A Different Kind of Discharge

“I think my horse is dying! He must have pneumonia, because he’s coughing like crazy and has thick disgusting discharge coming from both nostrils. I just don’t understand it—he seemed fine yesterday. I need you now.”

The minute I hear this sort of message on my pager (and I hear it a lot), I’m already pretty sure I know the answer. The good news is that the horse really isn’t dying, and he probably doesn’t have pneumonia. In fact, this is a classic description of an esophageal blockage—the equine version of choke.

An equine choke is very different from a human choke. It involves a horse’s esophagus (between his mouth and stomach) not his trachea (the passage to his lungs). Although the horse’s behavior may appear dramatic, he isn’t in any imminent danger of collapse or death. In fact, the majority of equine chokes resolve spontaneously, before we can even make it to your barn.

If your horse has a copious nasal discharge that’s bubbly and slimy, and contains food particles, chances are, he’s choking. He’ll also stretch his neck out uncomfortably and cough repeatedly. Wait 10 or 15 minutes before you call your vet, and gently massage the esophagus, which runs along the groove on the left side of his neck. You may be able to relieve your horse’s choke yourself.

If a choking episode persists for 30 minutes or longer, call your vet. He or she will sedate your horse, pass a tube into your horse’s esophagus, and flush the blockage with water.