I’ve seen a DSLD horse when the owner waited far too long. It was awful. You don’t want that. You know the horse best. It sucks and it hurts a lot (for the human).
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This post is a beautiful eulogy to who he was.
{{{HUGS}}}
I’ve BTDT both as a choice & in emergent situations & the Hurt is the same.
Keep in mind the great COTH Wisdom of @Coreene
Better a day too soon than a minute too late
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That’s where we are, he was diagnosed at 14. So - 6 years almost to the day.
I did stem cell and shockwave and PRP and special shoes, and jiogulan and MSM and special handmade blends of turmeric and other herbs and ice boots and anything else I could think of to help keep him comfortable.
I’m sorry you lost yours too - I hate this disease. I feel like it robbed us of what should have been an awesome last few rideable years, and a long golden retirement.
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All they ask us for is that when the time comes we take their pain and make it our own. Unfortunately that’s the hard part, but it’s the right thing to do. I’m sorry you’re suffering. Hugs.
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I did this in December with our DSLD mare. She was 25. It was the hardest thing I ever did. She would still move around pretty well like yours but stopped laying down to sleep because she had trouble getting back up. Her front legs started buckling and trembling and I didn’t want her to go down on the ice in winter and not be able to get up. She hated the heat of summer. I wanted it done during a month she felt good. I know it was the right decision even though it didn’t feel like it. The vet was kind and compassionate and my daughter held her head while she passed peacefully. Best wishes to you, he is lucky to have you taking care of him.
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This is not an if situation, it is a when situation. You are picking a time when he can still trot a bit, and looks good.
At the time of your choosing you can give him some extra yummies, lead him to the spot, it will be calm. The gift you are giving him is departure in peace.
Not a crisis situation with adrenaline pumping, heart pounding…
You are loving him.
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As you said, you know you’re doing the right thing. You will feel better about it once he has peacefully passed. It’s so hard before it happens. DSLD is a terrible condition, and he’ll never have a day down the road that’s better than today. Good on you for not waiting too late. I wish you peace.
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Yes, the right thing – as heartbreaking as it is. A few years ago I made same decision --DSLD and melanomas that were getting worse (old gray mare). A dignified end while our horses are still feeling as good as possible (with an incurable ailment) is our saving grace.
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Take some solace that he’s telling you he’s ready. The increased cribbing is a solid indicator that things are getting harder for him. I feel like I’m never ready when I make the call, even when I know it’s the right and kindest thing to do, but I hope you can find some peace.
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My mare with DSLD lived to be 28 yrs old. I went out one morning and her front leg was very swollen and she was lame. Looked like a bowed tenden. My heart sank and I knew… I made the appointment for the next day (Friday).
My mother asked me why I didn’t wait til Monday to say goodbye and I said that wouldn’t change anything. Keeping her going through the weekend would have been painful for both of us.
I miss her back when she was a young and healthy horse.
It was also a relief. I didn’t need to worry about her getting overheated in Florida summers. I didn’t need to cold hose her on a 105 degree day. I didn’t need to make sure she had 4 buckets of soaked feed per day.
Every so often I catch a glimpse of my other chestnut mare out of the corner of my eye and in my mind, I still see her. I still have her halter hanging in my barn.
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So, not DSLD but head shaking brought our gelding’s life to a close just last week. He was 26 and absolutely glowed from the inside out. He looked great. Other than ringbone that was well managed - he was fully retired - he was the perfect image of a healthy aged gelding.
Except he wasn’t. His head shaking could no longer be controlled and his only enjoyment in life came at meal time. He spent the rest of his day flipping his poor head or pressing his muzzle into the side of the barn. We tried everything over the years and while there were brief periods of success, nothing truly brought him sustained relief.
Could he have continued until November, when the shaking subsided during cooler months? Sure. Was the shaking going to reappear in January? Yes.
He no longer played and rarely mutually groomed with his mare and donkey friends. It was time.
You know your horse. You’ll know what is best.
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Can you talk to my mother and tell her all this, so she might consider putting down her miserable old dog? I wish she was considerate of her old dog as you are about your old guy.
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It’s always so hard to know exactly when to make that decision. I’m there right now with my 31 year old. I’ve been saying “this is her last year” but I don’t know when I’ll get the nerve up to make the call. She still seems happy and engaged despite the growing list of issues she has. I also don’t want to wait until it’s too late and she’s down and can’t get up. This is the worst part of pet ownership, but definitely the right thing to do to make sure they’re not suffering. Enjoy your time with your horse, and know you are doing the right thing.
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Maybe show her this thread…
I PTS my 14 yo gelding for DSLD reasons, and let me tell you how much that sucked. He was soooo young but his walnut was loose so he was constantly injuring himself, so “retirement” of any sort wasn’t in the cards and even trying to was a cruelty. He was on soft tissue injury number three in less than two years, a rear suspensory tear this time, and had just been cleared for handwalking when he tore the other suspensory probably while tearing around at Mach Jesus in his stall and very small attached run, so I mean there wasn’t really a choice. He was already on a trazadone and onion shoes and padded shoes up front with boil rings and just a steaming hot mess. He couldn’t have been happy and there wasn’t a future where it was going to get better so when I came out and saw the other leg and knew in my gut what happened, I had a good hard cry and doubled his equioxx until we could arrange someone to come out with a excavator.
This is just to say that while it feels awful, not doing it is worse.
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We made the call with our DSLD mare when routine trimming became an ordeal (and I have an infinitely patient and kind farrier) and realized that if we got a bad winter with a lot of snow/ice it could result in an emergency call. We chose November and it was a cold snowy/sleeting day which added to the somber mood but also reinforced we made the right call.
When the vet came out (it’s a larger practice so I didn’t know this particular vet) and I gave her a bit of the history she thanked us. She acknowledged that we did the harder thing of making the call when they were still “OK” instead of it being an emergency. It makes their job easier too.
They would 1000% rather have this situation than having a horse that’s down and likely in a bad location and probably in shock so the meds might not work as efficiently so it becomes a bad scene all around.
So sorry you’re a member of this “club” - my heart goes out to you.
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wouldn’t matter, she’d say the OP was doing the right thing, but the dog is really ‘doing OK & not that bad’
Oof, Im sorry.
I don’t know if this will help, but consider this question: is there a scenario in which he will be better than he is now? Or is it a case where this is as good as he can ever be - and in fact, that his health will only decline from here?
Those are the questions I ask myself when I have to make this decision.
Big hugs and jingles for you.
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I’m so sorry to hear about your horse and the difficult decision you made. I’ve never had to euthanize a horse before, but, have euthanized many dogs and cats. I’d rather do it too soon, as opposed to too late. Good luck to you.
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