Esophageal obstruction, or “choke,”
is a common equine emergency. choke in horses refers to an obstruction of the esophagus( tube that carry food from mouth to the stomach).
signs appear on the horse`
- feed material coming from the nostrils,
- hypersalivating
- Head and neck retching
- coughing.
- restlessness and colicky
chokes occur when horses eat concentrated feed too quickly without chewing it appropriately. The feed does not get softened with saliva and forms a firm bolus that gets lodged in the esophagus. However, esophageal obstruction can also occur with hay or straw, hard treats, carrots, or nonfood objects.
so most commonly causes due to
- Anatomical problems, such as poor dentition, sharp teeth. buccal ulcers.
- abnormal esophagus anatomy, can also predispose a horse to choking.
- bad quality feed stuffs
- lack of water sources
- keep your horse from eating.
- Hand-walking or muzzling .
- Also, do not administer oral medications.
How to solve the choking?
The first and most common approach is to sedate to keep the head down the horse and pass a nasogastric tube to clear the obstruction. The veterinarian lavages (flushes) the obstruction with small volumes of worm water and slowly removes the impacted feed material
The second approach is based on the theory that most chokes eventually self-cure, so veterinarians might administer repeated rounds of sedation, muzzling, and medications to relax the esophageal muscles, and intravenous fluids to keep the horse hydrated.
how to prevent choking?
- Regular tooth rasping
- Good quality feeds
- Provide good and fresh water
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