ollowed by constriction (narrowing) of the gullet.

CHOKING.

The mechanical trouble of choking is quite common. It may occur when the
animal is suddenly startled while eating apples or roots, and we should
be careful never to approach suddenly or put a dog after horses or cows
that are feeding upon such substances. If left alone these animals very
rarely attempt to swallow the object until it is sufficiently
masticated.

Choking also arises from feeding oats in a deep, narrow manger to such
horses as eat very greedily or bolt their feed. Wheat chaff is also a
frequent cause of choke. This accident may result from the attempts to
force eggs down without breaking or from giving balls that are too large
or not of the proper shape.

Whatever object causes the choking, it may lodge in the upper part of
the esophagus, at its middle portion, or close to the stomach, giving
rise to the designations of pharyngeal, cervical, and thoracic choke. In
some cases where the original obstruction is low we find all that part
of the gullet above it to be distended with feed.

_Symptoms._--The symptoms vary somewhat according to the position of the
body causing choke. In pharyngeal choke the object is lodged in the
upper portion of the esophagus. The horse will present symptoms of great
distress, hurried breathing, frequent cough, excessive flow of saliva,
sweating, trembling, or stamping with the fore feet. The abdomen rapidly
distends with gas. The diagnosis is completed by manipulating the upper
part of the throat from without and by the introduction of the hand into
the back part of the mouth, finding the body lodged here. In cervical
choke (where the obstruction is situated at any point between the
throatlatch and the shoulder) the protrusion caused by the object can be
seen and the object can be felt. The symptoms here are not so severe;
the horse will be seen occasionally to draw himself up, arch his neck,
and make retching movements as though he wished to vomit. The abdomen
may be tympanitic. Should there be any question as to the trouble, a
conclusion may be reached by pouring water into the throat from a
bottle. If the obstruction is complete, by standing on the left side of
the horse and watching the course of the esophagus, you can see the
gullet, just above the windpipe, become distended with each bottle of
water. This is not always a sure test, as the obstruction may be an
angular body, in which case liquids would pas