goddessfarmer | I have a sad

For those of you who follow me on fb, this will not be news, but I also wanted to expand on the soundbite a bit. This morning I had say the long good-bye to my equine partner of the past 7 years. Just before out last event (May 10, not even a month ago) he started feeling not quite right. That progressed to being really not right, and a preliminary neurological exam on May 26. After bloodwork which ruled out the most likely cause of disease, I took him to New England Equine Medical and Surgical Center in Dover NH for further evaluation on Monday 6/1. The exam and x-rays on Monday showed a possible fracture or bone chip in C2/3 area, which, if impinging on the spinal column could certainly cause the presented hind limb ataxia. After much discussion, it was decided that the best course of action would be to take a spinl tap so that the disease EPM could be definitively ruled out, and since that would require general anesthesia, do a meylograph ct as well. Tuesday morning they did those procedures and the meylograph hit pay dirt - a spinal compression at c7/8. There could have been a chance at surgically opening the area, but I was not going to subject Skip to that. Even so, there was a chance that he would be able to come home and graze in his pasture for a while. However, he was never able to stand again. This morning, he had no nerve reaction in his hind legs, so even if the vets had righted him upright in the sling he would not have been able to stand up. I felt that we had done all we could do for him, and he was euthanised at 9:30 this morning.
I am sad. I was hoping to have more time with him. I do not regret anything though. I remember the good times.