “can” keep him going, doesn’t always mean you should.

((( hugs ))))

[Lah0808]

@4horses

Every time I have euthanized an animal, it has always been obvious… Cancer or severe colic, or stroke. This isn’t so obvious. She has been my horse since I was a child. 21 years.

I posted a thread similar to yours about my old horse that I wasn’t sure about putting down. Someone said on that thread that if you wait till it’s obvious that it’s time, you waited too long. That comment has stuck with me and probably always will. It sounds like it’s time for your mare, I’m sorry, it’s always a really hard decision.

[NancyM]

It doesn’t matter to the horse, because the horse does not know about this. It only matters to you. And if it is the horse you are concerned with, then what matters to you, doesn’t matter. You are going to feel equally shitty to lose your equine friend, no matter what day you choose. All that matters is that the horse does not experience pain, fear, and suffering before leaving the planet. So if you care about avoiding this for the horse, you act accordingly.
About the worst thing that can happen is that an emergency happens, and the horse falls, fades, or terminally injures itself, and no one is available on that day, at that time, to do the job. Avoid this scenario, if you can.

[pn]

My thoughts exactly. Let her be peaceful and happy in her passing. Will make it far easier for you both

[CowgirlCoffee]

A friend of mine, who is fairly new to horses, recently picked up a 15 y/o QH gelding. She wasn’t aware that he was bench-kneed. He seemed happy and bright in the pasture, but would always stand with one leg out in front of him. When she rode him for the first time on her property, he stumbled and nearly went down. He then became head-bobbing lame. She jumped off and immediately noticed that leg was shaking. He was sore and lame for days afterwards. It was obvious that he could not be a riding horse and that he was starting to feel some degree of pain on that leg in the pasture. Otherwise, he was the picture of health. There is no fixing a bench knee, you can only help manage their pain, Due to the fact that we are in a major drought and hay is hard to come by and at an all-time high price, she decided that she would humanely euthanize him instead of risking him going to slaughter or starving over winter. In the days leading up to it, she kept on saying that she felt guilty for ending his life early, but I pointed out to her that horses don’t have a concept of time; They live moment by moment. I told her that he was likely already in pain and that it would only get worse over the years. Well, she went ahead with it. She misses him, but she confesses that she is relieved that she no longer has to worry about him. Hugs to you, it’s never an easy decision…

[RedHorses]

I think that was me who posted that comment.

I’ve had to euthanize two and am watching my older horse carefully now. When I was facing euthanizing the second chestnut I wrote a blog. This post might help you think through your own situation:

Journey to the End

(((hugs))) It’s a hard decision, but it does give the opportunity to make the last days good, and the passing peaceful.

[EssexFells]

Knowing when to euth when facing a slow, gradual decline is really hard. I’ve been in your shoes and have had to euth more than one horse that wasn’t imminently dying. But I think the time to euthanize is when that decline starts, not when it’s so obvious that anyone could see the horse is suffering.

Put a pebble in your shoe for one whole day. Feel how tired your opposite leg gets from having to bear all the weight when you’re standing. And what it does to your hips and back from standing and walking crooked. How draining it is when every step hurts, even though it’s not like some serious broken-leg kind of pain. Just like your horse, it’s not so bad that you can’t eat, and you too would surely have good moments during the day. But if she’s constantly “resting” that leg, that means she is in pain every day.

If it were my horse, I would make the appointment, spoil her rotten, cry into her mane every day about what a good horse she is, and euthanize.

I’m so sorry you’re in this position. Most of us have been there and know how sad it is. But a peaceful, non-crisis, release from daily pain is the best we can do for our end-of-life horses.
Hang in there.

[Amym600]

I just went through this. My old lady wasn’t even that old. Still eating and looked great. But squealing and kicking from constant pain even with meds. No pain meds made it better. Facing a super hot summer I couldn’t do it anymore. I took advice from everyone here and made the call. Hugs from here. It was the right decision.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

Everyone has given you great advice. The only thing I can add is that I did wait too long once, and I regret it.

Like your mare, she was still alert, but her body was failing from age and arthritis. It was the hardest call to make, though. Was it really time? Was I just playing God? That’s what it felt like.

Truthfully, I should have put her down months before. And when the vet administered the euth drug, she was gone almost before the shot was finished. She was beyond ready to let go. I was the one who made her keep going.

I feel guilty for not making the call sooner. And I think you might come to regret making your mare go on longer, too.

[PeteyPie]

This is such a hard decision. I agree with all the advice to do it sooner rather than later.

My mare had the same ligament issue and had started to lose weight. She would shift her weight back and forth on her hind legs and just looked uncomfortable. I cancelled The Call twice before I went through with it, because the day after I made the appointment I would catch her galloping around with her buddy and looking happy. The problem is that frog-in-the-hot-water thing where you see them every day and the degeneration is so gradual its hard to see it clearly until it is right in your face.

When the vet came out, he looked at her and said, “Yeah, I think it’s time.”

I wish I would have done it a couple of months sooner.

[Arelle]

Another vote for sooner versus later.

I had a gelding with DSLD I had to euthanize when I was 20. He was my childhood horse. My vet told me later, she was relieved because she was afraid that if he had gone on much longer, his pasterns might have snapped.

I had a 23 year old mare that I put down in late May. She had arthritis in her knee, and a fused SI, and an atrophied hamstring.

Despite all of that, she was happy, healthy, and still fiesty in the fields.

Until March. In March she started laying down a lot more than normal but was fine to get up and down on her own. Started thinking about it then.

In April, she switched and mostly stopped laying down. When she did, it was a lot of work for her to get herself back up. Wasn’t sure if this was a permanent thing, or if she was just having a weird, sticky few days.

But in May, she laid down and very nearly couldn’t get herself back up. We had gone to dinner, I found her down when we got home, she couldn’t have been there more than an hour. But, I got her situated to where she wasn’t on her bad side and I left her to collect herself, catch her breath, and get back up. An hour later, she hadn’t even tried. I ended up smacking her with lead ropes to get her up (I would’ve assisted with straps if I had a front end loader, but I don’t). She was a healthy weight, healthy mind, everything else was totally fine – but I don’t know if she was just giving up, or if that night was a one off. Regardless, I got very, very lucky that all it took was a few pops and smooches to have her get back on her feet. That was a Thursday; I put her down the following Monday.

If you can ever help it, don’t get into a situation where a horse is down and cannot get back up. That’s a far worse feeling than making the call to euthanize where they can go out with a belly full of treats and their dignity intact. It absolutely sucks when it’s their body, not mind, failing them - but that’s even more of a reason to ensure it’s a quiet and easy passing.

[Laverne77]

@Arelle

It absolutely sucks when it’s their body, not mind, failing them - but that’s even more of a reason to ensure it’s a quiet and easy passing.

This. Absolutely and irrevocably this.^
It is a difficult decision to make. It’s a struggle and a guilt trip and a big sense of loss. But the alternative has the potential to be so much worse.