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Discussion on Best type of feeding for Chole
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New Member:
Kbr1
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 - 11:20 am:
I have a 7 year old Arabian, that has had two incidents of choke in the past 2 and 1/2 weeks, the first from an alfalfa cube(no vet called) and the second time from bolting her food, the vet was called, she was tubed and put on smz for a week. I have since taken her off her pelleted feed and now use a sweet, complete feed for horses prone to choke or with COPD. My concern is her hay, I have an older mare (28) that I buy bagged, chopped grass forage for. Would I be better off giving my choker the bagged forage, regular hay or a combo of the two.
Also, she still has a small about of white drainage from the nostril that the vet tubed, should I be concerned?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Oct 30, 2006 - 8:58 am:
Hello Kathleen,
The hay is clearly better with respect to choke but if he insists on swallowing poorly chewed feed, it may not matter which feed you choose. What was he eating before he started choking? Nasal discharge for a week or two following a choke is pretty normal as the sinuses clean themselves out.
The article associated with this forum discusses other possibilities, ideas for slowing down eating, preventing choke.
DrO
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New Member:
Kbr1
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Posted on Monday, Oct 30, 2006 - 10:45 am:
Dr. O,
The horse was eating pellets and beet pulp,the beet pulp was wet, so the pellets were also. I have read two different senario's, hay should be available at all times (which I cannot due because of cost and lack of it) and that horses should not be feed and left unchecked for any long amount of time.
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Member:
Vickiann
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Posted on Tuesday, Oct 31, 2006 - 9:46 am:
Kathleen, one of my Arabs bolts his food too. He doesn't even chew hay thoroughly. One thing I have found that helps him to not choke is a floor feeder where he stretches his neck all the way to the ground as they would do when feeding in the wild. My Arab also seems to have learned that if something is choking him, it helps him to stretch the neck downward toward the ground. I've seen him clear a choke himself this way more than once. In a way it sounds backward, but I have seen it work.
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Member:
Kbr1
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Posted on Tuesday, Oct 31, 2006 - 11:01 am:
Vicki,
Thanks I will try that. With winter coming I have been freaking out about what to do. I have never had a horse choke before. This horse is a Arab/Apaloosa and kind of high strung.
Thanks, Kathie
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2006 - 8:49 am:
Hi Kathleen, I have several horses that have choked, so have experimented with solutions. My older horses get senior feed that is wetted down with hot water in the house about 1/2 hour before feeding. Have not had any problems since. My younger horse,that bolts down food, gets regular oats/safechoice mix. However, I put 4 large river rocks in his feeder, hung down low. He gets frustrated, but he has to nuzzle around the rocks to eat his grain, and can't bolt. This works well with dogs who chomp down their food in gulps as well.
Don't know about the hay problem though. Good Luck
suz
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Member:
Kbr1
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Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2006 - 2:37 pm:
Thanks Susan, I am going to try the rocks in the dish. Have you notice any problems with your horses and eating hay?
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2006 - 3:21 pm:
Hi Kathleen, None of the horses has trouble with the hay now. Have you checked the teeth. I know it seems logical, but even though my one horse has routinely had his teeth floated, the vets passed right on by this terrible pocket in his cheek. I finally found a vet who put the full mouth speculum thing on him, and he had a horrible, painful back tooth problem. He worked on him for a full hour, blood dripping down this poor guys arm, and Cody was none too pleased. But, what a huge difference, after his swollen cheeks cleared up. Sometimes just surface floating does not show you what is really going on in there. Just a thought.
The rocks in the deep bucket, hung low on his door have (knock on wood) seemed to help. It is funny to hear him banging the rocks around in his bowl, and the look he gives me. But whatever works 
suz
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Member:
Kbr1
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Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2006 - 4:12 pm:
Susan, the vet actually did her teeth when he came out and tubed her, he didn't think they looked to bad. I think her main problem was that I have a pushy gelding and that added to her bolting the food. I have started doing a better job keeping them apart, trying to get her to relax. I got some rocks today and will try it tonight. I apprecaite the tips, I hope I never have to go through choke again!!!
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