TUBE FEEDING
If you have a puppy who is not nursing on his/her own, be prepared to tube feed the first meal. I use raw goat milk rather than processed formulas if possible, though you can purchase Esbilac at most pet stores. It's not my first choice. I get goat colostrum and keep it in my freezer. I buy it from local farmers.
There's a video below showing how I tube feed.
The necessary equipment includes the appropriate sized soft pliable catheter (your veterinarian will help you get
the right size), syringes to hold formula, the formula warmed in a bowl, and a marking pen or tape.
Before feeding the first puppy, practice drawing up water or formula and depressing the plunger. Note the force of the water or formula as it leaves the catheter. Gently depress the plunger to avoid damaging the animal's stomach wall. It will take practice to handle the syringe, catheter, animal, and formula all at once.
The best way to learn to tube feed is by having your veterinarian or veterinarian technician demonstrate on a puppy and then you feed the rest of the litter at the clinic under supervision. You can also watch the video below.
After weighing each puppy and determining the amount to feed, measure each individual puppy from the nostril to the last rib for the feeding tube. This is the length of feeding tube you will insert. Mark the tube. I use a piece of tape because it can be moved over time if necessary. A tube for each puppy would be ideal. These steps should be repeated each and every day that the puppies will be tube fed formula.
Draw up slightly more formula into the syringe and catheter than is needed for the puppy. Place the puppy on a towel in your lap with the head and chest on a slight upward incline. Hold the back of the puppy's head gently. Open the puppy's mouth with that same hand. Direct the tube into the front of the puppy's mouth (NOT from the side). Do not force the tube to go in. The puppy will reflexively swallow when the tube is at the esophagus. If the puppy does not swallow and you force the tube, it could end up in the trachea. Once the puppy swallows, the tube should slide easily to the point you have marked. Once it is in the proper location, slowly depress the plunger on the syringe.
If the puppy coughs or gags when you start to depress the plunger, withdraw the feeding tube and start over. You may have the tube in the trachea. If you continue to inject the formula, the animal may get aspiration pneumonia or suffocate.
You do not want to see any milk coming out the nose or mouth when you pull the tube out. It’s not necessarily dangerous, but be careful.
Do not over-feed a newborn puppy, but feed them every two hours for the first day or two, then I will feed every 3-4 hours depending on how they are thriving. I start with 3 cc's for a 10-12 ounce puppy, and gradually increase to 5-6 cc's as I think it's needed. Consult your veterinarian for recommendations on how much to feed. Do not overfeed and overdistend the abdomen. This will cause the puppy pain, causing it to struggle and cry. It is preferable to feed at least 2-3 meals a day by bottle to allow the puppies to suckle. This may help decrease the amount the puppies attempt to nurse on each other, which may result in skin sores.
If the puppy regurgitates or vomits the food, do not feed it again at that meal. If it occurs for 2 meals in a row, contact your veterinarian.
After feeding, stimulate for urination and defecation. After the feeding, the puppy's abdomen should appear rounded and full.
There's a video below showing how I tube feed.
The necessary equipment includes the appropriate sized soft pliable catheter (your veterinarian will help you get
the right size), syringes to hold formula, the formula warmed in a bowl, and a marking pen or tape.
Before feeding the first puppy, practice drawing up water or formula and depressing the plunger. Note the force of the water or formula as it leaves the catheter. Gently depress the plunger to avoid damaging the animal's stomach wall. It will take practice to handle the syringe, catheter, animal, and formula all at once.
The best way to learn to tube feed is by having your veterinarian or veterinarian technician demonstrate on a puppy and then you feed the rest of the litter at the clinic under supervision. You can also watch the video below.
After weighing each puppy and determining the amount to feed, measure each individual puppy from the nostril to the last rib for the feeding tube. This is the length of feeding tube you will insert. Mark the tube. I use a piece of tape because it can be moved over time if necessary. A tube for each puppy would be ideal. These steps should be repeated each and every day that the puppies will be tube fed formula.
Draw up slightly more formula into the syringe and catheter than is needed for the puppy. Place the puppy on a towel in your lap with the head and chest on a slight upward incline. Hold the back of the puppy's head gently. Open the puppy's mouth with that same hand. Direct the tube into the front of the puppy's mouth (NOT from the side). Do not force the tube to go in. The puppy will reflexively swallow when the tube is at the esophagus. If the puppy does not swallow and you force the tube, it could end up in the trachea. Once the puppy swallows, the tube should slide easily to the point you have marked. Once it is in the proper location, slowly depress the plunger on the syringe.
If the puppy coughs or gags when you start to depress the plunger, withdraw the feeding tube and start over. You may have the tube in the trachea. If you continue to inject the formula, the animal may get aspiration pneumonia or suffocate.
You do not want to see any milk coming out the nose or mouth when you pull the tube out. It’s not necessarily dangerous, but be careful.
Do not over-feed a newborn puppy, but feed them every two hours for the first day or two, then I will feed every 3-4 hours depending on how they are thriving. I start with 3 cc's for a 10-12 ounce puppy, and gradually increase to 5-6 cc's as I think it's needed. Consult your veterinarian for recommendations on how much to feed. Do not overfeed and overdistend the abdomen. This will cause the puppy pain, causing it to struggle and cry. It is preferable to feed at least 2-3 meals a day by bottle to allow the puppies to suckle. This may help decrease the amount the puppies attempt to nurse on each other, which may result in skin sores.
If the puppy regurgitates or vomits the food, do not feed it again at that meal. If it occurs for 2 meals in a row, contact your veterinarian.
After feeding, stimulate for urination and defecation. After the feeding, the puppy's abdomen should appear rounded and full.
