Something caught in esophagus

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A friend just called me last night, very worried about her horse. From the symptoms, I suggested it could be choke and she needed to call the vet quickly. She had to call 7 vets before finding one who could come out (she has no trailer). This is in a large city. He put the tube in the nose but it would not go down very far. He said there was an obstruction. He gave some muscle relaxers in the hope the esophagus would relax and the obstruction would pass. She is supposed to call him this morning on how he is doing. If it does not pass, he told her the horse would die. He said surgery on miniatures with this is usually not successful.
Her horses are on a dry lot; they eat the same thing every day. But, she does not know if someone might have thrown something over the fence into the lot. The horse is 17 and she's owned him for at least 10 years. His companion is fine.
Has anyone heard of this condition?
 
I hope you will update us on the status when you find out. I hope that mini will be fine.
I have no knowledge to help out.
 
While the other 6 vets may not have been able to come last night, after hours, I'd be calling them all today and finding another to come out or find someone with a trailer to haul in to the one with the most equine experience, especially small equine experience. Did the vet have a small enough tube use on a mini, I want to say I've read that sheep tubes will work on a mini (full-size horse tubes are usually too big for a mini)? Sorry, I don't have any experience in this type of situation.
 
Vet came out again this morning and the tube went down a little farther. Horse seemed more alert so they are going to wait. Vet gave him another shot, and will come and check on him this afternoon. They are a little more hopeful.
This vet has seen this horse before. He is the one who gelded him; he was not descended, so required surgery. He also does the vaccinations.
 
I have had this happen here with older horses, sometimes the treatment of tubing water must be repeated. My vet also massaged the area of the choke carefully . The horse should be relaxed with the shots or lightly sedated. Don't give up too easily with choke. Hope all goes well, it is not pleasant I know, but give it a chance. She was on a special diet afterwards for a few days, she was definitely sore.
Want to add, choke can happen for odd reasons, not necessarily because of something different they ate, I have a guy that bolts his grain and I have to wet his food and put stones in his bucket to slow him down for example. He also has worn teeth. I really hate to see it, I don't know why he does it because he is fed alone, no threats over his feed.
 
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Hope your friends horse will be OK. I had one (big) horse years ago choke and it was pretty bad (and scarey), the vet almost gave up but then it cleared. Horse was fine and never choked again. We did have to watch for pneumonia, in case he had aspirated anything during the choke episode, and he was on antibiotics for a week or so for the same reason.
Fingers crossed for a good outcome.
 
Hope your friends horse is ok. My old horse had choke a couple of years back, it was scary as it was the first horse ive had thats ever had it.

Madmax is right, somethimes it needs a second tubing .
 
Oh Marsha that is so sad for your friend. I was hoping for better.
 
I am so sorry he did not make it, was so hoping all would be well, the friend certainly gave it a good try, again so sorry.
 

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