# Stop food before sedation



## showjump2003 (28 April 2009)

Hi all. Bean is being sedated in the morning to have her canine tooth out. Never had a horse sedated before. I know not to feed them whilst they are under sedaton but are you ment to starve them before hand? Or can they eat hay until the vet arrives? Thanks in advance x


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## teddyt (28 April 2009)

They can eat until they are sedated. They musnt eat when sedated because they cant chew/swallow poperly


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## Ziggy_ (28 April 2009)

Never heard of this before - mine comes straight out of the field for the dentist.

I could be doing it wrong though!


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## Aru (28 April 2009)

dont feed a sedated horse...even one just givin somthing minor like sedalin..thay can choke because they dont have full control over there muscles
as for before hand i think its ok to feed unless there going under a general anaesthetic.
 id just give your vet a ring and ask if your worried im sure they'l be happy to tell you


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## Tnavas (28 April 2009)

Intravenous sedation will work regardless of the food given

Oral sedatives though work better if given on an empty stomach.

Withhold food afterwards until the horse has come around fully. Most sedatives these days work fast and also disipate fast. Only thing to watch if the horse has been heavily sedated is to make sure they don't hang their heads over the stable door to the extent that they have their windpipe resting on the top - one of mine tried to strangle himself that way!! He was so sleepy that he was using the door to prop his head up - good thing we heard him! Either shut the top door or tie up.


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## kellyeaton (29 April 2009)

you can feed prior to sedation but after that i would wait at least a good hr after she has been sedated to give any type of food that is hay grass anything just incase they are still a little sedated then they could easly choke!


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## lauraandjack (29 April 2009)

No need to starve beforehand, but better to keep food and water away until they are fully round as some horses will stuff food into their mouths and not chew and swallow properly, risking choke.

I wouldn't advise tying up a sedated horse unsupervised, as if they hang on the rope the pressure from the headcollar on the nerves of the face can cause facial paralysis if you are unlucky, also if they do lose their balance you may end up with a disaster.

Gotta love horses and their talent for hurting themselves in any situation!


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## lauraandjack (29 April 2009)

Just a thought though, as she is being sedated for dental work it might me an idea to remove her food half an hour or so beforehand - it's much nicer working in a mouth that isn't full of grass/hay gunge!


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## showjump2003 (29 April 2009)

Thanks for all the replies! Sedation went fine (first time in 15 years I've had one sedated!) and the removal of two canine teeth was very stress free!). 

On a scale of 0 - 10 how mean of me was to get a comb out and pull her mane as soon as the dentist left? haha Pulling her mane is normllay so stressful! It was sooo easy! lol


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## Tnavas (29 April 2009)

Make the most of the situation - I have done just that before but I was meaner I'd just had my boy gelded!!


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