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Post by schwung on Nov 14, 2009 21:33:14 GMT -5
Sadly, Wishes made this very hard decision for us today. I had noticed yesterday that Wishes was moving very stiffly and her front legs looked a bit swollen along with her backs. I didn't look her over carefully, I assumed it was probably another scratches outbreak, since she was constantly fighting with it and her hind legs were continuously stocked up as a result. I figured when I had volunteer help today we would take her out and scrub her legs with medicated shampoo...but this morning it was quickly apparant that something far more serious was wrong with her. She didn't want to move and when she had to she moved laborously and slowly. Her front legs were swollen from knee to fetlock and she was standing on her heels. At first I thought maybe she was foundering but she was not rocking back, it looked more as if her fetlocks had dropped and the angles of her front feet had changed. I called Pilchuck out, Dr Scheck, a new vet, was the vet on call. She looked her over and was stumped...she had a slight digital pulse but not major, and was not responsive to foot testers so she was not foundering. Her suspensories (both fronts) however were very swollen and painful on palpation. Without an ultrasound (which she didn't have with her), she couldn't definitely diagnose her, but she felt that she was either looking at a DSLD situation (which did seem strange, given her hind legs although swollen were not dropped in the fetlocks like her fronts), or she had somehow blown both front suspensories. However, given the situation and history with her, the amount of pain she was in and the fact that whatever the cause her fetlocks had dropped, we opted not to pursue further diagnostics and laid Wishes to rest. She enjoyed a big bowl of grain and was well sedated before she went. I am very sad that it had to end this way...I wish we could have helped her more. She was a sweet, beautiful mare that did not deserve all that she went through in her life. At least she knew kindness and a full belly this last year. RIP sweet Wishes, and I hope you are running in lush pastures, pain free and happy.
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bsnlark
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SAFE's Larkspur and Ishmeal n Buckwheat, too
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Post by bsnlark on Nov 14, 2009 21:45:58 GMT -5
Jaime, How truely sad , but she's in a better place.
Mort sent a note saying she had gone flying past him , headed to the spa didnt even stop at Starbucks ;D
up up and away, wishing starr
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Post by kdunham on Nov 14, 2009 21:56:35 GMT -5
Tough call but one that had to be made. My heart goes out to everyone involved with Wishes.
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shekaberry
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Post by shekaberry on Nov 14, 2009 22:01:05 GMT -5
She was in some serious pain, she could barely walk. It was a tough call, but given the demons that she carried and the pain she was in; it was most definitely the right thing to do.
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Buena
SAFE Volunteer
No horse will ever teach you as much as your first horse.
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Post by Buena on Nov 14, 2009 22:07:31 GMT -5
Totally agree with Allison. The ones with those demons...well they are much better off free from pain and turmoil. Thankfully she got a peaceful end. SAFE should be proud for what it tried to do for that mare.
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honeydofarm
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Post by honeydofarm on Nov 14, 2009 23:00:28 GMT -5
Oh Jaime, I am so sorry to hear this happened. Thank you to all who made the last part of her life as good as it could be.
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Post by hooti4me on Nov 14, 2009 23:14:00 GMT -5
So sorry to hear about Wishes.. You guys did all you could do... RIP peace sweet girl. You were well loved this last part of your life.
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Post by Angel62197 on Nov 14, 2009 23:21:58 GMT -5
How very sad for everyone! I'm glad it was a peaceful ending for Wishes. I know SAFE did everything they could for her. RIP beautiful girl
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Post by hops on Nov 15, 2009 0:37:38 GMT -5
I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you so much for caring for her and making her important.
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Post by mymercedes on Nov 15, 2009 0:47:18 GMT -5
RIP Wishes, and thank you to Jaime and the others.....SAFE definitely did the kindest thing for this mare. Condolences to all involved.
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Post by coconut on Nov 15, 2009 0:58:38 GMT -5
We were just talking about her this evening. While I am in deed sorry that she had to go and that it appeared things just were not working out for her in so many areas, it is nice to know that she was given every opportunity we had to give. Thank you to everyone who has helped care for her over the time. This troubled mare has finally known love and kindness...and I'm grateful she got to end her life on an good-note.
Peace is yours now
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lyn51
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Post by lyn51 on Nov 15, 2009 1:06:31 GMT -5
So sorry to hear this, but agree that it was the right thing to do. She was lucky to be with SAFE and get the TLC and attention she deserved.
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Post by schwung on Nov 15, 2009 2:41:28 GMT -5
I was having some trouble sleeping tonight thinking about Wishes. What was bothering me was the fact that while it did appear to be DSLD, that my understanding of DSLD (and that of the vet's as well) was that it usually was a slow degenerative kind of thing, and usually showed up first in the hind limbs (although, perhaps that is why she had perpetual swelling in the hind legs, which we attributed to the scratches/cellulitis issues she had when she came and the fact that they were chronically scurfy). In any case, I had to get out of bed and did a search on "acute DSLD". I feel so much better now: www.angelfire.com/bc/curlygait/diagnose.htmlSudden onset of heat & pain and swelling in suspensory branches and/or whole fetlock area. Body of Suspensory and/or tendons may also be painful to palpation. Horse may refuse to walk at this stage. Some horses show no lameness at onset, some become severely lame. Often laying down and moaning showing a false colic is present during onset. This is a painful time for the horse. * Unexplained lameness * Stumbling and tripping * Leg cramp, frequent stretching of leg, frequent stomping (not caused by flies landing), lifting leg high and holding, biting at suspensory branches * Maybe one, two or all legs, may seem to move around from leg to leg in early stages. After onset will be bilateral. * Heat & swelling in fetlock area, maybe localized on inside or outside of fetlock or could be whole whole fetlock area. * Soreness in Suspensory ligament on palpation especially in the suspensory branches. and: "There is NO other condition that causes enlargements and dropping of the fetlocks either fronts, rears or both - than DSLD - those signs are what we term as pathognomonic for DSLD - i.e. when you have those signs you have THAT disease"- Dr. Mero
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Post by schwung on Nov 15, 2009 2:50:03 GMT -5
Also - I read that two things that are now being associated to DSLD are excessive skin elasticity and skin sensitivity - especially to needles. Wishes did not do well with the needles today..she was extremely difficult, throwing her head around, trying to bite. And when she was putting in the catheter, I noticed her skin was very loose and wrinkly and even commented on it. The vet didn't think it was excessively abnormal, but it looked looser than it should.
Anyway...I am pretty confident that she did have DSLD at this point, and perhaps had it in her hind legs previously, as although they were not dropped they were certainly chronically thickened and it never really went away even with wrapping. Perhaps this was even the reason why she was flipping herself - as an aversion to any kind of work. We will never know for sure...she certainly never had any lameness issues that we saw prior to this and she was a very pretty mover, but from what I have read tonight DSLD can manifest itself very differently in horses - some have dropped fetlocks, some not; some with acute onset, some with gradual onset; some hind only, some fronts only, some all four legs.
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Post by fototropic on Nov 15, 2009 10:34:12 GMT -5
Thank goodness that Wishes found her way to you. Imagine what could have happened to her if not. These horses with "issues" often end up to horribly abused. She was loved and cared for in every way. I am so sorry that you had to go through this Jaimie, but thank you for being there for her throughout it all. And, I am glad that you did not have to make that terrible decision over a behavioral/money issue; but instead it was a final act of love and compassion. Pam
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