Ok i have a horse that is in his late 20's and he has arthritis. I'm wondering should i put him down? He is thinner than he used to be and he cant run. I know i should but its hard to make this choice. Any input? (no mean, or sarcastic answers please this issue upsets me)
2007-05-20 16:17:00 · 28 answers · asked by chilibean 2 in Pets ➔ Horses
Let me add a few more details, he is blind in one eye because the previous owner was a roper and the rope hit him in the eye. And its hard for him to lay down and get up and you can hear his legs make a click sound when he walks.
2007-05-20 16:43:48 · update #1
Thank you for all the good advice and support. I'm still thinking about it though. And to DJL or whatever I wasnt asking for sugar coating. I just didnt want any cruel remarks. This is a very dear horse to me because he was my first horse ever. And I would give anything so he could live comfortably. And FYI DJL I care for him very well. I dont ride him anymore so he doesnt hurt as much. And he get fed very well. Aside from DJL, I couldnt possibly pick a best answer. Thank you.
2007-05-21 06:08:14 · update #2
It is NOT right for you to put this horse down simply because "he has arthritis and he can not run anymore".
All older horses get arthritis, I hope most humane people do not consider this ok to give them a death sentence.
You have a responsibility to this animal to care for him even if you no longer find him useful.
I presume your reasons for wanting to have put him down is either you want another horse or you do not want to spend money on him anymore.
The only time it is ok to put him down is when his arthritis makes it painful for him to even take a step or makes it impossible for him to get up when he lays down.
You say he is thinner then he used to be, when did you last have his teeth floated? Do you have him senior ration or pellets now? My oldest horse is 33 years old and has to eat pellets as his teeth can not handle hay. He gets his teeth done every year and he is fat as a pig. Another of my horses is 26 and is also on the same diet. In this day and age there is NO reason for an older horse to look like a concentration camp victim.
It sounds like this horse is suffering from lack of care or concern.
Asking people to sugar coat their answers tells me you already knew it was wrong to kill this horse for the sake of convenience.
2007-05-21 04:44:16 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 4⤋
How bad is his arthritis? Is he in pain? If the pain is not bad or can be helped with Bute or another medicine, give him the chance for a longer life. Only when his quality of life is bad should he be put down. My Mustang was 32 & even though he had some stiffness in his legs, he still had a great quality of life. He finally had a "stroke" & couldn't walk so I had to put him down. He had been a member of my family for 31 1/2 years & I still think about him everyday & miss him very much (he died over 10 yrs ago). My Tennessee Walking Horse developed Navicular disease & became permanently lame. He didn't have a lot of pain except in the winter. I would give him Bute to help and other than a limp, he lived another 10 years before I had to put him down (he was 15). Since both of my horses had pain control available,if needed, I decided to give them the chance.
I can honestly say that I don't regret letting them live the extra years even though they couldn't be ridden. I spent many peaceful hours just brushing them & spending time with them. I have some great memories of the last years of their lives.
I hope you can have a chance for those special memories also. I know what you are going through & how hard you want to make the right decision. You will be in my prayers.
2007-05-20 16:59:48 · answer #2 · answered by luvthesmokies 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
it really depends, it is selfish to keep him alive if he is in pain. However, if he seems comfortable and eats well he should be okay. Do you treat his arthritis? Some horses just naturally get skinnier as they get older. My dad's friend who ropes has a gelding that is in his late 20's (around 28) and is still his best horse, and he uses him to rope with a lot. Just listen to your gut and your vet. I know you will make the right choice. It may or may not be the right time. Good luck, and i am very sorry you are having to make this decision. i am glad you are putting the horse first.
