Spin-off from slaughter/euthanasia debate AND a personal issue

[JoZ]

I had this question half-formed in my head and now, sadly, its answer may become necessary. A filly belonging to my friend and horse partner has been seriously injured and may need to be put to sleep. If you can spare a jingle or two that we do NOT have to face the equine grim reaper, that would be awesome. But my question is a little bit different.

Our vet quoted a price of $250 for euthanasia not including disposal of the body, though she said that (the disposal) would be the costly part. I’ve heard it quoted around here at $300-500 itself.

Are there any humane options? If it comes to that for this filly, it will be because surgery for her injury will run $5000-7000 on top of what my friend is paying right now to treat it pre-surgery, with no guarantee of success. Financially, that would not be possible. Would it be worth calling other vets to see if anyone would take the filly for free and treat her? Would a vet hospital euthanize her (no experimentation!) to use the body for student work? What about feeding zoo animals? I’d be interested in these options if it were my horse, not only for cost but also because it seems much more holistic and might actually benefit someone or something. Any thoughts on these or other options?

I re-read the above and it sounds pretty cold to me but please believe me it’s killing me to even think about it – the filly may as well be mine, all our horses are family members. It’s very hard to think clinically or even logically about this, but since we are trying everything we can afford to keep her alive, it does afford a bit of time to think and plan.

[Graymaresrule]

Also, putting the horse to sleep sounds peaceful but it is not always that way. My 37 year old horse fought it. Let’s just say it was NOT pretty. If I ever have to put a horse down by injection I will ask the vet to trank him into insensibility first and put a fly mask on him.
If I have a choice they’re going to the fox hunts.

[Susan_P]

Horses can be humanely destroyed with a well place bullet if you want to use their carcass. It’s not a bad option.

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by LefT * of * CenteR!:
I’m not 100% sure, but I think, to be used for zoo animal food, she could not be euthanized, because of the drugs.

Jingles for this poor filly, I really hope she pulls through. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[kookicat]

I’ve had horses shot and PTS by injection. Shooting may seem brutal, but as long as the person doing it knows exactly what they’re doing, I much prefer it to the injection. When I had to have Pip PTS on course on XC (he smashed his cannon) I chose the gun.

Jingles for the filly though. I’d phone local vet clinics etc and see what they say. Good luck.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I believe I paid around $350-500 to my vet–this included dispose fees. A friend too him to the vet clinic. They had a nice stall for him and lots of rich hay and a bag of carrots. He was an OTTB and didn’t stress about being in new places. I said my good byes at the farm–I wanted that to be the way I remembered him. My vet and friends STRONGLY recomended not being there. As they said, he will not know it is coming. My friend had held a number of horses being put down and said it was very peaceful. ALL our vets around here tranq. them first. My vet who I trust, took care of everything. I’ve know several people who have donated to a fox hunt or to a vet school. Those are all good alternatives. For me, I wanted a little more control so I was sure that his last moments were not highly stressful.

Edited to add: I also had him taken to the vet clinic so the kids at the barn didn’t have to see any of it either.

I hope that you don’t have to make that decision. It was one of the hardest ones I’ve every had to make but it is part of our responsibility as horse owners to make those hard decisions…even when they hurt. Good luck–I’m dreading having to make the decision for my 12 year old Rottie but I think she will let me know when its time.

[Carol_Ames]

beautifully said Hnters’ rest"Love the ones that are here and remember the ones that are gone with a smile. Gotta go bawl now.

[EqTrainer]

No kidding about the eyes. It’s the thing that haunts you forever.

[Coreene]

Where are you? Disposal in So Cal is about $260. Between that and what the vet is quoting to put her down, your friend will probably still come out ahead, compared to what they are most probably dishing out in vet bills right now.

[BoldChance]

another option for disposal if you have patch of land to do so on, euthanasia or shot or whatever method of putting them down… is to burn them.

My thoroughbred was shot and burnt last year. I am very glad he was burnt as the other option was leaving him out for the coyotes (no deadstock removal here, and psycho-trainer-who-lies wouldn’t have been willing to help find a backhoe to bury) and the thought of that bothered me more. BUT… I would not have wanted to be out there supervising that burn. (and wasn’t.)

But it is an option for disposal if need be.
And it works, though it does leave charred remnants so perhaps still best if not euthanized chemically.

Hard decision. I, too, hope that things work out so that your filly gets another chance at life.

BC

[SweatySaddlepad]

This is a tough post…I really recommend you have your vet give a good traq prior. When my mare was euthanized it was very peaceful, she gave a heavy traq, she started to feel very woozy, my vet sat her back on her butt and then gently rolled her down and then gave the shots. I too would fear a bullet, just my preference I would fear jerking at the last minute. None of this is ever easy but I know my vet said in all her years as an equine vet using the method described all went peaceful .

