It can be very frustrating for owners as well as the doctors at the Animal Clinic at Thorndale when our patients do not follow “the doctor’s orders.” Good nutrition is almost always an important part of the road to recovery from an illness or injury. We will first teach you how to syringe feed your anorexic dog, which in many case will get them eating again. If that does not work, one of several types of tube feeding may be necessary.
An esophagostomy tube is a small, soft rubber tube that enters a surgical incision on the side of the neck into the esophagus. It allows you to syringe food into the esophagus. From there it will flow down into the stomach. The tube is not placed directly into the stomach.
The tube can be used for dogs that have developed anorexia for some reason or might be unable to eat, perhaps due to a broken jaw or disease in the oral cavity.
Feeding through the Tube
A special food mixture is syringed through the tube two to four times per day. This food is formulated to meet the dog’s nutritional needs; it should not cause vomiting or diarrhea. To feed your dog, follow these steps:
- If the food is not liquefied, place 1 can of food + 12 oz of water* in a blender and run it at the liquefy (fastest) speed until the food is uniformly mixed. After mixing, pour the food through a kitchen strainer. Often a prescription liquid food will be provided.
- Remove the cap from the feeding tube.
- Using the syringe provided, inject water first and watch for any coughing or gagging, which would indicate the tube has dislodged from the esophagus. Feed the directed amount of the food into your dog’s tube. It is helpful to inject the food slowly, about 3 cc per second.
- After the total amount of food for the feeding has been injected, inject 5 cc of tap water through the tube so food does not remain in it; replace the cap on the tube.
- Any remaining food should be stored in the refrigerator. Before the next feeding, it should be warmed to body temperature under hot tap water or in a microwave oven. If you heat it in a microwave oven, be sure to thoroughly mix the contents prior to feeding because of uneven heating. Also, always check the temperature prior to feeding to be sure that the food is not too hot.
* The quantity of water needed may vary.
Removing the Tube
Patience and persistence are essential. Some dogs require several weeks of tube feeding before their appetite will return, depending on the disease being treated. At least twice weekly, offer your dog a small amount of a favorite food so that you will know when its appetite is improving. The esophagostomy tube will not hinder chewing or swallowing. After your dog has been eating well for 3-4 days, it should be returned to the hospital for tube removal. Removal of the tube is simple and does not require anesthesia; however, you should not attempt to remove the tube yourself.