Re: [RC] DO NOT FEED BEET PULP DRY - Part 2 - Susan E. Garlinghouse, D.V.M.
(Part 2 of previous discussion regarding
beet pulp causing choke.)
Since we’re on the subject of choke,
let’s review a bit about that. I realize that the very word is
scary as hell, because choke in humans is immediately life-threatening.
Why? Because in humans, choke usually refers to a tracheal obstruction, and thus blockage of
airways. In horses, choke refers to an esophageal
obstruction, nowhere near the airway. It’s uncomfortable,
it’s dramatic (more so for the owner than the horse) and sometimes it
requires veterinary intervention. But choke is rarely life-threatening in
horses. Seriously. Horses do very rarely die, usually if the
obstruction can’t be cleared for some reason (ie, carrots are really hard
to clear because they don’t dissolve and break down with time and saliva)
and the horse is eventually euthanized--- because the esophagus responds
extremely poorly to surgery and thus is rarely attempted. Or, because the
esophagus is ruptured, usually by someone attempting to too roughly push an
obstruction downward, when patience and a little finesse would have served
better.
So how do vets treat choke? First of
all, the dark-humor joke within the profession is that you (as a vet) must drop
everything and rush to the scene as quickly as possible… before the horse
clears it on his own and deprives you of an emergency-call invoice. :-)
Once there, the first approach is Sedate and Wait… get the
horse to hang his head and let the obstruction move on its own.
Doesn’t sound very dramatic so far, does it? I’ve often
commented that usually the owner is more in need of sedation than the owner
is. If Sedate and Wait doesn’t work, then while the horse’s
head is still hanging, you administer oxytocin to dilate the smooth muscles of
the esophagus (very effective) and carefully advance a nasogastric tube to hose
out the obstruction. It’s rare that it doesn’t work, though
it sometimes takes patience. Notice that “patience” is
usually not used during drop-dead, life-threatening, my-horse-is-about-to-die
crisis. Once the obstruction is cleared, then after care if soft food for
a sore throat, some anti-inflammatories and usually some systemic antibiotics.
To answer other comments and questions
recently posted: nope, massage usually doesn’t help a whole lot and is
more likely to cause increased inflammation and possibly rupture. Turnout
is fine and probably very effective the majority of the time. Best of
all, don’t get hysterical, be patient to see if he’ll take care of
the problem on his own and if not, fine, call your vet.
If anyone’s horse has a problem with
dry beet pulp, then don’t feed it to him dry. I doubt the
experience was nearly as exciting or dramatic for him as it was for the
owner. Paying attention to his teeth is also a very good idea, as poor
dentition is FAR more of a risk factor for choke than is the composition of the
food. After that, pay attention to how much competition there is for food
(and thus incentive to gobble) and THEN consider composition of the food being
provided.
I hope this has dispelled a few more of
the myths going around about the dark and evil mysteries of the equine gut. J
