# Horse can't or won't swallow



## petei1 (21 September 2008)

I have a 10 year old gelding that can't swallow, he chews food fine but wont swallow or it just comes back up.
the same with water he'll put his mouth in the water and seems to just swish it around abit then it and any food in his mouth just falls out.
he's been at the vets for a week now on iv for dehydration, they scoped his throat and down to his stomach and found nothing, x-rayed his mouth and nasal cavity but all seemed ok
everybody is stumped to say the least.

Anybody have any ideas?


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## Bossanova (21 September 2008)

Have they referred him to one of the larger hospitals?

I'd have him at the RVC/AHT/uni of Bristol or Liverpool asap


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## Box_Of_Frogs (22 September 2008)

Could be neurological with the swallow mechanism not working properly or being uncoordinated or paralysed. I very, very occasionally get a spasm in my oesophagus which is like a cramp. It isn't much fun coz it is in exactly the right place to feel like a heart attack but it is over in minutes. As Bossanova says, I guess an emergency referral to a specialist equine hospital might be necessary as you could face further serious problems if your horse stops eating.


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## The Original Kao (22 September 2008)

i've no ideas as what could be the prob. just sending loads of healing &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;vibes&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;


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## Happy Horse (22 September 2008)

Is this a sudden thing?  Maybe he choked when you weren't about and it is a psychological thing.  Does he eat grass ok?


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## Britestar (22 September 2008)

Have they considered grass sickness?


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## cruiseline (23 September 2008)

I have just had a similar thing with my stallion (the black horse in my siggy) He, over night, stopped eating. He wanted to eat, but just could not chew up or swallow his food. After extensive searching we found he had a large mouth ulcer under his tongue.

Hopefully with your boy, its something as simple, as that.


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## Araminta (24 September 2008)

We had this happen to one of ours.

Eventually vets found fractured hyoid, very rare.
Have your vets checked for this?

Sadly not a good outcome for my horse by the time they found it.

Hope they manage to sort your boy out.


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## kellyeaton (24 September 2008)

get him transferred  asap!


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## lynspop (24 September 2008)

Happened to one of our school ponies a few weeks ago. Vet diagnised it as choke initially as the horse was showing a lot of similar symptons, turns out he had a bit of thorn/twig lodged between two hind teeth that had been rubbing against his tongue (and had caused a laceration on it). He was interested in food and wanted to eat,but everything just kept falling back out. A thorough check by the dentist and the offending bit of thorn was found and removed!


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## Kallibear (27 September 2008)

Metion Grass Sickness to them. If you're in England, and the vets went to an english University, they won't know much about it. It's very common up here in scotland and edinburgh vet school always has at least one grass sickness patient in at any given time. 

Does he have any other symptoms? Weight loss, muscle trembling, odd sweaty patches? How old is he?


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