Jim's Choke

The last few days have been a blur. Unfortunately, I've been a bit under the weather during all of it so there's very little getting done except basic chores and such.


I've seen our vet three times in just over a week. As much as I like them, I'd rather not see them that often on a professional basis. At least that's what I was joking around with them about the last time we were in.


So I took Farley in Friday, February 23rd and then took Bo in Monday, Feb 26. Then Jim choked his past Friday and I ended up taking him in Saturday before our blizzard. Sure glad I did. So you may be wondering what happened with Jim.


On Friday night, I let Jim in to eat his grain like normal. It felt weird because Bo wasnt' there. I hate to admit it, but Jim wasn't up to the barn all that week (without Bo hovering, Jim didn't know), so I bypassed graining Jim. Yes, I am a bad horse owner but I was also not feeling the hottest and Jim looks fantastic for 30. So I wasn't too worried. but still bad horse owner I know.


Friday, I figured I'd better get back into the routine. It just felt weird walking into the barn without having Bo pacing outside or whinning in the barn not so patiently waiting for his grain. During the week from the time we said goodbye until Friday, I would sneak into the barn as quietly as I could, thinking that Bo would hear me but then I'd remember....he's not here. So I was struggling. It's only been with Bo and Ivan that I've had a hard time walking into that barn. Every other time, I wouldn't twice but these last two, so close to one another, made me take a step back. I've lost three in less than a year. It's a hard pill to swallow.


So anyway, Zeke was right on Jim's tail so I let Zeke in as well. I don't really like leaving Jim in the barn alone. He gets mad at me. So off to do my other chores and I figured when I got done with those, Jim and Zeke would be done. When I walked in, I noticed Jim was facing the door and his grain at barely been touched. That's when I noticed he was choking. It wasn't like he was choking on a big wad of hay or a big mouthful of grain. It was senior feed.


I had gotten out of the routine of soaking grain because Junior's dish would get compacted with the frozen grain. He has to have an over the fence feeder or he knocks it all out onto the ground. So I got lazy and it cost Jim. I had Mike go out and look at Jim as well and then I went back out to see if I couldn't help.


By that time, Jim had gotten the grain unstuck but he seemed really off. I left him with water, a flake of hay, and Zeke to keep him company.  Then I had to head in because I wasn't feeling well and crashed almost instantly after coming in for the night.


In the morning, I went back out and Jim hadn't touched anything and he still seemed out of it. So our wonderful vets let me sneak Jim in to get a good overall exam on him. I was able to get the truck hooked up, Jim loaded, and to the vets in just over an hour (it's a solid 40 minutes to our vet) but I drive slow.


The vets were pleased with his overall condition when I pulled his blanket (I'd put one on in case he went down in the barn and got chilled). They ran some bloodwork and all looked good so they ruled out a number of other issues. They gave him a shot of banamine, a shot of penicillin, and a shot of dex. He perked up almost instantly when we got home an hour later.


What the vet said was because Jim is 30, it would be very similar to a 90 year old choking. There would be shock and necessary time to recover. I've known of people who have choked, and two days later died from it (even though there was no food left in their throat...it was simply the shock from the experience).


I was supposed to give Jim banamine (orally because I hate giving shots) and unimprim (powder because I hate giving shots). Jim turned up his nose at the grain and unimprim but I was able to convince him with a lot of grain to eat most of it. At least he's good at taking banamine. But he's avoided the barn ever since (until the rain and snow Monday).


Jim has and continues to be a bit of a touch me not. When Bo was around, Jim would be there right at the door waiting to get in but without Bo watching for me, Jim doesn't seem nearly as interested in his grain any more. I expect some of that is due to the choke.


So now I need to remember to haul warm water out to soak their grain. A hard lesson to learn and remember. I'd started soaking grain when my first horse choked and I'd been doing it ever since but with Junior's need to have his feed in an over the fence feeder, I slipped.


The joys of old horses.