January 2012

Equine Choke

Douglas E. Wiley, DVM

What is it?

• Feed stuff lodged in the horse's esophagus - not immediately life threatening
• Humans choke when food is lodged at the opening to their trachea - very life threatening

Signs

• Excessive and continuous drooling (salivation)
• Unable to eat or drink
• Anxious and uncomfortable
• Stretching the neck
• May cough with feed or saliva in the nostrils

What do they choke on?

• Apples, large carrots, corncobs, grass clippings, sweet feed, hay, etc.

Why do they choke?

• Age-related tooth loss, dental wear, or lack of floating
• Bolting feed - greedy eaters
• Anatomical problems - esophageal strictures

Treatment

What you can do:

• Call your veterinarian
• Massage the left side of the neck
• Walk the horse - moving the neck
• Run water across the tongue - not down the throat

What your veterinarian will do:

• Sedate the horse
• Pass a nasogatric (stomach) tube - flush or push the obstruction down
• Administer drugs
• Refer for hospital or surgical care, if necessary

Aftercare

• Soft, wet diet in small feedings for several days
• Anti-inflammatories
• Antibiotics

Prevention

• Regular, quality dental care
• Diet changes, depending on cause
• Large stones in the feed box to slow down greedy eaters
• Some horses become repeat offenders