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Langley Times
Straight talk on euthanasia
Published: March 04, 2010 3:00 PM
Updated: March 04, 2010 3:55 PM
With death, as with life, timing is everything. We all want to give our horses a healthy, happy life. We also owe them a kind, timely death.
The decision to end the life of a beloved family member is deeply personal, and involves many factors beyond the merely medical. In a world where the number of horses far exceeds the number of good homes, the future of even useful, trained horses is uncertain.
That’s why Aldergrove-based equine vet Dr. David Paton, of Paton & Martin Veterinary Services, is slow to judge and quick to bring up the subject of euthanasia in circumstances where it might be an option.
“We, as vets, have seen an increase in the number of horses we’ve had to put down. I’ve seen an increase in the number of people putting down an older horse sooner or later. Some make the decision to put down a healthy horse that is no longer useful. Then there are situations when a horse has a poor prognosis and the owners can’t afford treatment,” said Paton.
He tells the sad story about a Grand Prix horse which was sold after its career ended by owners who thought they were doing the right thing.
“The owners would have been shattered to know how it was then used and abused by a series of owners. By the time it was 20 years old, it was sway-backed, terribly underfed, and being used to pack tourists on trail rides,” he recalled.
He makes the point that sometimes putting down a healthy horse is a decision made by owners who are taking responsibility to make sure that horse is never abused.
“That’s why I never judge people who decide to put a horse to sleep.”
What he does suggest, however, is that when the decision is made to end the life of an ailing horse, sooner is better than later.
“Believe me, it’s better to put a horse down when it is smiling at you than to wait too long, until you find the horse in agony,” said Paton.
He explains that euthanasia, when done by a veterinarian, is basically an overdose of an anaesthetic-type substance. The fatal dose is administered in an open area,to simplify removal of the animal after death.
“We usually give horses a tranquilizer first to make sure things go smoothly. They then just lay down. Sometimes, even after brain death occurs, there will be some movements or sighs while there is still oxygen circulating, but the horse feels nothing.”
Horse owners in the Lower Mainland are fortunate that the disposal of dead horses is relatively simply and inexpensive. That service is performed locally by Carson’s, which charges around $300 for pickup and disposal. Veterinarians charge between $250 and $300 for euthanasia, for a total cost of $500 to $600.
“We’re fortunate to have a Carson’s here. In the U.S. it can cost $3,000 to haul a horse to a place for proper disposal.”
Paton also suggests that horse owners leave instructions concerning emergency care of their horses with their veterinarian or a responsible person before they travel.
“When you are going away, you can give your vet a ‘do not resuscitate ’ order for emergencies or authorize treatment to a certain cost. I’ve run into a situation where the horse was in need of medical attention and we couldn’t get authorization from anyone to treat it,” said Paton.
Anne Patterson is a Langley writer and horse owner. Contact her at accidentalrider@yahoo.com.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/86426857.html
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