This past week, we made the heartbreaking decision to help Chip and Dale cross over. These two sweet older gentlemen had both been having acute health challenges as of late, and despite our careful management, were declining, not improving. Chip was experiencing significant hoof pain due to the laminitic changes in both of his front hooves, and it was reaching the point where his bad days were outnumbering his good ones. And Dale had undergone significant lifestyle changes due to his recent choke episodes, making it so that he was unable to consume any solid food, and could not be let out on grass without a grazing muzzle. As responsible caretakers, we looked at their decreased quality of life, and made the incredibly difficult choice to help them pass, together.
Upon intake, it was apparent that Chip had suffered years of laminitic flare ups. Working with our vets at Pilchuck, it was revealed through radiographs that he had 26 degree rotation on the right front, with the left exhibiting even more. The vets at Pilchuck took immediate action in getting Chip the help he needed, including months of hoof casts and corrective trimming, not to mention orthotic boots, pain medication, and lifestyle changes. With careful management, over the years Chip was able to have a good quality of life.
Before he returned to SAFE this year, Chip experienced a particularly bad flare. Though he did improve, ever since arriving here, we had been unable to allow Chip to go barefoot because of how uncomfortable he had been, even in a soft dirt paddock. We had been carefully tracking Chip’s movement each day, and the trend over the last month showed that he had been in noticeable pain more days than not. On days when he was having an especially difficult time, we had been giving him bute to help ease his pain, but its effect was not as impactful as it once was. We recently rechecked his insulin levels in the event that there might have been a change impacting his comfort, but his bloodwork came back within normal limits.
At his last trim with farrier Corrie, who had been seeing him since the vets at Pilchuck gave him the OK to switch to a non-vet farrier back in 2022, she observed firsthand how much discomfort he was in, and when we spoke to her about potentially getting a new set of farrier films to inform her trims, she expressed that it wouldn’t make much of a difference in her approach to trimming him. Corrie has heaps of experience with trimming laminitic horses, and has been an integral part of keeping Chip comfortable. But after his last trim, she was of the opinion that even with a more dramatic intervention like a clog shoe or a more intensive pain med, his pain might only be able to be slightly managed, but he would never truly improve. She did feel like his left front had gotten worse, and while she could not say for sure, she felt that he had perhaps had more rotation based on the angle of the hoof. We showed her the tracker of his “sound” vs. unsound days, and she was in agreement that with more than half of his days being ones where he was experiencing a high level of discomfort, the kindest choice would be to let him go.
Dale lived with Chip for 15 years and they are the best of buds. Sadly, given his stallion status, it was unlikely he would ever have another companion. Dale had choked three times recently, two of them within weeks of each other, which worried us greatly. While before he was able to nibble at some hay and grass, following the latest choke episode — one that took a late night ride to Pilchuck and hours of scoping and tubing to pass — he was placed on a pretty much a liquid diet. He had to wear a grazing muzzle during turnout for his safety, and it clearly distressed him. Additionally, when the hot weather came, we noticed he was experiencing labored breathing in the afternoons.
For the best interest of both Chip and Dale, we decided to let them both go, together. Knowing that Laura, their former owner, supported this decision is comforting. On their last day, they had as many treats as their little mouths could handle, and Dale was allowed for un-muzzled time out in the tall grass. Laura was able to make a trip to come and spend lots of quality time with them, and was just one of many who showered them with attention and extra special love. We are forever grateful to the volunteers and staff who put our horses’ best interests first and support these difficult choices. To know that these two little gentlemen are forever out of pain is a salve that helps ease the hurt of their passing.
