9 y o Standardbred gelding has had a series of choke episodes”…
Hi! Calling from Melbourne Australia…I have asked a question here before about choking. My 9y o Standardbred gelding has had a series of choke episodes – he has been scoped, I have tried wetting his feed down, put oil in the feed – he is even choking on grass. I now have him on a slurry mix of pellets and equibix. I had his teeth done the other day to make sure this was not the cause – he is not overdue and the dentist said his teeth were fine but his tongue was really weak – I looked today and there is a large kink in the upper part of his tongue. This choke thing has only been happening the last few months and this dentist saw this horse a year ago and it wasn’t there. He is losing weight and when I go to get him from the paddock he often has masticated grass in his nose – evidence that he has been choking while out in the paddock. Do you have any advice on feed or treatment? He is a pig and is really missing the bulk of the chaff and hay! He has always kept his weight really well with just hay in the past. Thanks
Dr. Jack Sales’ Answer:
Hi Sonia,
It sounds as if your horse has a serious problem. If the horse was scoped recently and everything looked normal in the pharynx and larynx area this is good but the problem may be asociated with a stricture in the esophagus which is usually the most common cause of chronic choke problems. This would require x- ray of the neck area and/or scoping of the esophagus itself. As far as the kink in the tongue, I would question this because all horses have what looks like a kink or enlargement on the back part of the tongue, but this could also be checked out during the extensive exam that should be done. I can’t really suggest any new methods of preventing the choke, it sounds as if you are doing all you can in that area. I hope this helps and good luck.
“My Horse has had recurrent cases of choke over the last 3 months.”…
Always with his neck stretched out and snot and saliva coming out his nose, often with peices of chaff. I have had the vet out several times, and he has sedated and tubed him. Last time he actually went to an equine hospital where they did an endoscope and found some striating, but nothing serious – then it happened again today! His food was so runny it dripped out of his mouth as well as 1 cup of oil being mixed in. He was having just oaten and lucerne chaff – with rocks in the bucket to stop him from scoffing the food. I am at a loss of what to do? Also, he has some lumps on the front of his neck, but the vets at the equine centre said that they were not a problem. Can you help or advise? I will start him on a slurry type mix tomorrow. PS: What is a Mega Esophagus? Thanks!!!
Dr. Kimberly Gryl’s Answer:
Sonia:
Of course, you should always follow the instructions of your horse’s treating veterinarians. But I can give you general recommendations for your horse, and how bad he sounds given his high number of recurrent episodes. Generally, I tell people to eliminate certain feeds that seemed to have caused the repeated episodes, and also to only feed mashes or slurries. Some horses are not happy with soft food for the rest of their lives, and so over time people may have to end up going back to the “normal” way of serving the food – dry (as in hay or hay products). Large rocks in the feeder are a great way to deter them from eating quickly. You could also try a creep feeder, but it would have to be a durable one, and the appropriate size for your horse. Obviously, this wouldn’t work for hay, but more for grain. You could try a hay net for the hay. Unfortunately, the more he repeatedly chokes, the higher at risk he is for complications. These can affect the esophagus in varying ways, some of which are scarring, strictures, and megaesophagus. The last one may be the worst; the normal portion of the esophagus in front of the problem area becomes distended, and over time and with repeated insults, the distended esophagus remains permanently dilated. Eventually the musculature loses its contraction, and food isn’t propelled down the esophagus into the stomach as normal, but instead sits there and causes more problems. It is usually incurable, as surgery on the esophagus carries a poor prognosis, and tends to fail. Is that what they said your horse has? The good thing about a slurry is that it is likely to pass through the esophagus more smoothly, decreasing the chances of a repeat impaction (“choke”). However, it must be almost like soup to be “worry-free”. More of a mash consistency, and even dry grain, can still cause a choke. Also, feeding electrolytes may encourage your horse to drink more, which will increase water intake and maybe smooth the passage of feed.
