Well shoot. I’m glad you have her carman_liz. She’ll enjoy her last days with you. 
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I hope so. She was enjoying the sunshine n the big field when I brought her n fatpony their meds n feed earlier. Vet may have a solution, just have to wait to hear from her n see what she says. I am reservedly hopeful but prepared for anything.
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I, too, am glad that Sweetie has you in her corner.
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As hard as it is to hear she has fluid build up around the heart , It is good to know so you can be prepared.
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I’m hoping my vet can tell me something this week that we can try to do for her to at least give her a year or so of just being happy and loved. I understand that might not be the case and before the weather completely turns it might be her time. Just sucks tho, blah is my mood of the day about it.
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It does suck. Hopefully, your vet can help and she can have a bit longer to relax and be safe. Great job taking her in and helping her. Every horse deserves someone to care at the end. She does because of you.
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Update:
It was 81 here yesterday, put both her and pony up about 1pm with fans, hay, fresh water, she was slightly warm. Turned out at 5ish, sun was setting, she was damp to the touch on her flank and shoulders. She had eaten and drank well, no stall walking, assuming since pony was in his stall so she was calm. 2 poops, one large pee. Figured she was just still warm from the day and would cool down grazing with the sundown and breeze.
Came back out at around 8 to serve dinner, she was breathing heavier, chest edema more evident, and she was damp to the touch, this time everywhere. Chest, under her legs, belly, ribcage, flanks, heat coming from under her tail as I took her temp thinking wth you have been out and it is cooler now than the day!! Or oh crap the tooth hole is somehow infected.
Temp was 99.8, took it twice. No shivers, still eating, had pooped twice and peed as I was walking out, she was parked out n I could smell the pee lol.
Texted vet that I think shes trying to go soon called burial guy to make sure his equipment still works and put him on red alert for this week just in case, bless his heart if he cannot do it his dad will, love those guys.
Saying all that, vet said eh, it has been really warm n she is old her body probably is still trying to regulate. Lets meet up tomorrow and I can give you Lasix to inject and we can see if we can figure out a dosage sched to make her comfortable and help with the edema.
Has anyone used Lasix for a horse with CHF and had any decent success? Or any other cost efficient drugs? I don’t want to prolong the heart failure with her at this point and risk her going from a painful heart attack or gasping for air one day in the pasture. I also don’t want to make a decision based on money alone, but between the vet calls, dentist, and now the Lasix costs if I am googling correctly…at what point do I say damnit I tried…
DH was being oh so supportive last night with “well I hope you learned your lesson, next horse that comes here better be one our daughter can actually do fun stuff with and learn to ride. Just saying how much money have you wasted now Liz…?” Ugh… sent me into a spiral for the night, n now I’m questioning how much more can I really try?
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She is looking great.
Your daughter is learning a ton from this old mare, so just laugh at your husband and smile at what you have done for an old horse that most people would have given up on. These life lessons outweigh anything fun she would have done.
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Keep in mind quality of life.
You have provided that when it was possible.
Let that comfort you, no second guessing necessary.
Jngles for you and everyone involved.
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Thank you, she is one of those kids that doesn’t like doing the hard chores like grooming or picking stalls or anything like that. I’ve tried to explain to him she needs to be able to do that and actually provide care for the horse, not just want to get on, ride, and then go back in the house. He seems to think if she cannot get on and ride then why should she have to do the other stuff? It drives me a little crazy… She is going to end up being that teenager that goes “Daddy I need your credit card”…and he just hands it over, 
dear God help me now…
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I am sorry you are fighting that battle. I think you are right. You are teaching her that animals are special for more than just using them for fun.
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That is kinda what I am worrying about, even if it helps with the edema, I worry about it causing her to lose weight since it’s a diuretic, or her going back to the runs and splat poops. Or God forbid a colic and she passes from that and is in pain at the end. I just keep trying to weigh the pros and cons.
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And in the grand scheme of things, you haven’t spent what many spend to rehab a starved, neglected horse.
If you follow Horse Vet Corner on Facebook, the issues and costs and time and effort it takes … well, it is why most people don’t attempt it.
And the fact that recovery and potential are so unreliable is why it shouldn’t be done with any expectation of a future as a riding horse.
It’s just planned disappointment.
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There’s a special place in heaven for people like you OP. At the very least, you gave the mare a safe soft loving place to lay her head and take her last breaths. There is something to be said for that. At least the mare knows “somebody cared”, and that is worth more than anything else in the world.
Big big big hugs to you.
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I have no experience with Lasix in animals, but a human patient I know with HF takes it. If I understand correctly, removing the excess fluid reduces strain on the heart and removes the struggling to catch their breath sensation. Any weight loss should just be excess fluid, unless horses react very differently.
I understand it’s used in racehorses though I haven’t quite grasped why.
It would be prudent to discuss costs with vet and let them know you may be reaching the limit of what you can do.
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Lasix is cheap. It’s a diuretic, removes fluid, makes them pee. Used in racehorses to help prevent bleeding from the lungs due to high exertion during racing. Used whenever you need to reduce blood pressure for a medical reason. IV injection.
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Right, he had the gall to ask the vet on her first visit out, so… when will people be able to ride her? Vet n I looked at each other in shock! We were ‘hoping’ if she did gain the weight back, and did not have all these heart issues that have just been figured out, that my skinny minny 9yr old daughter could walk on a leadline with her and just learn the basics, heels down, elbows in, shoulders back, etc… or me with a bareback pad just walking around the pastures halter n leadline reins style just enjoying sunny days together.
I’m not disappointed on that part of it all, I have had my pony from birth and he’s 12, he will NEVER be able to be broke, let alone safely rode, at all… ever. I still make sure he has the ultimate spoiled rotten, loved unconditionally pony life. I went into this knowing riding her might not be the case and that isn’t an issue, at least to me.
My daughter and I both know that if she is in pain & the basic easy to administer drugs won’t help her heart enough for her to be comfortable and happy that it is time. At her age even if I spent thousands on cardiograms and pricey drugs, something else or a reaction to the drugs could end up taking her from us anyways :/. If she was 9, or even 19 like her past owners said, then it would be different. At late 20’s / early 30’s, it is just prolonging the inevitable and risking the end happening in pain or misery vs a spoiled rotten day and being loved on thru a peaceful ending for her day.
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Vet said I can do it IM? I am not comfortable giving IV, terrified I will hit the artery. She also said there are a few oral options if we can get her under control. Again the diuretic aspect, risk of colic, weight loss that I’ve read about, are all things that we will try to weigh risk vs benefit for her. Just have to see what happens and go from there. Good to know it isn’t crazy expensive though!
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A friend’s dog was on it for around a year after we found out she had CHF, it helped for awhile. Vet totally understand cost aspect vs quality of life and any other issues that could take her from us as well. She’s super nice and understanding, not judgy at all. I could make the call today and she would be on board and fine with it. I’m not… but I’m glad she would understand and not have any ill feelings about it either.
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