Choke

Horses can choke for a variety of reasons. From poor dentition, inhaling food too quickly, and ingesting improperly soaked feed (especially feed containing beet pulp), choke is a relatively common equine emergency.

Key Points:

• Choked horses will commonly have food material and saliva coming from their nostrils and mouth
• If you think your horse is choking, remove all food and water until your vet arrives
• Properly soaking and administering food as well as proper dental maintenance are major factors for helping prevent choke

In horses, choke can be quite dramatic. They may have feed material, saliva and fluid coming from both nostrils and their mouth. Additionally, they may cough repeatedly or retch their neck, trying to dislodge the obstruction.

The most important thing you can do for a choking horse is remove all food and water, and do not give them anything by mouth.

Unlike when humans choke and obstruct their airway, horses can still breathe while they are choking, as the obstruction is in their esophagus, not their airway. They may become agitated, restless, or even act colicky, but their airway will remain open.

When your veterinarian arrives, they will likely confirm the choke on their physical exam, and administer pain medications, smooth muscle relaxers and sedation. To un-obstruct a choked horse, your veterinarian will pass a nasogastric tube up the horse’s nose, to the back of their throat, and down their esophagus, with the goal of getting to their stomach. Sometimes, the pressure of the tube is enough to push the obstruction into the stomach; other times it may have to be gently lavaged with water until the obstruction is broken up enough to be passed into the stomach.

After choking, your veterinarian may recommend a course of antibiotics if they are concerned about potential aspiration from the choke into their airway that could cause respiratory problems, such as pneumonia.

Your veterinarian will try to determine the cause of the choke, and may recommend dietary or dental management changes to prevent any future episodes of choke.

Your veterinarian will go over signs to watch for post-choke, as well as how to re-feed a horse that has just choked.

Sometimes, horses will resolve a choke episode on their own, prior to any veterinary involvement. If you are concerned about a choke episode in your horse that resolved on its own, it may still warrant a veterinary visit to assess for any ongoing medical treatment that may be needed, and to discuss management to prevent future choke episodes from occurring.

Rarely, your veterinarian may be unable to remove a choke in the field with a nasogastric tube alone. This could be due to the severity of the choke, the potential for abnormal anatomy of the horse’s esophagus, or even what the horse choked on – carrots, other very firm feed materials and even foreign bodies can be extremely difficult to dislodge. In this case, your veterinarian may refer you to a hospital, where the choke can be further diagnosed using an endoscope.

Thoroughly soaking feed (especially hay pellets, hay cubes, and anything with beet pulp) and maintaining good dental health are two major factors in preventing choke.