Choke

[Quest]

What a scary morning ive had. When to feed Murphy as usual and he came trotting over neighing happily. Half way through his food his neck started to contract and he made terrible grunting noises. I rang down to get his headcollar and by the time I got back (about 3 mins) he had saliva coming from his mouth and green food mixed gunk coming from his nose. I brought him into the stable and called the vet.

Choke is confirmed. He has had two injections and is now in the stable with no food or water looking terrible. I have to give him water around tea time and the vet is coming back out tomorrow lunch time.

He had the injections about 1 hour ago. I hope this does not cause pneumonia and he recovers. If there is anyone that has experienced this I would be glad of any advice. Im quite scared at the moment as he is only 18 months.

[Lindi]

It is quite alarming to watch, but try not to worry too much. The pony I used to look after had choke a few times and it didn't seem to do her any long term harm. You did the right thing to call the vet, and i'm sure your boy will be fine.

[Jessey]

I've had a couple choke, for no apparent reason :rolleyes: and they have all been fine, its always worth getting them checked by the vet though.

The normal guidelines I've had are to feed very sloppy, 'soup' feeds and make sure all veggies and stuff are cut long ways so they can't get stuck, seems to reduce the chances of it happening.

J x

[intouch]

Scarey stuff, I've seen it a few times, once really badly where the pony was collapsing, but it usually does come OK. I've seen the vet pass a tube down the throat to push the obstruction down. It shouldn't cause pneumonia as it is the oesophagus and not the windpipe that is blocked. Keep us informed, poor baby.

[Quest]

It shouldn't cause pneumonia as it is the oesophagus and not the windpipe that is blocked. Keep us informed, poor baby.

Vet said that some mucus that comes from the nose can enter the lungs and this is what can cause pneumonia. A lot seems to be coming out which I hope is a good thing that it is not going the other way. If he has not improved by tea time Im going to have to call the vet out again and they will have to tube him.

[intouch]

I can't believe that he has been left so long - if it is that bad I would get on the phone NOW!

[Trewsers]

Sounds scary, hope your horse is better soon. What exactly causes it?

[Fletcher]

Its scary watching a horse with choke, there is nothing you can do for the poor things till the vet gets to you, which seems like ages!

I have seen a few horses with choke and have noticed that they were quite greedy feeders that bolted their food. They were also fed cubes/nuts. Quite dry so have the potential to get stuck in the throat.

Just a thought, maybe avoid cubes or wet them so that they swell up before the horse eats them?

[sidesaddlelady1]

What a scary morning ive had. When to feed Murphy as usual and he came trotting over neighing happily. Half way through his food his neck started to contract and he made terrible grunting noises. I rang down to get his headcollar and by the time I got back (about 3 mins) he had saliva coming from his mouth and green food mixed gunk coming from his nose. I brought him into the stable and called the vet.

Choke is confirmed. He has had two injections and is now in the stable with no food or water looking terrible. I have to give him water around tea time and the vet is coming back out tomorrow lunch time.

He had the injections about 1 hour ago. I hope this does not cause pneumonia and he recovers. If there is anyone that has experienced this I would be glad of any advice. Im quite scared at the moment as he is only 18 months.

Yes really frightening. When the WH had it I panicked because he sounds as if he was trying to vomit (which horses can't do)! The vet sorted him out and recommended wet feed (sloppy sugar beet or water) and damp hay in future which we now religiously do.

I may be "teaching my grandmother how to suck eggs" but NEVER cut carrots into rings as they can get stuck in the throat and choke the horse.

[Quest]

Im glad to say that Murphy is tucked up in his stable and back to normal, neighing for more food that he cant have. It took a good couple of hours before what ever was stuck moved. He was on a youngstock mix so now I will have to change his feed. The vet is coming out tomorrow at 12:00 to give him another injection (antibiotics i think). The vet told me that he cannot have sugarbeet but I thought this would be OK as long as it was well soaked - Ill have to double check tomorrow.

I can't believe that he has been left so long - if it is that bad I would get on the phone NOW!

The vet had been and gone before I made my first post.

[Cheko]

Choke is indeed very frightening to see. My last pony, an Exmoor got choke when he ate a moutful of his food too quick. It's very unpleasant to witness. We waited ages for the vet as he was out on another call.

[Jenni2]

My old welsh cob mare choked a couple of times a few years ago. When I checked the ingredients of the feed she was having at the time I realised it was probably caused by locust beans, which are small, round and hard. Even though I was damping down her feed it obviously still didn't soften them enough. I wrote to the company that made the feed, but their response was merely to send me some money off vouchers and suggest one of their other products.

I now check the ingredients thoroughly before I try a new feed, just to make sure that it doesn't contain locust beans.

[intouch]

Charlette - I thought the vet had left him overnight - sorry misread your post. Glad all is well.

[becs]

Glad all has resolved - had similar panic with our greedy cob a couple of weeks ago. Read up a lot since (and quizzed vet) - it seems choke is usually self-resolving (eg they get better slowly without much intervention). As said above, it's a bolus (lump) of food stuck / slow going down. If the muscular spasms & time don't shift it on, vets pass a tube and nudge the lump on and / or dissolve it with small amounts of water.

Ours is now on VERY wet & oily feed, to avoid lumps.

[Big Ears]

my donkey is prone to choke - I often manage to clear it by syringing water down her throat and that works. but she has had to be tubed twice. that sorts it out. none of the other 2 have choked, just that one.