Tube Feeding Ducks - discussion on tube feeding ducks

[casportpony]

@RowanTheRed, are you a pediatric nurse?

 

[RowanTheRed]

@RowanTheRed, are you a pediatric nurse?

More or less. I am a neonatal ICU nurse. My patients range from 23 weekers weighing less than a pound to full term babies that way a whole lot more! Sometimes our tiny babies are there long enough to celebrate their first birthdays with us - in those cased I am a pediatric nurse lol

 

[casportpony]

so it is actually an "oral to crop" placement and not to stomach? Good to know.

Yes, into crop.

Do you listen with a stethoscope for placement to verify the tube didn't accidently go into the lungs?

No, I just palpate it. If one uses a large enough tube it is almost impossible to place the tube in the trachea (tube to lungs).
This is the size I would use on this chick (it's an 8):

I don't actually have ducks, I have chickens. But I was just curious as to the process in comparison to the premies I care for. Ducks would explain the larger French tubes being used though! Way bigger than the wee ones I put tubes in, and a whole lot harder to hold in place while you do it I imagine!!!

What do you tube?

So what are you actually feeding them through the syringe? Is it just for electrolyte and fluids or are you using some sort of duck formula for nutritional purposes?

I always start with fluids, then fluids with baby bird food or ground up turkey starter.

 

[casportpony]

More or less. I am a neonatal ICU nurse. My patients range from 23 weekers weighing less than a pound to full term babies that way a whole lot more! Sometimes our tiny babies are there long enough to celebrate their first birthdays with us - in those cased I am a pediatric nurse lol

My bad, I assumed neonatal ICU nurse and pediatric nurse were the same. But my visual was of you caring for the tiny ones, not bigger ones.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

So for those of us who have no experience with anything. . lol. . where do you find tubes and how do you know what size is what and what kind of syringe to get etc. Etc.

 

[RowanTheRed]

My bad, I assumed neonatal ICU nurse and pediatric nurse were the same. But my visual was of you caring for the tiny ones, not bigger ones.

lol, no biggie. A neonatal nurse is a bit more specialized AND we ONLY do neonates and never any toddlers or teenagers!!! Our diapers are way smaller and our patients don't finger paint with their poo.

As for what do I tube? That would be tiny babies. They are too young and too small to feed by breast or bottle so we place NG or OG tubes to feed them.

 

[RowanTheRed]

So for those of us who have no experience with anything. . lol. . where do you find tubes and how do you know what size is what and what kind of syringe to get etc. Etc.

I imagine you could actually buy them on Amazon! just make sure the syringes are compatible to the end of the tube. It used to be that you could use any syringe and they would fit the end, but any more to make certain oral meds and food were not accidently given by IV route, they changed the connecting ends to be different from an IV connection. So now you need a special ended syringe to fit them

 

[casportpony]

So for those of us who have no experience with anything. . lol. . where do you find tubes and how do you know what size is what and what kind of syringe to get etc. Etc.

More good questions!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/tube-feeding-supplies-and-where-to-get-them.915751/

With a red rubber catheter tube you need a 60 ml or 30-35 ml catheter tip syringe like the one on the right.

The sizes I use most are 8, 18, and 30, but having a 12 or 14 could also come in handy.

 

[RowanTheRed]

https://www.amazon.com/Lifeline-Sup...spons&keywords=nasogastric+feeding+tube&psc=1

 

[Patrick McKee]

I know it works. I have duck paddling away in my pond because of @casportpony and tube feeding...and lots of luck.