[Susan_P]

Yes, I would think so. You are kind people. <BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>When we got back to the barn, the barn manager
was appalled Tex was munching alfalfa as he wasn’t permitted it. Yoo, we think he can have anything wants at this point. She agreed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[LefT_of_CenteR]

I’m not 100% sure, but I think, to be used for zoo animal food, she could not be euthanized, because of the drugs.

Jingles for this poor filly, I really hope she pulls through.

[Procella]

why a fly mask?

[nettiemaria]

I know this may not the appropriate place for my ranting here, but really - eating YOUR/MY horse? This reminds me of the time my ex husband’s grandmother had conjestive heart failure, and the son was on the phone with the morgue two weeks before she died at Thanksgiving dinner with everyone sitting around the table!!!

I know some people are gonna get upset at me, and in fact this is a “factual finding” question here, but you know what, at this point, this is really getting quite gross and graphic, if you ask me.

This lady’s horse is in trouble here, and people are suggesting that the horse be sent for dog food, or cat food, or zoo food.

You know, to shoot the horse yourself or have a trusted neighbor or friend do it, if unable and THEN call the renderer is one thing, but to have someone come out and shoot the horse, a person you don’t know - that is completely different. You don’t know these people! I would never be able to forgive myself.

Is this my opinion - sure it is.

And then there was the thing with donating it to the hunts - Doesn’t everyone here know that those big game hunts are a terrible thing to begin with? To put them in small areas and to have rich people come out and “hunt” them? That’s not hunting, that’s not sport, that is a coward’s “trophy” and “status symbol”. Because he/she doesn’t have the gumption to get out there and hunt for real, because he might get his little toes cold.

I really feel for the OP, but some of these suggestions are quite graphic, and disturbing at this point. At least no one has brought up sending the poor horse to - well, I won’t go there (yet).

OP, I am certatinly sorry about your horse. At this point, If it were me, I would have the vet do it, or do it myself. I am sure that there is some way to afford to either burn, bury or render the horse. I hope you make the right decision, but I really can’t help but to start to get upset about some of this graphic talk.

[Susan_P]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Then to add insult to injury, they mailed me back her halter 3 mos. later. That started the waterworks all over again. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[MKW]

Just thought I would share a few experiences. I worked as a vet tech for 10 plus years for a vet who made house calls. Unfortunately, one of the things we did alot of was euthanize dogs and cats in their homes. So, no last trip to the vet for these animals. I always thought it was a great service. Anyway, as a result I have held off the vein and held numerous critters in my arms in their final moments. The vet I worked for said that the pink stuff went to the brain first,effectively making the animal brain dead, before the heart stopped.
The vast majority of the time, it was just like they went to sleep. Those last breaths (and sometimes vocalizations) were a reflex after the animal was gone. These were small animals, not horses, but I can’t think the process can be any different. At no time did I ever have the feeling that these animals were having a heart attack. Personally I would have a harder time trusting someone with a shotgun to get the job done right than my vet who knows me and my horse.
JMO…good luck to the OP.

[Hunter_s_Rest]

Oh you poor dear. Prayers and warmth for all involved.
As the above say, a bullet is far preferable than an injection. Too many horses try to ‘fight’ the injection as they feel themselves slipping (?) beyond. The shot is instant. You can be there (which is hard, I know, but soooo important for your friend to be in loving hands) and hand the horse off with a pat and then (if you can’t stand it) go around the corner. It doesn’t take 2 seconds and its over. Then you can caress and love and coo and cry. Oh, my, I’m sniffling just thinking of this. Horses are so special. Love the ones that are here and remember the ones that are gone with a smile. Gotta go bawl now.

[EBO]

$100 for the euthanasia, $50 for a backhoe (an acquaintance, who probably gave us a deal). We have our own place, and I didn’t ask the county what they thought about it. I spoke to her for years everytime I passed by her grave.

[SLW]

You could contact a Veterinary teaching hospital in your area to see if they have a need for the filly. My concern is this- what is the condition which is causing her pain?? IOW, I would be uncomfortable having her kept alive for a period of time with a painful condition.

Crematories are very expensive when you get to the horse weight catagory. Around here it is just under $1000. As some others have stated local hunts will euthanize and dispose of horses. However, in our area it’s only for hunt members.

A chemical euthanasia is not a bad way to let an animal go, even a horse though the price you quoted is higher than average. At the clinic we always, always heavily sedate the horse first and let it “rest” for 5-10 minutes before giving the drugs which will arrest it’s systems. I guess the comment about the fly mask is to protect the onlookers from a horse which passes on with it’s eyes open.

[poltroon]

In the Los Angeles area, Wildlife Waystation takes donations of horses to feed their big cats. I understand that they normally like to accept a live horse and keep it for a couple of weeks to flush anything out of its system and to also determine if it’s a rehab candidate before they put it down.