Choke

In horses, choke refers to obstruction of the oesophagus, rather than the trachea (windpipe) in humans. This means that in horses, choke is not life threatening in the initial stages, and in mild cases is likely to resolve without veterinary intervention.

Causes

The most common reasons for choke are:

·       Consuming unsoaked feed

·       Consuming feed too quickly

·       Horses with dental disease are also at risk of choke as they do not chew their food adequately

Clinical Signs and Diagnosis

·       The most common sign of choke is saliva and food material appearing at both nostrils

·       The horse will have difficulty swallowing and will not want to eat

·       Often a choking horse will extend their neck

·       The horse may cough if food material enters the trachea

·       Occasionally a palpable lump is felt on the left side of the neck where food is stuck in the oesophagus

A diagnosis of choke is usually made based on the clinical history and signs. However, it may be necessary to pass a nasogastric tube to confirm an obstruction in present in some cases.

What to do if your horse is choking

Keep calm. Remove all feed and water, then leave the horse quietly for 30 minutes to see if the choke resolves.

If the choke has not resolved after 30 minutes then please call us for advice. It is likely that we will come and examine the horse. In some cases choke resolves following administration of sedation and an anti-spasmodic drug to relax the muscles in the oesophagus. In others it may be necessary to lavage the obstruction with warm water via a nasogastric tube to shift it. The majority of cases can be treated at home, but in a small number of horses may be admitted to a hospital for more specialist treatment.

Aftercare

This will be discussed on an individual basis as it will depend on the severity of the episode. Complications following choke include aspiration pneumonia as a result of food material being inhaled during more severe or prolonged episodes. Antimicrobials may be prescribed if we consider your horse at a high risk of this.

Stricture formation is another recognised complication of choke, although thankfully this is rare. This means that scar tissue forms in the oesophagus following damage to the lining. Stricture formation may predispose the horse to recurrent choke episodes. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories may be prescribed to reduce oesophageal inflammation and hopefully reduce the chances of this complication occurring.

Prevention

Soak food adequately, ensure that your horse has regular dental examinations (a minimum of once yearly), and that hard feed is mixed with chaff to try and prevent greedy horses from bolting their food.