Very mild choke for 5 minutes? Something else?

[scats]

A couple of months ago, Polly had a funny episode that I put down to a very mild choke. She was eating her feed (small handful of light chaff and 1/2 cup soaked fast fibre to carry supps), finished it and then became very distressed. Box walking, pawing ground and opening her mouth wide. No nasal discharge or anything, but seemingly quite distressed, however it seemed to go away as quickly as it started and I’d say she was completely back to normal within 3 or 4 minutes.
I didn’t think much of it but have since made sure I add extra water. But it happened again this evening. She was eating her feed and then started pacing her stable, pawing ground and doing this weird mouth open thing, looking distressed. This time it probably lasted 4-5 minutes at most and then, like a switch, she seemed suddenly fine again.

The fast fibre is always extra watery so I don’t think that’s been the issue, her teeth were done in April and no problems were found. I haven’t noticed any quidding or anything to make me thing there’s a dental issue.

Would mild choke present like this? She doesn’t appear to be eating quickly, but perhaps she is.
I’m possibly a bit more heightened to the potential of something else weird going on as we still don’t quite know why she ended up colliding with a wall about 6 weeks ago (from lying down). There has, however, been absolutely no sign of any neurological or weird things since the wall incident. Plus, this does seem specifically linked to her feed.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

It does sound as if it could be choke, does she stretch her neck forwards, as if trying to dislodge something? If you feel along her throat, can you feel an unusual lump of something? If you can it might be worth stroking it towards her stomach to move it along. I think I might put a bit more chaff in her feed, we had a cob who choked when I missed the chaff out of her soaked grassnuts and she rushed her meal. Fortunately she recovered well.

 

[scats]

It does sound as if it could be choke, does she stretch her neck forwards, as if trying to dislodge something? If you feel along her throat, can you feel an unusual lump of something? If you can it might be worth stroking it towards her stomach to move it along. I think I might put a bit more chaff in her feed, we had a cob who choked when I missed the chaff out of her soaked grassnuts and she rushed her meal. Fortunately she recovered well.

Thank you for your reply. She stretched her neck forward a bit but not that much. She mainly just opened her mouth and then paced and pawed, then repeated. I felt along her throat best I could and couldn’t feel anything obvious. I will add a bit more chaff in for her from now on.

 

[PapaverFollis]

MrT chokes with more chaff so it can depend on the horse! He gets just the right consistency of speedi-beet and grass nuts with 1 handful of chaff. Anything else and he will choke. ? basically even with chaff he doesn't slow down!

He's always cleared it himself within a few minutes or with a bit of help rubbing the left side of his neck. Usually with delightful gurgling noises involved.

It does sound like it could be choke from the timing but I'm not sure because with choke I've always observed a very distinctive "yacking" neck motion. They kind of draw the neck together somehow, it goes really thick, open their mouth and yack. Really unmistakable. But I've also had MrT look colicky for a short time before he tries the yacking... so maybe your girl is clearing the choke much quicker.

 

[shortstuff99]

Did she do the flemen response at all? If not choke sounds like a possible very mild colic

 

[brighteyes]

I think it's the degree of blockage that leads to the presence/absence of 'yacking'. The concertinaing of the neck is quite an extraordinary thing to watch.

 

[meleeka]

Did she do the flemen response at all? If not choke sounds like a possible very mild colic

If she isn’t coughing I’d also be wondering about mild colic. Obviously make sure her worming is up to date and she’s not eating too quickly.

 

[scats]

She didn’t do the Flehmen response and didn’t even seem to attempt to cough anything up, just this weird mouth open thing.
Worming is up to date. The only other time she has ever had vaguely colic type symptoms was a couple of years ago, which coincided with the first couple of seasons of the year. She would pace and Chuck herself on the floor. We sent her in for an ovary scan but nothing was found. Thankfully they stopped after the first couple of seasons of the year and it hasn’t materialised again this year.
We do know that she doesn’t cope well at all with pain or discomfort. I wonder if she has a very mild blockage in her throat that takes a bit of time to go down and she gets herself in a bit of a state about it. I’m worried about her eating feed now

 

[shortstuff99]

I'm still learning towards a mild colic, mine starts with the flehmen response in her colic (which is why I asked), but the mouth opening could be something similar.

I would give her a really liquid feed and see if that seems to help (mine get equidgel, but really watery mash would be the same I think).

 

[Errin Paddywack]

It couldn't be toothache could it, something an exposed nerve?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

If she isn’t coughing I’d also be wondering about mild colic. Obviously make sure her worming is up to date and she’s not eating too quickly.

IME they don't cough in a mild case of choke (never had a severe case, so can't comment on that). The blockage isn't in the wind-pipe but in the oesophagus, so no cough reflex is activated. Whenever I've seen choke it has been caused by eating too quickly, one horse does it when her feed is too dry, the elderly cob I mentioned above did it if her feed was too 'solid' (soaked, without chaff).