It is with great sadness that I write this post. I have not been on as much as Id like and it is mostly due to the condition of my horse Boo. A few weeks ago it started out with a drastic loss in weight, but in the past two weeks has worsened. We went out to feed one day and discovered his...man parts...were swollen. I did not think it would get much worse (thought he just needed to be cleaned and that the swelling was due to irritation) and it was the weekend so we did not call a vet out ASAP. By that Monday the swelling had increased so we called and the vet came out about an hour later. What she saw shocked her. In her 18 years as a veterinarian she had never seen anything like it, and had only heard of it in breeding stallions (Boo is a gelding - castrated male). She gave us a poor prognosis and told us surgery would be the best choice. But on a military single income budget, we could not afford $3000 (at a minimum mind you) to have it amputated. So over the past two weeks we have been giving him antibiotics, pain killers, and trying to keep it elevated in hopes that the fluid would drain off.
Instead of getting better the tissue has turned purple, and although the swelling has dissipated some, he now has edema in his chest and along the underside of his torso. We called our vet to tell her how it is doing, and she said that even with money to spare that the outcome was grim. So after much struggle with the decision, we have decided to euthanize him. This is such a difficult decision for me to make but I know at this point it is in his best interest. If the outcome of surgery was a guarantee I would do everything in my power to raise that money. I hate that decisions of life or death come down to finances, its heartbreaking.
So this Monday, I will have to say good bye to my dear old friend Boo (registered name Premium Page). He has been a part of my family since my Sophomore year of high school (I'm 21 now). He has always been such a pain in the rear, but I love him because he makes up for it in sweetness and effort. He is awkward and pigeon toed, and dislikes his mouth touched and rarely allows me to tie him to a hitching post. But we have worked through a lot of his issues, accepted his imperfections and come to be good friends. He has even made friends with my two year old son. Boo will be greatly missed by all of us, but especially by our mare (female horse) Joey. They have been pasture buddies and friends for a couple years now. I worry that she will fall into depression (yes, that really does happen with animals!) but hopefully since she is stabled near other horses she will do okay.
Anyway, that's all for now. Not much else to say about it unless you wanted my life story with Boo :) . This is why I haven't been on much, I'm sorry. But I hope you will understand! On a better note, I have friends from Northern California coming up for Thanksgiving. It is our first big holiday in a place of our own, so I am very excited about that! I hope the rest of you have a fantastic holiday season. Keep warm, and drive safe on those wet roads!
I'm so sorry! Horses really do become like members of your family. And it is a tough decision because of the money. Horses cost so much! It's sad but we can't really spend the same amount of money on a pet that we'd spend on a family member (unless we are millionairs). But he lived a good life with you. Many horses don't have that chance. I used to own a horse and will soon buy him back, and can't imagine what I'll do when he passes on. Best wishes to you and your family. Hope you have a great thanksgiving!
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