Choke

[Nickijem]

Has anyone had a horse that has had choke?
I had a phone call from my friend's husband today who saw Jerry 'pawing the ground and being sick' (his words!).

I know horses can't be sick but I dashed over to the field and found Jerry with green saliva coming out of his nose and mouth and obviously in some distress

. I walked him round and he coughed up more green slime and then after about 5 mins of walking he seemed fine again. He has been fine since so didn't call the vet.
He had been eating some haylage in the field - which I wasn't really sure looked very good quality, it was last year's. I have obviously removed what was left of the haylage but why did he get choke but my friend's horse is fine? Jerry's teeth were supposedly done just before I bought him in July.
I really want to prevent this happening again, it was horrible to see him in distress.
Anybody's experience of this, I would be interested to hear about. Thanks.

 

[Imonone]

A pony belonging to a friend had it after eating carrots. It was one of the most distressing things I have seen in a horse. Mucus pouring from the nose and mouth and pony very distressed. The vet came and gave it a muscle relaxant and eventually it passed.
As soon as it had, the pony was like nothing had happened to it, munching hay happy as larry.

 

[Nickijem]

Jerry was absolutely fine 10mins after I got to him - he carried on grazing as if nothing had happened!
Did your friend's pony get it again - I was wondering if it is something some horses are more prone to or whether it was just a one off thing?

 

[carthorse]

I have seen it twice .The first time the horse didn't respond to the vets treatment and had to be rushed to hopital and flushed, it was horrible but he recovered. The second was our horse and it was so frightening but he did respond to the vets treatment and got better but we are very careful with him now.

 

[ticobay831]

My younster had it twice last year it frightend me to death as ive never seen it before, first time he was in stable he kept tensing up his neck wonderd what the hell was going on, rang vet he said rub his neck and he should be ok if not hed come out and sure enought ten minutes later he was fine.
Second time he came over to me whilst in te field looking very sorry for himself, he coughed up a load of horrible green slime, i got the vet out this time as it happend a exactly a week later, he confirmed it was choke and said hed be ok, he checked him teeth and said there were a couple of sharp bits but nothing much, so got them done and touch wood it hasnt happend since.
Vet said next time it happens sit down and have a nice cup of tea and by the time youve drank it he will be fine

 

[Vicki_Krystal]

we had choke a lot on a dealing yard i worked on. we had horses with no teeth/ bad teeth that used to bolt feed.

vet told us to have a large syringe and a big bottle of vegetable oil in the feed room to syringe down their throats to help clear the blockage, and it does work!

 

[snurse]

I've known it twice - once was greed - horse thought another was after his feed and tried to gulp it down all in one go. He recovered after a few minutes. THe other was an old horse with not very good teeth. Vet had been called and horse was being walked up and down the yard, when a very aggressive mare stuck her head out of the door, ears flat, teeth bared, and frightened him so much he coughed up the blockage and was OK. I'm not recommending this solution.. It is an alarming condition but the only ones I've seen got over it without the vet.
A very ancient text quoted an old horseman's remedy that you pour water into one of their ears, but I wouldn't dare try it.

 

[GreedyGuts]

Oil should never be given to choking horses!
The major risk with choke is that food matter ends up in the lungs as the oesophagus overflows. This is a serious complication that can result in pneumonia (horses that have choked should always be monitored for signs - increased resp rate etc. and antibiotics are often given for prevention after an episode), however, if oil gets in the lungs it is bad, bad, bad.
If a choke doesn't clear quickly and spontaneously get the vet out, don't try syringing things down there throat as it's unlikely to make a difference and could make the situation much worse.

 

[kerilli]

they get it from being a pig, basically! my 2 yr old's had it 3 times in a month, now gets her feed like soup every time.
it's not as bad as it would be in a person, because their airway is not compromised, so they won't suffocate!
keeping them calm, trying to keep the head low, is best. a little sedalin can help, relaxing the muscles. if it doesn't clear in about an hour, get the vet, always, because the tissue around the impacted food can dry out, causing necrosis, which is very serious.
don't try giving them oil or anything cos it might go into the lungs, which would be fatal.
i'd chuck buckets of water on the haylage, i think.

 

[WishfulThinker]

Beau has had it abotu 4 times, all involving non wet feed. i tcan be very scary, but I have found that massaging his neck seems to help the food come up or go down.

 

[KrujaaLass]

My 36 year old pony had it last month.First time in 18 years. She had just been given a carrot,although she has eaten them before. Pieces of chewed carrot were coming out of her nose . Rubbed her neck for about half an hour and gave her very sloppy mushed up pony cubes after she was fine.

 

[Nickijem]

A big thanks to you all for replying. I feel a lot better about it now as he has had other haylage and has been fine. Also, he is a greedy pig and he was eating it next to another horse so he was obviously trying to cram as much into his mouth as he could! It makes me feel better reading that you all found it quite distressing too! Thanks again!