"Heart Attacks are for free,give your horse one"

[pandorasmom]

When Clinton Anderson said that I never thought it would be the horse reversing it and saying "Heart Attacks are for free, give your owner one."

Pandora was eating her food tonight and me and Sarah (sister) was brushing her. All the sudden she spooked at something up above our barn, then started to cough. I thought she'd just gotten a lil' "choked" up, but didn't think literally she had.
However, she had. She started coughing, and trying to get it up. She acted nervous in her stall, so I took her out of her stall to an open area to let her stand to work the rest up. She kept coughing and tried to lay down a few times. So as long as she didn't roll I figured it would be okay for her to lay down. She'd been coughing for a little bit and I figured she maybe tired from all of that. Well, she never went to roll, but did lay down. After a little I got her up to try to move her some more. She still didn't seem much better. So I called the vet. He said to let her be without hay or grain for a while, and leave her in her stall with access to water. He said she should be fine within another 2-3 hrs. As long as she doesn't roll any, she can lay down, and said that she'll cough for another hour or two probably. He said she'll still be trying to work the stuff up, and it'll be making her cough because most of it will be fluid. He said it's okay if some comes up her nose, as well as her mouth, because she'll be trying to get it up. If she persists with this for a few hours, then to call him and he may have to come out and give her a sedative and try to gently run a tube down to see if he can dislodge it. He sounded confident that she'd be fine, but I'm still one big mess. I panic easily when something goes wrong, and I'm still so worried about her. She's acting pretty comfortable right now. Still coughing some fluid stuff up, but not as often as she was, and she's not trying to lay down, just comfortably standing. Soooo, I'm hoping she's on the mend.
If everyone out there could say a lil' prayer for her, I'd greatly appreciate it. She's got me real worried.

Thanks so much!
Sharon

[Gypsy Rose]

That has to be scary! So far, I've never had to deal with choke.

Here's hoping Pandora will be fine soon!

[lovesfortune]

Sending prayers. Have you tried massaging her throat/neck at all? See if that might relax her and help her? I think it has worked before for IrisGreen or someone. Don't quote me though.

Good luck! SOunds like she is doing alright.

[vicklynn]

Choke is scarey. If she has choked she should be treated for phenomia(SP).
When City choked, I hosed him, then took him to the vet the next day, he got a shot of something, I forget what, and I took pills home and gave them to him. The exasperation can go to the lungs. Ask your vet about that.

[pandorasmom]

Thanks y'all, I greatly appreciate it.
I went to check on her again and she greeted me at the gate, and acted like she was looking for food. She didn't cough, or make any throat movements like she was going to that time, and it doesn't appear she's spit up anymore through her nose or mouth.

I did try to massage her throat. I don't feel anything in it, but did rub it some for her. Didn't want to rub to much and irratate it though if you know what I mean.

Vicky,
Vet won't be back in the office till Monday which is where all his meds are I believe, is there something I could give her from home? He could probably go to the office to get it, but I'm not 100% sure.
We've got a few different antibotics here for the goats (Agri-Cilian, Twin Pen,etc.).

Thanks again y'all!
Sharon

[Dakota Sunrise]

Awe, I hope she feels better soon!

[carla]

Oh no, I hope she's still feeling better! Vick's heads-up about pneumonia is a good idea.. glad she seemed to be better, though! :)

[JackieB]

Whew! That is scary. Hope she's all better now. It sounds encouraging.

[Equine_Woman]

Oh whew!!! Glad you dodged that bullet!!! How scary. You can get penicillin at the feed store if you think you might need an antibiotic. Hopefully she'll be fine!

[KittySawrus]

:eek: *phew*!! When I saw the first post I felt my stomach drop out! Ooh, I hope I never have to see a horse choking...it sounds horrible D:

I'm glad she's gotten over it though...hope she's 100% again very soon :)

[lisakaye]

I hope she does better today and I am glad she is on the mend. Very scary though.

[IrisGreen]

Ohh How scary! I'm glad she is doing better now. If she was able to cough and breath in the first place that is a good sign but it's good you kept an eye on her to make sure whatever was in her thoat didn't get lodged worse.

The massaging is a good idea. I haven't had to do it with Muffin for choking but I have had to do it for colic. It helps a lot when you massage there flanks, lift there tails and walk them slowly if they can. Massaging the throat is a really good idea and it helps with my dogs when they start coughing up something. It helps calm and dislodge what ever it is and helps them keep for panicing themselves.

I'm sure she is going to be fine now but as Vicklynn said, you might want to watch for pneumonia.

[pandorasmom]

Hey Everyone!
Thanks for all of the good thoughts, prayers, advice,etc. I so greatly appreciate it!
By about 10pm last night she was all over it, just really tired and acted like she was a lil' sore in her throat, which is to be expected. This morning and today she has done great! I soaked her food for her, so it would be easier going down for her. I didn't want her scratching her throat with it, if her throat was still raw from all the coughing,etc. So for the next couple days I'll gradually wean her back off it. Just want her to have enough time to heal, since she's not Mr. Ed (though she acts like him sometimes), and can't talk to me. LOL
Here's a few snapshots of her from today, so everyone can see my happy girl:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/summershadowfarm/DSCF9362.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/summershadowfarm/DSCF9357.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/summershadowfarm/DSCF9346.jpg
I was running out of leash, but was trying to step back to take the pic. The sunlight messed up some of my others, by casting a shadow on her, so I can't use them. :( Oh well though.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/summershadowfarm/DSCF9371.jpg

[lovesfortune]

Glad she is doing better. Not to scare you more, but I think I read that if a horse gets choke once they are more likely to get it again? Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Just so you know to watch for it if she's acting funny again.

She's such a pretty girl!

[pandorasmom]

Hey!
Thanks so much!
I did some research last night, and read one thing that did mention if they get choked they are more likely to do it within the next 72 hrs. So, I'm definately on the lookout. I'm so scared she'll choke again. I don't think I'll ever give her "dry" food again. lol
Right now it's purely soaked, so she's licking it out of her tray. I'm only giving her a thin layer on the bottom of her tray also, so she's having to eat slowly. I'm not sure how sore her throat is, and I would like to think if it hurt her she would not eat whatever was hurting it, but I'm sure if she's hungry enough she will. So as mad as she is I'm treating her like a baby, I am. haha

I do thank you for the information though! :) Always grateful when anyone can tell me something like that. I'd rather you tell me, then not. :)

[lovesfortune]

You are soaking her hay and her feed or just her hay? Because if you are feeding her a pellet or grain, etc. They say you can put big rocks in the bucket and it slows them down because they have to eat around it... maybe you can do that when you are done soaking if you are still worried.

[pandorasmom]

I am soaking her feed, but did sprinkle some water on her hay tonight to help her a little.
She's getting pellets (Dumor StablEnergy). It seems she enjoys the pellets more then the sweetfeed.
I will try a rock in her food. I was wondering if that might help some, but up until this point she's never had a problem so I didn't think twice about it. I think the only reason she got choked this time, was when she spooked she like gulped the air a half a second and swallowed before she meant too, and that's why she choked. She's not done this before, thank goodness.

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

I am glad she is doing better today. This thread reminded me that since I changed our horses feed over to the pellet, and because they always seem to want to eat it all in one bite, I might want to put a big rock in the bucket.