Choke in Horses
We have been getting a lot of calls for “choke” lately, so we thought it would be a good idea to review what to do (and not to do) until the vet arrives and how to prevent choke in the first place.
Esophageal obstruction, also called “choke” is a common occurrence in horses. You will see your horse stop eating, suddenly start coughing, feed coming from his/her nostrils, and sometimes they try to lay down or roll.
It can be very dramatic but due to the horse’s anatomy, they are at a very low risk of suffocating (unlike humans). The most frequent serious problem associated with choke is actually aspiration pneumonia.
TREATING CHOKE
Feed in Nostrils
Image courtesy of Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine
The best way to treat choke and limit the risk of aspiration pneumonia is for your veterinarian to heavily sedate your horse to keep their head down, give muscle relaxers to relax the esophagus, and gently pass a nasogastric tube to relieve the obstruction. You should never use a hose to squirt water into their mouth or try to give them oil to slick the obstruction because this will greatly increase their chances of aspiration pneumonia and may even kill them.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR HORSE IS CHOKING
So what should you do before the vet arrives? It’s best to get your horse haltered and brought to a flat area with good footing and access to water. Keep your horse as calm as possible. You can sometimes feel the obstruction (it will be on the left side of the horse’s neck) and you can try to gently massage the food in a downward motion. Do not feed your horse or attempt to flush their mouth with a hose.
CHOKE PREVENTION
The main risk factors for choke are poor teeth, feeding dry pellets (or dry beet pulp), the horse eating too fast, and previous choke episodes. Preventing choke focuses on mitigating these risks:
Regular Dental Care – please have your horse’s teeth checked annually and floated as needed. If your horse is dropping feed, turning their head to the side when chewing, or slow to finish their food – this can be a sign that their teeth need to be done.
Feeding Soaked Pellets – many horses that choke are older with exhausted (smooth) teeth, limiting their ability to chew hay. Providing them with soaked pellets is a great way to get nutrition into them with little chewing required.
Smaller Frequent Meals – dividing your horses’ meals up throughout the day will decrease their risk of “bolting” their food and eating a large amount all at once
Removing Competition – Feeding your horse separately from other horses can reduce the need to eat quickly
RECURRING CHOKE
If your horse has ever choked, they are at a higher risk of re-choking in the future because choke causes irritation in the esophagus and can actually narrow it (called a stricture). If you are concerned about a stricture in your horse (you see frequent signs of choke when eating – coughing, feed in nares, etc.), please contact your veterinarian.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Although choke can look very scary, it is best to keep yourself and your horse calm and call the vet. Many chokes will resolve on their own without the need to pass a tube, but again, the main complication with choke is not the choke itself but the potential for aspiration pneumonia following the episode. It is best to work with your vet when choke occurs to assess the severity and come up with a plan to prevent future chokes.
Hoping your horse’s dinners stay choke-free!
References
Chiavaccini, L., & Hassel, D. M. (2010). Clinical features and prognostic variables in 109 horses with esophageal obstruction (1992-2009). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 24(5), 1147–1152. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0573.x
Smith, B. P., Van Metre, D. C., & Pusterla, N. (2020a). Large Animal Internal Medicine. Elsevier.
