The "Is It Too Soon" Euthanasia Debate

[kfrilly]

I’m sure many people have sat on this fence before… debating whether it’s too soon to put a horse down or not. I’ve waffled on it for the past year with my 24 year old gelding, but have thought about it more recently

He has been retired for four years now due to an array of leg issues. He has low ringbone, navicular changes in both fronts and arthritis further up the leg in both as well (bred to be a reiner, unfortunately means he was started and ridden hard early on; he then went on to be a roper for the person I bought him from, among other things). I have him on Equioxx daily to manage pain as best as we can.

The seasons this past year have not been kind - we had a brutally cold, very blizzardy winter, spring was wet and mucky, summer has continued to be wet and mucky but also very hot/humid with hordes of bugs. He’s lost weight, although gradually putting some back on with bulked up feed. All of the wetness led to him developing double abscesses in both hind feet recently. Predictions are saying we’re in for a similar winter again this year, not that they’re always super reliable.

I don’t look at him and think “oh my gosh, that horse is obviously suffering”, but I know he’s sore and he has a history of being quite stoic about pain. I can see his expression has changed over the last few years. With the cost of literally everything going up as well, I just don’t have the funds to throw every injection or treatment at him to squeeze a few more years out of him.

I work at a small animal vet clinic and I’ve seen what waiting too long looks like. I’ve even been the person saying it’s far kinder to let them go a day too early than a day too late with clients, but it is so much more difficult being on the decision-making side of this when it’s not blatantly obvious. I’d love to hear other peoples’ experiences in these types of scenarios… I’ve has some people agree with me, others have seemed a bit surprised when I mentioned it. I’m feeling so dang torn.

[Smiles]

I’m going through the same thing with my 24 y/o mare too. She dropped quite a bit of weight in may and has not recovered even with extra food and all day pasture. She is utd on the everything and we pulled blood for Lymes. Vet says to treat her for epm. I don’t know that will fix it. And I don’t want her to break down this winter so I’m on that same fence.

If he is health weight and can tolerate his mild lameness I would hold off. But only you know your horse.

[wsmoak]

I’ve got a 30-year old here who isn’t even obviously lame, just a bit creaky. I soak pellets for him 3x day and buy him the bagged chopped hay that now costs [does the math] $1,225 per ton.

He’s the last one here, alone. He’s “fine”, I work from home and interact with him multiple times a day, but it’s not the ideal herd situation.

So I’ve got the backhoe guys scheduled to prepare a spot when they’re out soon removing stumps and things. Because while the horse is toddling along, the humans around him are having health issues and my checkbook is feeling the price increases. I’m just tired.

If yours is obviously in pain, I would not hesitate. The AAEP guidelines even say that a horse should not have to be on long term pain relief. And I am pretty sure that is a nod to the owner as well as the horse. Just because you can keep him going does not mean you should be required to.

[Warmblood1]

Unfortunately, very few horses pass away peacefully without intervening with opted euthanasia. Instead, it’s usually a catastrophe that occurs due to increased risks associated with old age. I’d much rather euthanize a day too early than a day too late. I’d much rather my animals have a dignified departure than be allowed to suffer because the decision was difficult for me to make. That’s not fair to the horse.

[KBC]

I will just say that I do not for one day regret the decision to euthanize my 27 year old, getting hard to feed, getting more arthritic mare, on a beautiful autumn day. Was she “ready” to go? Probably not, but I didn’t want to risk her going down on a -40* day.

On the other hand, I thought I had made to call quick enough for my JRT, turned out that booking a week ahead was wrong, 5 or 6 days would have been so much better. I wish I could turn back time and do that differently.

[frugalannie]

With my 20 something mare, I decided to euthanize her because it was pretty clear to me that if she slipped on an icy spot in late fall or winter, she wouldn’t be able to get up. I walked her to the apple orchard each day for three days before “the” day, letting her enjoy the sunshine and windfall apples. On “the” day, she was relaxed walking out there, and passed away with an apple in her mouth.

