Equine Choke - WHY it occurs, WHAT you should do and NOT do & WHEN to call your vet.

Choke is an obstruction in the oesophagus. It mostly occurs during or straight after feeding time. It can look very scary and it is important as a horse owner to be informed.

Symptoms that may be noticed are: - Feed & discharge coming out of both nostrils - Constant coughing - Stretching the neck out - Salivating - Pawing and discomfort

It can occasionally be confused with colic so it is always best to give your veterinarian a call straight away, this allows us to discuss symptoms with you & also gives us a heads up that we may need to be attending soon (especially as they often occur in the evening after feed time!)

A simple choke will often resolve itself when the horse is able to get the food bolus down the oesophagus and into the stomach, but occasionally does need medical intervention from your vet. Most cases in my experience will resolve within an hour.

It is important to always remove feed and water straight away from the horse as soon as you note any symptoms of choke. You should also not administer any medications due to risk of any of these things ending up in the lungs.

Never attempt to put a hose into the horses mouth, this can easily result in drowning and I have attended cases of pneumonia where this has occurred.

I generally also do not recommend massage of the oesophagus as it is possible to cause rupture.

Main reasons why choke occurs ? - feed not wet down or soaked if required - horse eating too quickly - dental issues meaning the horse is less willing to chew the food and moves it quickly to the back of the throat.

Every choke I attend I always check their teeth & diet to ensure this is in order.

If we required to attend often we will use pain relief and muscle relaxants, as well as pass a nasogastric tube (if Hendra vaccinated only) to move the food down towards the stomach gently.

More serious cases can develop pneumonia or result in permanent oesophageal strictures so it is always advised to contact your veterinarian in a case of choke.

Prevention is the best cure!

Ensure your horse is up to date with their dental & that you wet their feed down sufficiently to prevent a scary occurrence of choke!

- Nikita Richmond River Equine Veterinary Services