2007-05-20 16:29:00 · answer #3 · answered by Kelly S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The only real issue in putting an animal down is quality of life. Is the animal in constant pain? Does he have more good days than bad? Take yourself out of the equation. Animals are different in people in that if we are in pain, we can foresee a time when we won't be due to some type of treatment or if not then we can make a decision based on logic. Animals don't have more than a foggy sense of future so if an animal is in pain, all it can look forward to is pain. And animals don't have much say in the way they are treated, other than to stop eating and simply starve to death. I don't think anyone would wish that on any animal that they care about. If your horse still seems to enjoy life then let him hang around a little longer, once he gets to the point where there is a more pain than enjoyment then it's time to release him from his pain.
2007-05-20 16:30:33 · answer #4 · answered by wolfatrest2000 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This is an extremely difficult decision, if you need to ask if you should put him down then you are not quite ready to let him go. Keep in mind, and I know that you are, of the quality of his life and if he is in pain or suffering. My first horse is also 20+ yrs old and it was very hard to just retire her from riding. We showed a great deal and went thru alot together. I truly empathize with you and trust that you will know when the time is right for you and your horse. This decision is yours and yours alone. It's important that you feel at peace with your decision when the time comes.
2007-05-21 17:58:57 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I HATE to tell you this, but I think it is right to put him/her down. It is VERY hard, I know. I suggest you look into other horses if you want one, and make an appointment to the vet or for the vet to come out. Just make life as good as possible until then. She will thank you for thinking of what is right for her. I also heard of these things called hairlooms. You can look them up on google. You take some of the mane/tail and cut some off. Then, send it in and they will make a keychain with it and send it to you. It will always be a keepsake if you DO decide to put her down.
2007-05-21 09:28:11 · answer #6 · answered by I love horses 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are SO many things you can try! You can add supplements to help him fully 'use' the food that he eats, so he'll gain weight. You can try supplements to help his arthritis, or pain meds or steroids.
A horse can live a long, long time -- mine died at 34. If you can, have a vet come out and do a thorough exam and see what things he suggests.
If, after everything, you think the horse's quality of life is still poor, then perhaps it's time to think about putting him down.
Good luck.
2007-05-20 16:33:53 · answer #7 · answered by luvrats 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We had an older horse(30) that had the same problem, He had bad arthritus, didnt want to walk alot, hed even lay down sometimes and couldnt get back up. Wed have to hoist him back up with a homemade device.He was my mothers first horse and she just couldnt bear to see him go so she researched everything. She eventually found this stuff called Next Level...it had him trotting aroud the pasture in no time. (Flex Free works too)Alot of people will tell you to put him down, that its cruel but they could never know unless it was there own loving horse.
2007-05-21 03:51:20 · answer #8 · answered by Reckless Redhead 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How well did he winter that could be why he has lost so much weight. Older horses tend to winter worse and if he acts like he is in alot of pain then yes he probably should be. I would ask the vet for his opinion though he might be able to tell you something to do to help him and make him more comfortable and just remember bad wheather makes arthiritis worse good luck and sorry about you horse
2007-05-20 19:39:51 · answer #9 · answered by Candi E 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless your horse is in extreme pain, I would not think about putting him down at this point. All of us get stiffer as we get older. And we start losing our teeth, hearing, everything sags, and sometimes we get thinner. Your horse is no different. But My best friend thought about this when her horse got arthritis at age 23. But, she decided to wait, and she had him another 10 years. He was a wonderful companion horse to several of her foals and he died peacefully in her pasture. He was not the fastest thing in the pasture, but he was the steadiest. Unless your vet just says your horse cannot go on because he is suffering great pain, I would not do this.
2007-05-21 09:11:14 · answer #10 · answered by Paint Pony 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with giddyup ask your vet what he thinks. If your horse needs help keeping his weight up you could try beet pulp "DON'T FEED DRY" take a small bucket ( 8 quart) put in a 3lb coffee can of beet pulp add water to the top and let set (warm water works best) for 20 minutes I add senior feed to mine also, it will really help if their teeth are getting bad as they can eat this like a mash. I put my first horse down at the age of 32 I owned Robin for 27 years, I cried like a baby. but I stayed by her side til she was gone. I will never regret having made that decision
2007-05-23 19:34:48 · answer #11 · answered by Stable Design 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