Feline Feeding Tube - Home Care
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- Cats with certain medical conditions may require a feeding tube to help them recover while they have an inability or lack of desire to eat on their own. This video showcases how to use and maintain an esophageal feeding tube in a cat. Topics covered include how esophageal feeding tubes work, gathering materials prior to feeding, daily bandage and tube care, preparing the food, how to administer food through the tube, and complications that may arise with the feeding tube and how to deal with them. Also included are pro tips such as giving medication through the tubes, optimum food consistency, and when to call your veterinarian. Pets needing at home feeding tube management should be under the care of a veterinarian.
MVA has developed a series of instructional videos for pet owners whose pets are under the care of a veterinarian. These videos are intended to reinforce home care skills, and should not be viewed as comprehensive tutorials.
Video Transcription:
Metropolitan Veterinary Associates, thanks you for considering us, as a source of information for your pet care. In the following video you will be shown techniques, for at-home treatments of common pet issues. If at any point, you do not fell comfortable performing these techniques, you should consider contacting your veterinarian. Remember, while it is possible to do these techniques with one person, it is always easier to do them with two people present. - Hi there, I'm Lisa. - And I'm Kara. We're both nurses at Metropolitan Veterinary Associates. - Today, we will be showing you how to use and maintain a feline feeding feeding tube. Feeding tubes are placed in cats, that either have the inability or lack of desire to eat on their own. They may remain in place, for weeks to many months with good management. - The materials you will need are canned food as prescribed by your veterinarian. Lukewarm water, a syringe for water, a syringe for food, triple antibiotic ointment, moistened cotton swab and an E-tube wrap. - Before we get started, it is important to understand how the feeding tube works. An esophageal feeding tube, enters the esophagus through a small skin incision and sits just prior to the stomach sphincter. It is then suture to the skin and covered with an E-wrap. A tube syringe, adapter and cap are placed on the end of the tube. - It is important to remember that the tube should always be caped and not open to air. - Pets can eat despite the feeding tube. If your pet is interested in food, allow them to eat and notify your veterinarian. Some pets may need encouragement, such as petting or talking to them while offering food or giving a taste on their lips. It is very important to only offer and encourage a little bit. And then remove the food until the next offering. Please be aware that cats can develop a food aversion when food is constantly around. - Medications may also be given through feeding tubes. They must either come as liquids or tablets and powders that can be dissolved well and water. Be sure to follow your veterinarians instructions about giving medications through the tube. It is very important that you flush the tube with water, before and after each feeding or medication administration. - Another aspect of a feline feeding tube, is daily bandage and tube care. The tube site should be cleaned at least once daily to prevent infection. Use a moistened cotton tip swab or clean damp cloth, to gently remove any cross or food debris from the site. Be sure to pat it dry prior to replacing the rap. Triple antibiotic ointment may be placed at the tube site to help prevent an infection. - The wraps should be changed and washed every other day. Be sure you can fit two fingers comfortably under that rap, to ensure it is neither too tight nor too loose. Always keep the tube contained under an E-tube wrap and ensure that the feeding tube is well secured. - In preparation for the feeding, mix the prescribed amount of food and water and blend to the desired consistency. The diet should be blended into a smooth gruel. You may also lightly warm the food, but be sure to mix thoroughly after doing so. Test the food like you would with a baby bottle and make sure the gruel is not too hot prior to feeding. - Now we will show you the steps for feeding a cat through the feeding tube. First, you will need to attach an empty syringe to the tube syringe adapter and pull back on the plunger to check for negative pressure. Negative pressure is a force working against you as you pull the plunger of the syringe back. When you pull on the plunger. It should be sucked back into the previous position. Continue to evacuate any air or food until you achieve negative pressure. If you are unable to get negative pressure, please stop and contact your veterinarian. Once negative pressure is achieved, slowly administer the recommended amount of pre-feeding water. Stop, if coughing or gagging occurs as this could reflect movement in the tube positioning... 
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None of the other videos show to check for negative pressure before beginning. Thank you so much for including this step! At first I couldn't get negative pressure and I lost my confidence and was unsure what it should look like if there was successful negative pressure or maybe the syringe was broken. Your video gave me more confidence and I tried screwing the syringe tighter into the feeding tube and it worked! Yours is the best video of all that I watched. Thank you for posting this!
One more piece of advice, if the syringe doesn't get sucked back, pull the plunger back a glood bit farther and that will do the trick if there is negative pressure.
Thank you for this video and I know had I not had a Vet that wasn't open to suggestions that my little girl would still be with me!
i really liked this video, it is very helpful, i did not know about checking for negative pressure , i will now every time
My vet said nothing about cleaning the feeding tube site.
Why negative
pressure? Is it something to do with the type of tube you are using? I have spoken with several feline specialists and they do not counsel
clients to check for negative pressure. My vet used a
french catheter. Air
comes out when I check
for negative pressure. I have told this to my board
certified feline practitioner and they are not concerned and
have told me to proceed
with feedings. Please
elaborate why
lack of negative
pressure is reason to
stop the feeding. I see
I am not the only one
to notice that you are
the only hospital to
mention this. It is very
distressing. Thank you for
more information.
15 minutes for 20 ccs of food?
Why didn't the vet. mention the part about negative pressure?
Thanks.
My board certified feline
practitioner, and two other board certified feline
practitioners I spoke with do not counsel their clients to check for negative pressure
prior to flushing the feeding
tube. I cannot say this
video is incorrect. Perhaps it
has to do with the type
of tube in use by this hospital?
This video only creates alarm by not explaining why negative
pressure is so important, and telling us to stop the feed and call our vet. More information is needed here.
It would be helpful to see it done with a real cat.
no way in hell am I going to try this....