Go team "Tube Feeding!" - Updated 12/29/2019

[lightchick]

I do have one problem though. My Silkie that I'm (trying) tube feeding won't hold his head up so it's a straight path for the tube to go.
He always wants his head near his body and he won't let me straighten his neck. Oh and one more question......what happens if you actidently put the food in once it's past his air way but not in his crop yet? Is that bad?

 

[casportpony]

I do have one problem though. My Silkie that I'm (trying) tube feeding won't hold his head up so it's a straight path for the tube to go.
He always wants his head near his body and he won't let me straighten his neck. Oh and one more question......what happens if you actidently put the food in once it's past his air way but not in his crop yet? Is that bad?

It's only bad if it comes back up instead of going down.

-Kathy

 

[lightchick]

What does it mean when it comes back up?

 

[casportpony]

What does it mean when it comes back up?

Back up and out of their mouth... That's when they can aspirate it.

-Kathy

 

[gardenfairy]

Thank you so much for putting together all this fabulous info! I've been having a heck of a time combing the internet for decent information. I read through everything / watched the videos and still have a couple questions if you don't mind me picking your brain.

I saw that you mentioned that you've tubed geese. I'm currently tube feeding Critical Care to an American Buff gander who isn't eating. I've been doing it for the last few days and I'm still freaking out about it. Everything seems to be moving through so I can only assume that I've done it right so far. However, I just really don't know how to verify that the tube is going down the esophagus and not the trachea. Would the bird struggle if the tube were in the wrong place?

I keep trying to look into his mouth, but given the shape and stiffness of his tongue, I can't open his mouth wide enough to see over it to the actual opening of the windpipe. Is there any other way to be 100% sure that the tube in the right place? I've seen some things that mentioned feeling the tube on the side of the neck, but the tube is so small and his neck is so muscular that I can't feel anything.

Hearing you talk about tube sizes, I'm also starting to wonder whether or not the vet actually gave me a proper size for this bird. The package for the tube they gave me says that's it's a size 12 Fr (4mm). It was the largest one they had, but what size would you typically use for a large breed goose?

Thank you again! I'm going to be calling the vet again tomorrow also, but while she is an avian vet, she doesn't have much in the way of first hand experience with geese so any suggestions from someone who has tube fed geese would be immensely appreciated!

 

[casportpony]

I have not had to tube my geese yet, but I have tubed adult Muscovy ducks, peafowl and turkeys. To verify the tube is going down the esophagus and not the trachea I place my hand on the back of the neck, lightly squeeze the throat area with my thumb and index finger while I slide the tube up and down. If you can feel the tube move, you're in the right spot. Makes sense? Guess I should probably get a picture of how I do that.

Sometimes, if you look real close as you're inserting the tube you can see it as it's going downthe side of their neck.

Here are a couple of picture that I took of a deceased chicken with a size 30 tube. Warning, some people might find these pictures disturbing.





All that said, I have not tried a goose, so I'm not sure if I could feel the tube or not, but the above does hold true for all other birds I have done.

As for getting it in the wrong hole, I would think that it would be pretty hard to do if you hold them the way shown in the videos, and I think it would be impossible with a larger tube, like a size 30, but a size 30 is not a size most vets have in stock.

-Kathy

 

[gardenfairy]

Thanks so much for your reply! I'd imagine physically that Muscovy ducks are a lot like geese with shorter necks. That definitely makes sense for feeling the tube and that photo helps a lot to show where it should be going.

That one vet video did make it sound like it was impossible to put a larger tube where it did not belong, which would make me feel so much better. I'd really like a tube large enough that I could feel it going down - the one I have is just so small compared to his neck. I'll call around to see if anyone local has tubes for feeding baby lambs or the like and see if I can find something closer to the size 30.

Thanks again!

~Amanda

 

[casportpony]

The size 30 tube is large enough that wet crumbles will flow through it. A hospital or medical supply store might have a larger one, so try them maybe? When I get back from the store I'll look up the place that we buy ours from. You might not be able to find a 30, so also look for anything larger that a 12.

-Kathy

 

[gardenfairy]

You're a genius, Kathy, thank you! I went vet / pharmacy hopping this afternoon. The largest I could get from a vet here was 14, but one of the pharmacists found me a size 16 in an old drawer. I just tried it and it worked a million times better than the 12. I think it will do the job nicely!

~Amanda

 

[casportpony]

Rubber catheter type feeding tubes come in "French" sizes from 3-34. The smaller the number, the smaller the tube. The smallest one I use is an 8 and I use that on all baby chicks. I think metal crop tubes are sized in gauges, so for those the smaller the number, the larger the tube. The sizes I use most are 8, 10, 16,18 and 30.
Here is the size 8






Here are the sizes:

French
Gauge Diameter
(mm) Diameter
(inches)
3 1 0.039
4 1.33 0.053
5 1.67 0.066
6 2 0.079
7 2.3 0.092
8 2.7 0.105
9 3 0.118
10 3.3 0.131
11 3.7 0.144
12 4 0.158
13 4.3 0.170
14 4.7 0.184
15 5 0.197
16 5.3 0.210
17 5.7 0.223
18 6 0.236
19 6.3 0.249
20 6.7 0.263
22 7.3 0.288
24 8 0.315
26 8.7 0.341
28 9.3 0.367
30 10 0.393
32 10.7 0.419
34 11.3 0.445​

The 30
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351030.htm

The 28
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351028.htm

The 26
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351026.htm

The 24
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351024.htm

The 22
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351022.htm

The 20
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351020.htm

The 18
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351018.htm

The 16
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351016.htm

The 14
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351014.htm

The 12
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351012.htm

The 10
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351010.htm

The 8
http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com...l-purpose-robinsonnelaton-catheter-351008.htm

-Kathy