We make the best decisions we can, try to avoid catastrophes, and do the best for our horses. In your heart, you know.

[kfrilly]

This was very helpful, thank you. It’s so tough with horses, I find a lot of people do press on with them even if there is chronic pain and that’s what is tripping up my own conscience.

[colorfan]

I have had to make the hard decision, dang it its hard! I think that you are reaching out here, you know its time. You don’t have to justify to anyone, you know your horse.

[kfrilly]

@colorfan It really is. I appreciate your words, I’ve definitely been questioning myself after having others say they think he’ll manage okay. I just don’t think “managing okay” is a quality many horses enjoy simply for the sake of being around a bit longer.

[PaddockWood]

This was our experience a couple months ago. I had 3 days of PTSD. My old guy (2 weeks from 29) was doing very well overall - still running around at times. But had a terrible colic and probable twist and I came home from work to find him down.

He suffered terribly until the vet could get to us - 45 min of absolute hell. Him throwing himself to the ground - in full sweat and looking at me like please help me. I’d wake up in the middle of the night with it all replaying in my head.

I tell this story if it helps you with a decision. No matter what you do I feel for you. It sucks either way. But God to have them not suffer horribly in the end. Yeah, that’s a better decision.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

It’s always so much harder to make that call when it’s our animals, isn’t it?

I’m in the same boat with my 30-year old mare. She was born here. She’s happy - not obviously lame, though she is getting ‘trippy’ in the back end and I can see arthritic changes in her fetlocks. She started to lose weight back in March, and despite all the green grass and senior feed I can put into her, she hasn’t gained much back. I feel like a monster for even considering it, but I just can’t see her getting through another winter.

If I were in your place, the pain issues would be a deciding factor for me. When they can’t be kept comfortable, it’s time.

[goodhors]

You have listed good reasons to make the appointment. As you say, “doing Ok” is not pain free, easy movement for him. Sounds like his face is telling you it is time. Stoic is always hard, much less obvious pain than what the X-rays are telling you is the truth.

We have had to let a number of them go. Harder on US than them, we miss them a lot. And you really have a connection after years together! But I sure DO NOT want any of mine going down, stuck there in bad weather. Just too ugly to deal with. So the appointment gets made, and we let them go.

Sorry for you making the choice, but it is HIS best choice in going easy.

[BigMama1]

I’m of the firm belief that it’s never too soon, once you start seriously asking yourself thst question. The deciding factor at that point is your tolerance for watching the inevitable deterioration. Some people have a higher tolerance than others.

I’d choose a safe, loving, dignified end too early than a day of pain.

[Warmblood1]

I’m really sorry you experienced that. My best friend and the greatest dog I’ve ever known had nonstop seizures and died a terrible death. It still haunts me. I have never regretted the peaceful departures, just the bad ones. They are all hard, but the catastrophic ones just hit so much different.

[kfrilly]

I appreciate everyone’s stories and responses. It’s so easy to sway back and forth, the moment I think I’ve made a decision someone else says something and I’m wondering if I’m wrong.

All of your comments were very reassuring. These horses we all love so much sure make it difficult to say goodbye.

[ASB_Stars]

I would consider trying a chemical neurotomy on his front end. Why? I had a gelding who had navicular changes when I bought him as a seven year old. At 20, they weren’t getting any better. I did a chemical neurotomy on him, and he was able to walk in such a way that he opened his heels up, and relieved the navicular issues to a great extent. That meant that he also wasn’t stressing his hind end. He was happy and comfortable, and went a few more very nice years.

[RedHorses]

I wouldn’t try to keep him going through another winter if he were my horse. It sounds like you have real winter where you live (me too). The cold weather, dicey footing, and all the limitations on movement that winter brings just adds to the horse’s difficulty. I can’t bear the idea of my horse going down in the winter and not being able to get back up because of known health issues so I euthanized before winter arrived.

