COMMON SURGICAL OPERATIONS 221 



The object that causes the choke may he lodged in the pharynx 

 or oesophagiis. Certain individuals are more prone to choke 

 while feeding than others. This is because of their habit of 

 eating greedily, and swallowing hastily without properly mixing 

 the bolus with the saliva. For this reason, choking occurs when 

 the animal is eating dry feed. Cattle frequently become choked 

 on pieces of such food as roots and apples that are t^o large to 

 readily pass down the oesophagus. Sharp objects taken in with 

 the food sometimes become lodged in the cesophagTis or pharynx. 



The symptoms differ in complete and partial choke. In the 

 latter, the symptoms are not very characteristic. The animal 

 may stop feeding, but shows very little evidence of suffering 

 pain. It may be able to swallow a little water. On attempting 

 to drink, a part of the water may be returned through the nose, 

 the same as in complete choke. Ineffectual eft'oits to swallow, 

 salivation, coughing, hurried respiration, and an anxious ex- 

 pression of the face occur in complete choke. Bloating may 

 complicate this accident in ruminants. After partial choke has 

 persisted for a day or two, the animal appears dejected or dis- 

 tressed. Pressure on the trachea by hard objects may cause 

 difficult respiration. 



Mechanical pneumonia sometimes occurs. This is due to 

 the food and water that the animal may attempt to swallow, 

 being returned to the pharynx and passed into the air passages 

 and lungs. 



The treatment is as follows: Animals that have choked 

 should not be given access to feed of any kind. Any attempt to 

 take food or drink water may result in pneumonia. It may be 

 necessary to drench the animal with a very small quantity of 

 water for the purpose of diag-nosis. The most common form of 

 choke in horses is that due to accumulation of dry food in the 

 oesophagus. The administration of a dnig that stimulates the 

 secretion of saliva is a very successful method of relieving this 

 form of choke. Pilocarpine is the drug commonly used. Cheap 



