Really weird question-in case of no vet in vicinity

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RobinRTrueJoy

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I have been thinking about this and it will sound weird to ask this. Several posters have mentioned that they have no vets in their area, or some hours away.

That must be really frightening. I am fortunate, my vets are only 45mins. to one hour away providing they aren't busy with another emergency.

If you have no vet in your area, what do you do if.... for example you have a really bad dystocia?

What do you do if things are soooo bad that euthanasia is needed?

If you are so far away from vet help, do you have a gun just in case? (Wow, I know that sounded awful, but I am just thinking about animals suffering, with no vet coming to help end their misery)

What do you do?

Got me thinking as I was looking at real estate in th boonies in New Mexico. Just looking!

Robin
 
Well, I am really lucky I guess, because my area seems to be swarming with vets. My vet lives on the next street, maybe 5 minutes away. BUT I still need a plan B and even a Plan C. I did have a horrible dystocia this spring and my vet was on the other side of the state on a call. I called another vet who is less than a half hour away (and does my ultrasounds so she knows me and my minis) and she came right over. But the situation was so bad, that Plan C went into effect - a 2 hour trip to the large animal hospital at Tufts. So the vet 5 minutes away wasn't much help in that situation. But the mare did make it, thanks to Tufts, while the foal had no chance anyway at around 9 months gestation.
 
Robin, I vaguely remember someone asking this question once before awhile back, but it's not a bad question to bring up again....

The whole idea makes me cringe, to be honest. But if I were in a desperate situation with one of our animals and they were suffering and I didn't have the drugs, I would use a gun.

OR, if I lived so far away from a vet that taking them to be euthanized would be cruel, I would probably keep the drug(s) necessary -- locked away for a dire emergency. There are vets out there that will prescribe the drug(s) if necessary, IF they know you.
 
Also, in a very dire emergency-- which is what it would be if one needed to put down a suffering horse that had no chance of survival-- you could cut the horse's throat and let them bleed out. I know, gruesome, but it's apparently a relatively painless way to die. When I was young, that was done to a horse that had been burned in a barn fire and then escaped, but was too badly burned to survive, and when they caught up to him they didn't have a gun, so...
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Also, in a very dire emergency-- which is what it would be if one needed to put down a suffering horse that had no chance of survival-- you could cut the horse's throat and let them bleed out. I know, gruesome, but it's apparently a relatively painless way to die. When I was young, that was done to a horse that had been burned in a barn fire and then escaped, but was too badly burned to survive, and when they caught up to him they didn't have a gun, so...
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OMG! OMG! OMG! I hope and PRAY that that NEVER becomes an alternative on my ranch! I could NOT do it and neither could Art!
 
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I can't imagine having to do it either. *shudder*
 
We have had some really bad dystocias on occasion. Our vet showed us how to get the head out and if the foal was dead, cut the foal in half to get the legs out. It is gruesome but you have to save your mare. We have also managed to deliver breech and other foals (foals were dead already) ourselves. Our vet does manage to get here usually afterward to take care of any problems the mares have had (thank goodness all our mares have done fine). I was raised on a farm so I could put a horse down if needed, but it would be hard.

I keep meds on hand for emergencies. Our vet usually provides us with drugs to keep on hand and if we can get to him on the phone, he has walked us through things until he could get here. If our vet says he is tied up, he means it -literally. I have had him talking me through a bad dystocia when he was saving another mare somewhere else....But bless him, he will do what he can to help you out. He is a mobile vet, has no "office" to go to and so you learn how to treat your animal at home with his help. He has helped us save badly damaged hooves, major infections and colics. Not the best of worlds but you do what you have to.
 
It would be hard, but we have guns at the house and if the need was there and there was nothing more we could do, I would have to shoot the animal. That goes for my dogs as well. I had a diagram of how to "put a horse down" saved to the old computer and have had someone on the phone while they were doing it and it is hard. But if the animal is suffering and that is the only relief it has to be done.

Me personally have been known as the nosey one with vets, shoers, and all other animal people just to lean different things. I know some people can't even think about stitching thier own dogs up, but I've had to before. You'd be amazed what happens when adreniline is added to your system.
 
We have not had to personally end the life of any of our animals but we did have to stitch a sheep's stomach that got sliced with scissors. We used dental floss and a darning needle.

When the vet arrived he thought we had done a good job.

My uncle was a butcher and used to come to the farm to slaughter an animal every now and then, which Mum and Dad wanted for feeding our family of 8.

He would walk the animal up the gangway and used a rifle just below the horn area on the side of the head.

They would "drop" instantly.

I know that I could not do it but I will now be asking my vet if they allow any farmers to purchase the drugs required to euthanize.

I understand that for dogs the needle is a huge overdose of some drug which will kill them.
 
Another way to bleed them out that is just as painless and alittle less hard on the owner is to rectally cut the carodid artery. That way they bleed out internally and it is a bit quicker. Never had to do it but we have to learn these things in school. (I am earning a Equestrain degree along with my biomedical)

Courtney

P.S. It is a hard question to ask, but I think you are a kinder horse person for wanting to know.
 
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CastleRock, I know what you mean. I tell people I grew up with cows, chickens, pigs, ducks, geese,, you name it but no horses. We were poor and if we could not "eat it" we did not "feed it". As kids we were expected to help with the preparation of meat including killing cows, hogs, chickens. I really never thought much about it. I kind of always dreaded Thanksgiving because it started getting cold enough to start killing things. But nothing ever suffered at all, my dad made sure we all knew how to shoot straight. And we learned life is precious and not to be wasted.

My sister in law came one time from the city. She was all excited about seeing the cows, etc. I fixed country style steak for lunch. About half way through, it dawned on her where the steak came from she was eating. She dropped her fork and exclaimed "How can you eat this?!" I said it all looked the same in the pan. Just how we were raised.

But my horses are like my kids. I have finally come to a place in my life I can have the luxury of having a large animal I don't have to eat. Nervana for me.
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Robin,

I think you have enough to worry about. Now you are just adding to it:)))

It has happened to me. The vet could not make it out. But they had a different vet for me to call since I needed them asap. Since then I have a list of vet numbers I researched and met previously. They might cost more since they are not my "usual" vet but what can you do???
 
Oh goodness.

Can't you just have massive amounts of a painkiller/tranq available to inject "just in case?"

I can't imagine owning animals without having a vet around. It's just one of those things. Either don't have animals or don't live where there aren't vets.

Andrea
 
I grew up on a dairy and we took care of all kinds of animal problems our selfs. we had regular vet visits but they were usaly to far away in emergencys. so my grandmother would sew up cows, dogs, and men. my mother wasnt too happy with her wanting to sew on us kids. but she would put up with her working on the hired hands. she would keep silk thread handy for those kinds of jobs. now that we are older, live closer to vets, and only have pets. Im perfectly happy to let our vet handle this. If I had to put down one of our pets Ive made a deal with a nearby friend that Ill put down theirs and they will do ours. that also includes digging the grave! DR.
 

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