Choke in Horses

Choke is a life-threatening condition in horses that occurs when food or a foreign object blocks the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. Unlike human choking, which is caused by a blockage in the trachea (windpipe), equine choke does not block the windpipe and horses can still breathe.

Signs of choke include:

• Discharge from nostrils

• A green, frothy discharge that may contain food material, saliva, or be white or food-colored

Head and neck position

• The horse may hold its head outstretched, stretch its neck down, or have a large bulge at the base of its neck

Other behaviors

• The horse may cough, gag, lick, chew, shake its head, appear anxious, or have difficulty swallowing

Appetite

• The horse may be disinterested in food and water, or may act colicky

Some common causes of choke include:

• Eating dry or coarse food too quickly

• Eating unsoaked sugar beet pulp, pieces of carrot or apple, or pelleted feed

• Ingesting a foreign object

• Dental issues

• Neurological conditions that prevent the esophagus from swallowing normally

If your horse is choking, you can try these steps while you wait for a veterinarian:

• Put the horse in an enclosure with non-edible bedding, no water, and no hay

• Keep the horse calm and its head low to allow saliva to drain

• Gently massage the left side of the horse’s neck over the jugular groove to try to break up the obstruction

• Do not attempt to pass anything down the horse’s throat. The veterinarian may try to flush out the obstruction with a feeding tube, or may give the horse sedatives, painkillers, and anti-inflammatories. In many cases, choke clears up in under 30 minutes, but the prognosis depends on how quickly treatment occurs and how long it takes to resolve the choke.