As of this morning, when I went out to the Barn (my TB Beastie was getting his adjustment), Old Guy had his head stuck out over the door and ears up and spritely! The pain meds have made a huge difference for him and he is hoovering his food instead of ignoring it. He had also finished half his bucket of water and almost all of the hay in his rack this A.M.

 In order to help him keep eating, we are looking for ideas about long term pain management while the vets do their thing. A secondary set of blood work came back with "slightly elevated white blood cell count" which indicates an infection somewhere. We are still unable to pinpoint the source of his pain/infection, but I understand that the vet is coming back out to take another gander at him this week. In the meantime we just need to keep him comfortable and gradually increase his caloric intake with weightbuilder to try to put back the 200 plus pounds he has lost.

 So my next question is, are there any milder painkillers, or something natural, that we could use to manage his pain? Bute is so terribly strong and as we all know, cannot be used long term without severe consequences. I've heard of devils claw being effective. Anybody tried that or have any other suggestions? A friend of mine who is a vet suggested Traumeel (sp?), anyone heard of it? Its supposed to be as effective as phenylbutazone without the harsh side-effects. We need him off the Nsaids ASAP before we start causing more problems.

 Did you say he had a clear fecal? 

For long term pain management, you can use Equioxx.  Bute is not bad for a week or two, and certainly easier on the stomach than banamine

The current issue of HORSE JOURNAL has a great article about alternative pain killers like Devil's Claw and B-L Liquid. The B-L is as effective as Bute, without the long-term-use problems. I think they said the same for Devil's Claw. If you don't subscribe to HJ, go to the HJ forum--new to ES, with the magazine forums like DRESSAGE TODAY and PRACTICAL HORSEMAN on the forum list--and ask this question. Cindy Foley, the editor of HJ, will see it and tell you how to view HJ articles if you are not a subscriber. Others may see your question. Equioxx is expensive compared to B-L or DQ, and as I said, those herbals are as effective as Bute. Some are not, and the article specifies which are good and which do not show any effects.

Just an update on the Old Guy... and I'm afraid it's not good. He has been having breathing problems all this time, and at this point is just so exhausted, that we are running out of options. We had yet another vet out to take a look, and they now think that he has developed pneumonia on top of everything else.

He was started on a breathing treatment (Albuterol) to combat his lack of air, and is currently on a maintenance dose of bute to keep him comfortable. He is on high doses of Dexamethazone... but his last dose will be this Tuesday. At this point, the vets are suspecting cystic fibrosis and his prognosis is poor.

I am shocked at how suddenly this seemingly healthy old horse could go downhill. His continuing depression is so heartbreaking, and although he is now eating again, his weight is not coming back.

His story with us has been a strange one... showing up in the Sheriff's van as a loose horse with long feet and total neglect, to being unclaimed for months, to being adopted, taught some new tricks, loved and brushed and hugged every day, and worming his small black way into the center of everyone's hearts. A horse with a mysterious past, but still as calm, accepting, and loving as any horse could be.

 I feel that nothing ever happens without reason, and this little black horse came to us for a purpose. Maybe it was just to be loved by a little girl one last time. Maybe it was to teach us how fleeting our relationships with our horses can be. Maybe his lesson for us was that no matter what happens to you, you can start fresh and move forward with love and trust, overcoming anything that life throws at you. Maybe he was sent to us as a respite from some cold lonely pasture where he may have died alone.

We have tentatively made plans for him to cross the Rainbow Bridge this coming Saturday (providing he can go until then in relative peace and comfort). At this point, any advice on how to support the other horses, especially Pasture Buddy, and the 17 year old yahoo (who will be saying goodbye to her first horse), would be so much appreciated. Thanks for watching along with me to this point. You guys are a tower of strength and good ideas when everything else seems to fail.

I'm so sorry to hear the update on The Old Guy is not good. 

Jingles that he crosses the bridge peacefully. 

Aw, that's sad.  I had to put down a rescue horse that was only 11 years old last august.  I had him for a year and half, but, his stifle injuries just got worse and worse, so, it was the kindest thing to do.

Years ago, when I had to put down my old springer spaniel, I was talking about it with my girlfriend.  She pointed out that sometimes we are kinder to our animals than to our old people.  Some of the things we do to keep people alive when there's no hope of them improving is very sad.  Whereas with our pets, we acknowledge that they will have no quality of life and help them end the suffering.

I don't know really how to explain it to a teen (i don't have kids), but, I think impressing on her that this is really a kindness is important.  And, the old guy was given lots of love and care and attention at the end of his life.  How wonderful is that.

I believe that death is not the end, but, a transition, so, I hope that all who go before us we will see again when it is our time to go.  I love some of the poems and stories about crossing the rainbow bridge.  They make me cry though.

Hope everyone can feel okay about the decision and will remember the horse with love and recall the joy he brought, as well as, the love he was given.

I'm sorry to hear this news.  It does sound as if you are making the right decision.  At least he's been surrounded by loving people in his last days, and hasn't been alone, as you say, in some lonely dirt lot somewhere with no one to care about him.

 Bless you all for what you have done for him.

 Best thing to do for the pasture mate is to let the buddy sniff/inspect the body.  I've seen it happen more then once where you let them determine for themselves that their buddy is gone and the transation is much easier.  

 As for the teen.. well, no help there.  

I'm just catching up on this thread now and my heart goes out to you.

JackInTheBox was laid to rest on Friday afternoon at 6pm. His Vets attribute his rapid decline to cancer and the frailties of old age.

He came to us as a mystery horse on Thanksgiving, found love with a little girl who saw him bravely through to his last breathe and beyond. And he will always have a special place in our hearts and our back pasture.

 Thanks to the Equisearch Community for the support and ideas. He is finally at peace, with no more pain or hardship to bear.

 "A horse can lend its rider the speed and strength he or she lacks, but the rider who is wise remembers it is no more than a loan."  ~Pam Brown

Oh, I'm sorry for your loss. You did the right thing to let him seek greener pastures. He was fortunate to have the end of his life much better than the rest of his life. You are brave and thoughtful b/c you made his comfort your guide, rather than your wishes to keep him for just one more day.

 I am sorry to hear the sad news, but glad that you were able to do the right thing by him.  It is always so hard to let our best friends go and there is nothing that will stop it from hurting. 

Just a thought for the kid -- I did this for a friend of mine (although she is an adult) and she adored it:  make a memorial for him, either a stone to place on his grave you can get engraved, carve some wood, make a photo collage, some kind of project that can symbolize the love that was a gift of the relationship.  Even just a small token -- I still carry a quarter sized medallion with a paw print on it someone gave me when a very special dog I had died of kidney failure and it still means as much to me today as it did then.  Those little things are so meaningful.

 I'm sorry to hear this news but, as you say, he is at peace now, and no longer in pain.  He will live on in your hearts, I'm sure.

 

Especially for the teen age girl, some sort of memorial might be comforting. A lock of his mane hair made into a bracelet for example. A friend of mine found a woman that used their ashes to make lovely pottery and decorated it with a lock of mane hair.