We've had a lot of choke episodes here since Baasha died. More than normal, and every time for some other odd reason - hay, a piece of wood....?
Today on Facebook I got this information for local horse people from a vet's office.
I thought it was interesting simply because on one of my choke vet visits, the vet said, "The only time I've ever had a horse die from choke, was from a chopped carrot."
I thought that was strange, but apparently it's a thing. Last week Mag had a very scary episode of Who Knows What and We'll Never Know. I probably should blog about it cuz it was so wierd and the vet was out of her league.
Thoughts?
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5 comments:
I stopped chopping my carrots and apples many years ago, on the recommendation of my vet.
Wow, that's news to me. I do step on whole apples before handing them over on the advice of a vet--horses who try to eat the entire apple sometimes end up blocking the airway. If the apple is partly crushed by my boot, that won't happen.
I've never chopped such things, but more from laziness than any thought that I should or should not. Interesting idea - I'd love to learn if there is data to back either option as more or less safe. Even better if it supports continuing to be lazy. (I either just toss in their bucket or hold for them to take bites off, the latter of course I only do with my own whom I can trust to be polite about it and not try to take a finger too.)
NatD, good to know that this knowledge is up in your latitude: )
Aarene, I think the size of the apple is important. Which is why I always suggest that neighbors offer apples on the ground in front of my horse, rather than from their hand. Cuz on the ground, he'll always take a bite. Actually he's pretty good about that both ways, cuz like Baasha, Mag is a nibbler. But the donkey will take an entire apple in her mouth, every time, just as he handles all other food. She is a freaking hamster.
CSL, I want to know more data too, but since I heard it from a vet visit, and from a facebook vet clinic this week, I thought maybe it's legit.
In all my experiences with choke, it's always been a horse who encounters something and says, "Oh, I don't need to chew that" and then we call the vet. But HAY was the most perplexing of all.
NatD, my latitude is 51 so we're not that different: )
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