Cat Feeding Tube Infection

Feeding tubes take about ten minutes to put in place under anesthesia.

Cat feeding tube infection.

Tube feeding may be needed because of a mechanical problem interfering with ingestion of food or because of a systemic illness that is causing the cat to be anorexic. There are several different options for tube feeding. How easy it is to tube feed depends on the diameter or bore of the feeding tube. Most people can successfully tube feed their cats at home.

A major plus factor is that the cat can still eat normally should they desire and so once that cat regains their appetite the tube is simply removed. She worked hard to pull it out earlier this week. Since she is now of the antibiotics and eating on her own the vets did not seem overly concerned with her pulling it out. Feeding tubes save lives and are not used as often as they should be for anorexic patients.

They should be able to help you troubleshoot any problems. However feeding tubes should not necessarily be viewed as a doom and gloom overly heroic measure. Nutritional support should be considered for any animal that has been anorexic or has had inadequate voluntary caloric intake for. 10 of their body weight or has other signs of malnutrition e g.

While minor skin infections maybe able to be managed at home always consult your physician if infection occurs at the feeding tube site. If a feeding tube infection is suspected immediate medical attention is required so transport the patient to the nearest hospital emergency room for care. If left untreated infection can kill portions of the stomach intestines and other organs leading to a condition called necrosis. Recognizing the signs of infection such as redness at the tube insertion site pus or unusual drainage tenderness and fever is important for early treatment.

For cats suffering major organ disease or serious injury tube feeding can be a life saving measure. 3 days has lost. Esophageal feeding tubes are commonly used to provide enteral nutrition to cats but their use is associated with adverse effects. Unfortunately when most people hear the term feeding tube they tend to panic feeling like this is the end of the road for their cat.

Tube feeding is fairly easy once you get the hang of it. My cat had a feeding tube for seven weeks after a severe kidney infection. A feeding tube is an efficacious way of getting vital nutrition into a cat that is refusing to eat. However general anesthesia poses health risks for cats which can be compounded if your cat is seriously weakened by malnutrition and illness.

However if tube feeding becomes a problem for your cat contact your vet. It was necessary for her medication and to build up her weight. Enteral feeding tubes are an essential tool in the provision of nutritional support to animals unable or unwilling to consume sufficient calories on their own. Tube feeding is important to maintain adequate nutrition and prevent liver problems in cats that are anorexic for at least 2 days.

The infection can also enter the blood stream causing a.