Possibilities

Mike put it best when he said "Bo is in a body of a 30 year old even though he's 16."


We had a mare that we lost at the age of 16 because she had teeth of a 30+ year old. I've never lost one at that young of an age until we said goodbye to Blondie (registered name Sun Gold Doll).


For the past three nights, Bo has been off his feed. It's ulcers. Very obvious ulcers. Although he has a long list of other ailments going on right now as well. I've been feeding him a mixture of soaked beet pulp shreds, senior, and purina strategy, along with dumor weight booster. I had hoped the beet pulp would keep the ulcers at bay but help pack on the weight. He'd been on this proportion for the past month or more but with no signs of improvement. In fact, the ulcers flared but what am I supposed to do? Without additional supplements, like grain, he'll lose weigh.


We don't have high quality, dairy quality hay this year so I'm not sure what's going to happen (to him or any of the others). He HAS to have a supplement to keep what little weight he has on him. I thought last night I would try just soaked beet pulp and a few alfalfa pellets. It was a no go. He ate half and showed signs of discomfort. So any supplement is going to cause him problems.


We are picking up some Ramona feed to see if that helps but if beet pulp doesn't help, this feed wont' either. But I can add it to Junior's feed and I know he'll perk up.


A very good friend has offered to do a holistic sort of exam on him so I'm going to take her up on that offer. If we can get his pain under control without having to constantly medicate him, my life would be much simpler.


The vet said we'd most likely have to put him on omperizal. It's somewhere between $8-10 a tube. A tube contains two treatments for resolving the issue and it would take about 10 days of daily treatment. Then he'd be on daily maintenance treatment. A tube contains 4 daily maintenance treatments. He's 16. To keep him comfortable for a year, I'll be spending $750 for one year (if I did my math right). That's one little flatbed pull of hay. And what's the say the price wont' go up during the next 10 years?


We don't have a lot of supporters. We have very few followers but are ever grateful for everyone that reads the blog, Facebook posts, twitter posts, and watches the Facebook videos. But there's no way I can raise $750 for Bo's yearly treatment for the next 10 years. We couldn't raise the $400 for Mayhem's surgery and that'll come out of my personal pocket when it becomes an emergency.


Do I sacrifice and try to make a go of it with the treatments?


If we do, we subsequently shut the doors to ANY deserving senior that needs a place to call home until Bo crosses the rainbow bridge. There's so many that need a place to call home. In the 11 years we've been providing sanctuary, we've said goodbye to 10+ horses. We'd therefore be closing our doors to any opportunity to provide a safe place for 10+ horses because we can't responsibly bring in anyone else if Bo is going to cost the same amount as what we pay in hay.


Is it ethical to look at the terrible alternative if euthanasia? He's YOUNG! 16 is NOT old. It doesn't seem to be right to even consider the option. There's a possible treatment plan for him but money and time gets in the way of it.


I'm sure I'll have someone suggest or offer to take him but I can't send him to another rescue because I have to send Zeke with. I'm not going to separate best friends. But I promised Zeke he'd stay with me forever. He looks like a riding horse, so someone would take him and ride the snot out of him. They'd put all kinds of people on him and he DESERVES a retirement. Just because he's 25, it doesn't mean he looks that way and I can't ensure that he would get used hard. So I can't sacrifice one horse for another.


I'm sure the vet will provide some answers but I know what they are. Ulcer treatment and then maintenance for the rest of his life. He doesn't take treatments well. How long will he take these treatments without getting really, really bad. I can't risk getting hurt either. It was all I could do to get the banamine in him and he wasn't feeling good. What happens when he's full of vim and vinegar?


So what do I do?