Quick question - do you board? If you do, does the barn staff administer his meds? If they do, how many hours later do you see him? Do you ever see him immediately before he gets his meds? If you don’t then you are seeing an artificial reality. You might be seeing him when the drugs are fully affecting him, and if you’re questioning how he’s really doing at that time…

Don’t feel bad about not chasing down every possible therapy or pharmaceutical treatment. He’s not going to get any better than he is, and once you get to a certain point all you’re doing is slowing the increase in pain. Your budget is part of the decision and you should not be bankrupting yourself in order to prop your horse up for a few more months.

I’ve made the decision twice. The first time was before we talked openly of such things and it was hard. Six months later my vet said to me that he always questions when someone asks for euthanasia for their horse, but when I said it was time he just knew that I knew my horse best. The second time I realized the question I needed to ask myself was not “Can I keep him going through another winter?” but rather “Should I…?” The answer went from “Probably” to “No” pretty quickly.

Here’s what they taught me:

When do you know it’s time? The toughest decision of all

[reefy]

I said goodbye to my 24 yo gelding last December. He was going along okay, had cushings and some of the yuck that comes with that but was well managed on his pink pill. Then he started having on and off lameness, as in one day he could hardly walk, the next day he was fine (the day the vet came to do a lameness exam, of course!!). And then he was non-weight bearing one night after being fine in the morning. Vet came and we xrayed the hoof and he had an air pocket/abscess that was pretty concerning. Vet got it opened up and we started using the abscess poultice pads and he started improving. Until he didn’t. He completely went non-weight bearing again, laid down for relief got cast in his stall and I called the vet right then and said we were done. That was over 7 days, so not at all prepared to say an abscess took my spicy sweet old man out. So you just never know. It would never have been too soon for him but maybe it was almost too late. Old horses, for all the sweetness it entails, can be overwhelming sometimes.

[Pico_Banana]

This decision is always one of the hardest ones to make. I have had one where I did not make it fast enough with one of my dogs. She was still getting around okay, needed some assistance to stand for long periods of time, would usually need help getting up, but was eating and still seemed happy. Best attitude in a dog ever. And then one day we left to do some errands and when we came back she had fallen and struggled to get up for quite some time. I won’t go into details but we gave her overnight to see if she rallied. She didn’t and we had a vet out that day. I really wish I could have saved her those last 24 hours. All of my other animals have had a peaceful passing and it was devastating that I failed to provide that to my special girl.

[NoGreatMischiefAgain]

I had to make this decision in a similar scenario earlier this year with my 25 y.o. gelding who I’d had for 20 of his years (16 of them retired and living as a king after an injury at 9…). I fully expected him to live until 40 so the concept of him being gone was and is hard to reconcile.

It’s definitely the hardest and worst decision I’ve had to make, and I can still ugly cry about it pretty much any time I think about it even though it has been 3 months - even opening this thread is tough. I haven’t opened the card the clinic put together for us, and I haven’t been able to bring myself to send any tail hair away to be made into a bracelet. Deciding to end a life of any kind is not easy.

My biggest fear for any of my horses (or for any animal really…) is to be down or in another compromising situation and in pain and terrified. My gelding had episodic neuro/pain issues in his hind end and had been coping ok (I work for an equine vet and we tried pretty much everything at every price point, short of a CSF tap at the university) until the last episode which really negatively affected his demeanour and I could tell he wasn’t happy or comfortable. We decided to adhere to the “day too early rather than a minute too late” adage and made the decision to let him go.

His last day was a beautiful sunny one - he went out on the fresh spring grass and ate about 10lbs of carrots, along with his other favourite treats (wine gums). His final sleep was a peaceful one.

I don’t second guess the decision at all but I do still struggle with it in general. I do know that I am somewhat relieved to know I will never receive a frantic phone call from the farm owner, and that gives me some peace.