From:
"merylfaulkner"
Date: 2007-08-01 17:02:38 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Feeding baby ferret via a tube......would this work?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
In our rehab group the opossum and rabbit team tube-feed tiny babies
using Sovereign brand feeding tubes - (the orange ones) or the clear
nasogastric tubes. We also use them tube feeding birds. The The 5 fr
diameter size is really narrow (1.7mm). The 8 fr works for most small
birds and mammals. The orange tubes are made by Kendall and vets can
usually get them or have them in stock.
The clear infant naso-gastric tube fits directly on the end of a
syringe, the orange tubes have a graduated end and have to be cut to
fit the syringe tip. Health Products and IMed sell the clear tubes
online(5 and 8 fr infant - 15 inch long). I prefer clear because you
can see when they are clean inside. We re-use them after cleaning well
- hot water and detergent, rinse well. Both the orange and the clear
nasogastric have rounded ends with two holes above the rounded tip.
Both types tend to harden with age and should be discarded when that
happens.
In mammals one has to be careful not to get the tube down the
trachea and into the lungs. Most of our rehab tube feeding is done on
birds - where the opening to the trachea (glottis)is easy to see. In
baby mammals it's a little trickier and formula can get into the lungs
if you aren't careful. We do trim the tubes if we are just going a
short way down the throat of a bird. We don't sterilize them since we
usually aren't giving sterile formulas or fluids by mouth.
Meryl
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Jerri Carel" <ferretmomjc@...>
wrote:
>
> Let me 1st say I do not have a need to put a feeding tube in a ferret
> right now......however, when we went through many births as a result
> of taking several pregnant females from terrible conditions at a
> breeder's farm, we were faced with this possible need and all of our
> resources were really hard pressed to find any type of flexible
> tubing small enough to do the job.
>
> I had one of those "ah ha" moments today as I was giving sub-q fluids
> to a sick ferret. I use those little butterfly needles that have
> several inches of thin tubing attached to them and then the
> connection to the syringe. I think this might be called an infusion
> set? The tubing is very soft and flexible. Although they're each
> individually wrapped, I'm not sure if I could assume that the tubing
> portion is sterile though......I guess it would be unless you touched
> the outside to anything other than sterile gloves.
>
> Could anyone tell me if might be a possible solution, should the need
> ever come up again?
>
> Jerri Carel
> The Ferret Haven
> Louisville, KY
>
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