Re: choke

["C. Eyler" <eyler@mindspring.com>]

I've had one experience with choke, and my gelding was lucky.

Early this past winter, I brought Jack into the barn to groom him, planning
to ride.  As usual, he started gobbling the loose hay in his stall and the
next thing I knew he was coughing and soon he had green goop coming out of
one nostril.  Thankfully, I'd read about choke.  Called the vet and was told
to keep him from eating or drinking anything and not to let him roll.  I
kept Jack walking in a paddock, and before the vet got to us about 20
minutes later, the green stuff was coming out of both nostrils.

Vet palpated and said that the blockage was at the lowest part of the neck,
near the entrance to Jack's stomach.  Sedated and tubed Jack and got the
blockage cleared in about 45 minutes.  Vet said that we were extremely lucky
because I was right there when it happened.  Often, no one sees the problem
for hours, by which time the tissue may be very irritated and inflamed (and
it can take hours to get the blockage cleared).  Because of our particular
situation, vet did not give antibiotics, though we did keep track of Jack's
temperature for warning of any infection.  [My equine vets (practice of
three) do not give antibiotics unless they think they're really needed.]
Vet gave me banamine (granules, this time) for administration the next
morning and advised small, frequent (4x daily) meals for the next couple of
days (with Jack's beetpulp even sloppier than usual).  Since the horses
spend some winter nights in the barn, besides getting their normal 2x daily
meals there, Jack now gets his stall hay in a cotton net (tied properly
high -- and thank heavens he's not a paw-er) in order to slow him down.

BTW, the vet inspected the hay and said that it was fine and definitely not
to blame for the choke.  Just Jack being his usual piggy self.


Cindy

----- Original Message -----
From: <guest@endurance.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 9:39 AM
Subject: RC: choke


> Barbara Marcius run2fast@neo.rr.com
> Hey Folks,
> Have dilligently tried to search the archives on this subject to no avail.
Would any of you who have experienced this horror please e-mail me privately
in case this has already been covered?
> Here's the sad story.  7 year old Arab gelding choked for the first time
last Thursday pm.  In 28 years of owning horses, I've never seen this, and
never want to again. Had the vet out for a 2 hour visit.  Said it was the
worst case he'd ever seen in his career.  Tubed him repeatedly till his nose
was bleeding.  Said we'd pretty much gotten it all, that he would be just
fine.  Well, he's not.  This vet is VERY hard to get ahold of, and still
hasn't returned my calls, because "it's not an emergency". The gelding acts
like he's 80 years old, very lethargic, wants not a whole lot to do with wet
grain, only wants wet alfalfa, and not eating tons of that either. This is
normally a very busy alert horse.  Anyone have a clue if this is just normal
after such an event?  C'mon guys, the vet said no big deal, start riding him
as usual.  Gut feeling says no way.  Any comments from you ridecampers?
This is very scary stuff.
> Barbara
>
>
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