Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Alpaca health · Digestive problems

Choke (Esophageal Obstruction) in Alpacas

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team1 peer-reviewed references
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Emergency — call your vet now

This condition can kill within hours. Get veterinary help immediately.

Feed stuck in the esophagus. The alpaca can still breathe, but cannot swallow and may inhale saliva and food.

Category
Digestive problems
Urgency
Emergency

Signs & symptoms

  • Repeated swallowing attempts and stretching the neck
  • Drooling, green fluid or food from the nose and mouth
  • Coughing and distress
  • Visible swelling on the left side of the neck

Related symptom guides: Alpaca Not Eating, Drooling & Green Slobber, Runny Nose & Coughing, Feed Coming from the Nose.

What causes it?

Gulping pellets, dry beet pulp or hay cubes, chunks of apple or carrot, or unchewed coarse feed.

Risk factors

  • Greedy eaters at feeding time
  • Unsoaked pellets or cubes
  • Whole fruit or vegetable chunks
  • Dental problems

How vets diagnose it

Clinical signs and passing a stomach tube; endoscopy if needed.

Treatment

Call the vet. Remove all feed and water. Many chokes clear with sedation and gentle flushing via a tube. Do not pour water into the mouth.

Do not wait to see if it improves. Camelids hide illness, and by the time signs are obvious the problem is often advanced. Call your veterinarian.

Prevention

  • Spread pellets in a long trough or add large stones to slow eating
  • Cut treats lengthwise
  • Soak cubes and beet pulp
  • Feed bossy animals separately

Background

Choke is a condition in horses in which the esophagus is blocked, usually by food material. Although the horse is still able to breathe, it is unable to swallow, and may become severely dehydrated. A secondary condition, aspiration pneumonia, may also develop if food material and saliva accumulate in the pharynx, spilling into the trachea and into the lungs. Choke is one of the "top 10" emergencies received by equine veterinarians.From Wikipedia — “Choke (horse)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Research & references

PubMed lists 1 peer-reviewed papers on this topic in camelids. The most relevant include:

  1. Esophageal dysfunction in four alpaca crias and a llama cria with vascular ring anomalies. McKenzie EC, Seguin B, Cebra CK et al. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2010. PubMed 20673113 · DOI · cited 9×

Frequently asked questions

What is choke (Esophageal Obstruction) in alpacas?
Feed stuck in the esophagus. The alpaca can still breathe, but cannot swallow and may inhale saliva and food.
What are the signs of choke (Esophageal Obstruction)?
Repeated swallowing attempts and stretching the neck, drooling, green fluid or food from the nose and mouth, coughing and distress and visible swelling on the left side of the neck.
How do you prevent choke (Esophageal Obstruction)?
Spread pellets in a long trough or add large stones to slow eating. Cut treats lengthwise. Soak cubes and beet pulp.
Is choke (Esophageal Obstruction) an emergency?
Emergency — call your vet now. This condition can kill within hours. Get veterinary help immediately.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.