Tube Feeding
You have a puppy that is not able to suckle properly. When do you know when to start tube feeding? How do you do it?
What equipment do you need? In the following article, we answer these vital questions.
Image from Infovets.com
Indications to Tube Feed:
When the puppy is too weak and unable to feed
Puppy with cleft palate
Premature puppy with weak suckle
Abandoned puppy needing rapid nutritional support
Equipment:
Appropriate sized soft pliable feeding catheter
Syringes, 3ml, 5 ml, 10 ml
Puppy formula and/or colostrum
Marking pen
Stethoscope (Optional)
Procedure:
Weigh the puppy
Determine feeding volume, a quick rule of thumb is to give 1ml per ounce of body weight for newborn puppies.
Heat formula to Luke-warm: Careful not to feed too hot or cold formula and do not use the microwave to heat formula (uneven heat). Use warm water to mix formula or colostrum initially or place a syringe of cold formula into a cup of hot water and test on your inner arm before feeding.
Measure tube: length from puppy’s nose to the first rib cage and mark with a marker.
Place the puppy on your lap or non-slip surface. Grasp the puppy by the head and gently insert the feeding tube into the corner of the mouth and aim for the back of the puppy’s throat, if the puppy becomes distressed and coughs remove the tube and try again.
Insert feeding tube to the pre-marked position. The Puppy should swallow the tube as you slowly advanced to pre-marked measurement. If the puppy seems calm with no coughing or squirming you are most likely in the stomach and can continue to feeding. If the puppy seems uncomfortable or coughs you are possible in the trachea and need to remove and reinsert the tube.
Alternatively, if you have a stethoscope you can draw 1ml of air up in a syringe connect to the feeding tube, and listen with your stereoscope for a gurgling sound over the puppy’s stomach as you quickly push the air into the feeding tube.
Once the placement is verified you can proceed to slowly feed the puppy the warmed feeding. It is recommended to feed about 0.5ml first and watch the puppy for distress, labored breathing, coughing, or squirming. If any of these occur, remove and reinsert the tube.
When no symptoms of distress are evident, slowly feed the appropriate volume of formula to the puppy. You do not want to rapidly push the feeding but take about 5-8 min to slowly push the feeding into the puppy.
After feeding slowly withdraw the feeding tube and place the puppy back into a warm area.
Additional considerations:
Do not tube feed a cold puppy!
Do not overfeed a puppy.
Feed every 2-3 hours, and only the minimal amount necessary.
Puppies need colostrum! If the puppy has never nursed you will need to feed colostrum for the first few feed. Colostrum source.
If the puppy is fighting you when you are placing the feeding tube, he probably does not need a tube feeding and you should consider a bottle if the mother is unavailable.