Poor boy had his 1st real visit from the vet today

[Tnavas]

Poor Milo - I had a frantic phone call from the owner of the paddock where I graze one of my horses. Rushed down there to find my boy drooling and with grass and saliva running out of his nose.

He was choking! Called the vet who was there within 5 mins - thankfully vet clinic is just around the corner. He gave him a mild sedative and a muscle relaxant and said that it can take as much as two days to clear.

Poor boy looked so miserable - normally he is such a friendly cuddly we soul and he looked so worried. There were times when his neck would spasm and he would walk blindly around as the saliva poured out of his nose and mouth.

Two hours or so later he burped and his neck spasmed again and a short while later he burped again and then walked out of the shelter and started to graze. My friend was also at the paddock and was eating a bowl of noodles - we realised he was better when she had to push Milo out of the bowl.

It was an amazing instant change - he was back to his loveable in your face self. I've just been back again and given him some tea - very wet chaff and sugar beet and there he was turning the tap on and off! I've now had to tie the tap to the fence to stop him playing with it.

He's being yarded for a couple of days so that I can limit his food - he's 5yrs old and this was the first time he's ever seen the vet except for routine injections. I've only just finished paying for the dental work him and his mum had a few months ago - back to square one again - You have to love them!

 

[AmyMay]

What did he choke on - and actually, being out and grazing is the best thing for him.....

 

[Tnavas]

Amymay - he lives out and is not hard fed so we really have no idea what he choked on. The vet advised keeping him confined on reduced feed to allow the oesophegus time to heal. He is in a massive grassed yard - the grass is really short so that he won't get massive mouthfuls at a time. He had three large peppermints at tea time and scoffed them down.

 

[AmyMay]

Amymay - he lives out and is not hard fed so we really have no idea what he choked on. The vet advised keeping him confined on reduced feed to allow the oesophegus time to heal. He is in a massive grassed yard - the grass is really short so that he won't get massive mouthfuls at a time. He had three large peppermints at tea time and scoffed them down.

Ah, I'm with you. I thought you were keeping him in on a bare yard with just hay.

Vibes for fast healing.

 

[Tnavas]

Thanks - I will pass them on to the cheeky boy

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

I know that if you've never seen it before choke looks as though the horse is dying but very often all you need is calmness and patience and they will clear themselves. A gentle massage with l-o-n-g hand strokes DOWNwards from angle of jaw to base of neck on the front of his neck can also help clear the obstruction. I've seen so many frantic owners ring the vet at the first sign of choke and then the horse clears it himself within 10 minutes and is back grazing or eating as if nothing had happened.

 

[BlackRider]

When my mare had choke, the vet put a tube into the oesophagus and cleared it with water.

 

[Tnavas]

He took about three hours in all to clear and today is absolutely back to normal of his water bucket anything to go by - its exterminated!

I talked to the vet about the hose thing and he advised that you can do more damage and also flood the lungs.

I tried the stroking down the length of the throat but it seemed to set off a series of spasms which distressed him more.

It was the speed that he was back to normal that amused me - he went from 'I'm Dying' to what can I eat/vandalise/steal - who has the peppermints in seconds. He's been eating well to day - feed wet and hay sprayed with the hose. He will be back out tomorrow I think.

Fortunately his wasn't the worst I've seen before, a broodmare at a stud I once worked on was left in a yard alone and given some lovely lucerne hay, she was very agitated being on her own and I guess the stress didn't help - the bright green saliva and hay pouring out of her nostrils was quite scary, the stud owner just took the rest of the hay away, brought in another horse to keep her company and then left her to it. She recovered pretty quickly.

 

[brighteyes]

My vet reckons to walk them round to give them something to think about. They hate choke (horses) and it can be scary to watch. I think it is very, very rarely fatal, and then only through complications.