Describe your horse when you first got it.
Charlie-My 22 year old rescued Belgian Draft Horse-Final Chapter.
Please see my two prior stories on my rescue story to see history of Charlie and I.
This is Charlie's final update and chapter.
Describe your horse now.
I had to euthanize Charlie on March 1st 2010.
After sending his body to lab, I found out he had cancer in his kidneys, spleen, pancreas and stomach lining. The vet said he had been sick a long time.
My dear Charlie-stuck around to be with me for 7 short but full months-we loved each other so much.
About my rescued horse
I was able to get Charlie's weight up to where it should be for a 17 hand draft-about 1800 lbs. He ate his mash, supplements, treats, went for his walks and gave me so much happiness and joy in the short 7 months we had together.
Charlie touched everyone's hearts who knew him-from those that met him in person to those that knew him from my posting pictures and writing about him.
He taught me so much - he was a courageous, noble, loving, wonderful, dear horse.
Charlie was the best thing that ever happened in my life besides my son, I miss him terribly.
My tears fall daily.
How I Did It:
Charlie's blood panel's, one in Dec, one 30 days later showed low white blood cells and internal inflammation. The vet had me check his temp daily for two weeks; we thought maybe he had a virus. His temperature during that two weeks in between the two blood panels was normal, he was eating, it was a puzzle.
The vet checked him for Cushings-the results were borderline Cushings and borderline hypothyroid-she put him on thyro-l-
Jan-he seemed ok-the only thing that never changed with him-he didn't have the projectile diarrhea since I had bought him, but he always had the cow-patty feces-which I found out later-was not normal.
The 2nd week of Feb-I scheduled his dental and routine check up with the vet-she noticed he seemed hot-his temp was 102-we ran another blood panel-his white cells were now high, not low. She put him on antibiotic for 10 days, he kept spiking fevers, he stopped eating his mash-so no more supplements, he would not drink his fresh water-he would only eat grass and drink the stagnant rainwater in his paddock. He didn't really want to go on walks anymore-only outside his pen to eat grass. He still enjoyed our grooming sessions and my songs and hugs.
The last weekend of Feb. -he seemed to be losing a lot of his drive-fatigued mentally-sleeping-almost falling-stopped wanting me to halter him and take him out-that night I told him I would help him the next morn-March 1st-to crossover to rainbow bridge if he just couldn't stay anymore. I knew he was really sick-and I couldn't fix it-[I hugged him and cried and sang our song to him. I went home to get some sleep-my friend called me at 7:15 Mon. morn Charlie was own and couldn't get up. when I got there I told everyone to let him be, he wasn't going to be able to get up-he was tired he wanted peace. I sat in the mud with him next to his head where he could look at me and talked to him and hugged that big head and kissed his nose and eye and told him he was the best horse that ever was and he was a good boy, that he could go I would help him, there would be no more pain and I would join him one day. He sighed, relaxed, looked at me with his big brown eye. I saw my entire image in his eye-my heart was screaming-it was so hard to let go of Charlie. I kept telling him it was ok. The vet gave him his shots-I held his head while he slipped away. I felt his spirit go peacefully.
I had his body taken to the lab -the vet called me next ay-Charlie had cancer in his kidneys, spleen, pancreas, stomach.
Advice
- Save a horse-any horse
- SPEND TIME LOVING YOUR HORSE, BEING WITH YOUR HORSE
- Advocate-volunteer for the horses
- Research-educate yourself re horse health matters
- Get an experienced vet-question question question
- Be a responsible horse owner
- Enjoy the brief time we have during this life-with your
- horse-don't leave them sitting in a boarding barn or pasture without your attention and love-horses are sensitive spiritual beings that are confined by our domestication of them-if they are yours-show them they mean a lot to you-be with them, love them. Care for them-
- Let them fill your heart with joy
