paralyzing the muscles involved in swallowing. Tumors and polyps can also lead to choke, as well as strictures in the esophagus from prior episodes of choke.
What should you do if you encounter a choke? Call your veterinarian; the sooner it is addressed the better the chance it can be resolved. Complications can occur including aspiration pneumonia, where food can end up in the lungs causing infection. I find that massaging the neck, walking, trotting in hand and even trotting the horse briskly on a lunge line may actually dislodge the bolus. Always check with your veterinarian first, as there may be a reason NOT to trot your horse.
If the choke has not resolved with walking, trotting and massaging your horse’s neck your veterinarian will need to come.
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inflammatory and if aspiration is suspected I give antibiotics. Monitor your horse’s behavior at feeding time to determine he isn’t bolting down his food. Have his teeth inspected on a regular basis and give treats in smaller sized pieces. Hopefully, you will not have your horse choke, but if you do, you now know the signs and symptoms and what to do.
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When she arrives she may sedate your horse, this will relax some of the muscles in the neck as well as make it less painful for passing a nasogastric tube. A long tube is placed up one nostril and into the esophagus pushing the bolus of food into the stomach. Sometimes water is gently pushed into the tube to encourage the feed to soften and pass into the stomach. I also give my patients a shot of an anti-