If my horse is choking...

If my horse is choking, what first-aid protocol should I follow while waiting for the vet to arrive? If you suspect that your horse is choking and you have called your veterinarian, the most important first aid protocol is to keep your horse calm, avoid exercise, and remove feed and water to avoid aspiration.

The important factor with choke is early recognition and treatment to avoid permanent damage to the esophagus. Horses that choke may have a variety of different clinical signs. Common presentations may include anxiety, standing with an extended neck, retching or gagging, feed material draining out the nose, excessive salivation, and coughing Simple choke, or esophageal obstruction, is the most common disorder of the esophagus in horses.

Two of the most common treats that cause choke are large chunks of apples and carrots, but horses can choke on foreign bodies, bedding, or other roughage including coarse grass hay or leafy alfalfa. Other causes can be prior choke, dental abnormalities, and rapid ingestion of feed.

Keith P. Poulsen, DVM DACVIM University of Wisconsin