Struggles to swallow feed, I don't know what to think?

[jayvee]

Our horse has always struggled with swallowing his hard feed. Have given it to him like soup and still the same as if damp, and he is fed from ground.
He doesn't bolt it infact he is very very slow. Teeth have been done and all is ok there, he done it before teeth were done and that was about 6mths ago.
Vet says he has a narrow gullet and that seems the likely problem. But the food actually gets stuck half way down gullet and you can see a bulge in neck!
When he really suffers he stops eating and just stands there throwing his head and neck right back and up in the air. He clearly is in some discomfort.
You can see the reflex muscles moving in trying to push food down but it is slow in shifting blockage. I even stand there and massage his neck to help, which I think it does sometimes. You can also hear a gurgeling noise too in the blocked area.
Have never called vet as he does get over it but sometimes it takes a good 40mins before he will eat comfortably again.
No food has ever come up out of mouth or nostrils.
Will be talking to vet again about it after Easter. But has anyone seen this before and how do you cope or what could it mean? Can I make life easier for him to eat?
Feeling concerned.
Thanks.

 

[Dougie]

hes choking. we had a horse who kept getting choke, cant remember what it was diagnosed with, will find out. does it happen every night? maybe get him scoped

 

[jayvee]

It happens every am and pm feed pretty much! Some meals are eaten with more ease with no blockage but the head going back is every time!
He was scoped while back but nothing found there. He has had the tye back and hobday op recently. But the 'choking thing' is I believe a seperate issue and nothing has changed there as was doing it before op. Think it's time for a second opinion.
Did ask vets to look when he was on the slab but I don't think they did! *rolls eyes*

What can be done for choking?

 

[Dougie]

i think a referral to an internal medicine specialist is in order most definatly. choking is very risky as the food can go down the trachea and cause a pnuemonia. some choke for a variety of reasons, osoph-pharengyeal paralysis etc. and is potenially life threating

 

[jayvee]

Great!! Though he has managed to live for 8yrs lol.

Is it still considered choke when the blockage is very low down? As in this case. It is not near the throat at all.
Thanks for your replies, this must be sorted thats for sure, I do worry and it is not nice to see.

 

[vickers22]

Im sorry i dont really know what you can do but i hope you find some way so good luck were here for support-i know its not nice when your horse has a problem that cant be solved easily. My boy got choke the other day(i didnt put heaps of water in) and it is so scary. Im sure you will get through it GOOD LUCKx x x x

 

[Stella]

I'd be insisiting my Vet makes an immediate referral to a specialist if she/he can't offer anything.

 

[henryhorn]

sounds like there is a narrowing of the gullet at that point causing choke.
I am pretty sure they can operate and stretch it, they can in humans, so talk with the vet again. i wouldn't ignoe it as choking can cause all sorts of things like pneumonia if it goes in the lungs.

 

[Happy Horse]

[ QUOTE ]
i think a referral to an internal medicine specialist is in order most definatly. choking is very risky as the food can go down the trachea and cause a pnuemonia. some choke for a variety of reasons, osoph-pharengyeal paralysis etc. and is potenially life threating



[/ QUOTE ]

Dougie please remember you are not a vet! It is good advice to ask for a referral but you are not in a position to diagnose a horse and offer a prognosis on a forum!

 

[brighteyes]

This might sound silly, but does he have to have 'hard' feed and does he choke on grass or haylage? Only wondering......

 

[jayvee]

[ QUOTE ]
sounds like there is a narrowing of the gullet at that point causing choke.
I am pretty sure they can operate and stretch it, they can in humans, so talk with the vet again. i wouldn't ignoe it as choking can cause all sorts of things like pneumonia if it goes in the lungs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats intresting that widening of the gullet is possible. Vet did say it was narrow. Their words .. The average horse is 4 human knuckles wide and his was 3 wide.
I am just extremely frustrated as we noticed the problem with in days of buying him (a year ago) along with the breathing issue (which hopefully has been sorted now). But when going through the process of vet visits and each time mentioning the choke and can they look (was part of booking BTW), they seemed so pre-occupied with the larynx findings etc and said he must eat fast, well HE doesn't by far!
And I did ask them to look when he was out on the slab, but they didn't!!! So still not got to bottom of this, Grrr!! Not happy with vets at mo!

 

[jayvee]

[ QUOTE ]
This might sound silly, but does he have to have 'hard' feed and does he choke on grass or haylage? Only wondering......

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi yes he does need hard feed, grazing is crap and he lacks alot of condition from a) being in poor state when we bought him and very wormy b) his paralysied larynx never allowed him to put on flesh and c) he is recovering from the hob day and tie back op he had 8wks ago were he dropped flesh again post op.
He is only on 6 cups (3 x 2 daily) of Topspec as he cant cope with big meals. And already he has changed rapidly in gaining condition again along with some grass as now out 24/7 and starting work again, so thats some thing

.
He won't eat hay or haylge well he may eat one slice all night, far from what he should eat!!, (have already posted about that in the past). He once choked on grass and that was on some long stuff, short grass never been a prob. Not seen him do it on hay or haylge.
So a real struggle all round in getting him good.

 

[Dougie]

im not im suggesting possibles