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I'd like to add the following to Susan's list of signs to watch for.
Always remember that the horse, by nature, is a "flight" animal.  The 
deepest, most instinctive, need is the ability to escape a threat.  No 
matter how safe the present environment we provide, no matter how well we 
have trained them to trust, that need to be able to flee is still there.
Whenever, for any reason, whether it may be frailty, injury, inability to 
see well, any thing, the horse may doubt escape posibilities, remember how 
frightening it can be.   Living in an uneasy state, or possibly terror, is 
not a good existance.
Be sure you keep the horse's perception of the surroundings and sense of 
safety in mind.




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Susan E. Garlinghouse, DVM" <suendavid@xxxxxxx>
To: "'Ridecamp'" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, September 03, 2007 2:21 PM
Subject: [RC] deciding when to euthanize


> First of all, I agree with Kat's comments that sending them on their way a
> touch too early is preferable to too late; and also that a shorter,
> comfortable life is preferable to a long, miserable one.  That would also 
> be
> my preference for myself, as well, though it hasn't yet been put to the 
> acid
> test.
>
> Since I'm a vet, I have to have "the talk" with owners on a regular basis.
> I also very often hear the comment, "this must be the worst part of your
> job."  And that's not true, because in virtually all cases, I'm doing a
> profound kindness for the animal, and very often, for the owner as well
> (though they may not always realize it at the time, if ever).  At least a
> part of why I chose to become a veterinarian instead of a human physician 
> is
> because I can do for a suffering animal what we won't do for a suffering
> fellow human being.
>
> So I think one of the first things to consider, when wondering whether 
> it's
> "time", is that you are in all likelihood making a kind decision on your
> animal's behalf, at least when the animal is having a significant amount 
> of
> pain just getting around.  Please don't take this that I'm advocating
> "getting rid of any pet just because it's no longer useful"---I'm not.  I
> have my share of creaky animals that will continue to live out their lives
> as long as I can keep them comfortable and happy.  When I can't, then
> regardless of the personal pain their loss will cause me, it is my
> responsibility as their caretaker to relieve them of their pain, even when
> that solution entails a humane death.
>
> When I'm talking to clients that are asking whether or not it's time, I
> suggest that they make a handwritten list---don't just keep a mental tally
> in your head, because then it's easy to give yourself a selective memory
> when you want to avoid a difficult decision.  Write it down and keep it
> somewhere safe and easily found.  The list should entail all the things 
> you
> know about that animal that define a quality, enjoyable life for THAT
> animal---maybe not even at the prime of its life, but as a happy, healthy
> animal with some good miles left.  They can and should include big things
> like eating with appetite and enjoyment; the ability to move themselves to
> different areas to eat, drink, relieve themselves, thermoregulate and
> socialize; and they can be little, individual things like flipping their
> tail over their back to skip across the pasture, or playing fetch with the
> stuffed bunny, or wanting to go for an outing of some sort, etc 
> (obviously,
> things appropriate to the species involved).  It should, if appropriate,
> also balance the need for invasive, uncomfortable medical therapies---a 
> gram
> of bute a day obviously isn't a big deal, while daily care of 
> deteriorating,
> painful, non-healing wounds are another.
>
> Just as with anything data-point related, the longer the list, probably 
> the
> more accurate it will be in defining the animal's life.  Then start 
> marking
> off the things as the animal no longer can or will do them, or only does
> with great difficulty.  And don't cheat.  If the animal can only turn 
> around
> by slowly hopping, or limping  so that bystanders wince, or won't move at
> all when it easily would have a few years earlier, then it's time to cross
> off "gets around with reasonable comfort".
>
> When you've crossed off half your list, it's not time yet, but definitely
> time to be paying more attention, and monitoring little extras to make 
> their
> life easier.  When two-thirds to three-quarters of the list is crossed 
> off,
> it's probably in the not-too-distant future, depending on whether the
> remaining list-points are big things, or little things.  It's pretty
> individual.  IMO, when 80% of the list is crossed off, it's usually time 
> to
> say thank you, I love you, and goodbye; and if you've crossed off 90% or
> more off the list, you've waited too long, which is a pretty poor thank 
> you
> to a good friend.
>
> These are just guidelines, not rules.  The concept isn't mine, it was
> originally put together by some counselors that specialized in pet-loss
> issues, as well as other veterinarians and a random ethicist or two.  I
> think it works pretty well, and not only helps avoid too-late animal
> suffering issues (sometimes), as well as hopefully some of the feeling 
> that
> many owners subconsciously get of "I'm murdering my animal, I'm a bad
> person", which has been well-documented in multiple studies.
>
> I think the key element in deciding "when" is not based on when is the
> kindest time for *you*, but when is the kindest time for your animal. 
> It's
> rare that the two coincide, and if we're to be responsible caretakers for
> our animals, we have to choose to take on some extra pain for their 
> behalf,
> so they don't have to for ours.
>
> JMO.
>
> Susan Garlinghouse, DVM
>
>
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