Is a feeding tube a reasonable choice.
Syringe feeding cat with cancer.
I believe our nauseated and ill cats and dogs must feel the same way when their well intentioned but ill informed human companions decide that it s time for force feeding.
They metabolize glucose and make lactate that the body then tries to convert back into glucose.
She was 16 going on 17.
They come in various sizes but the best size for cat feeding is 6 cc 5 cc is a teaspoon.
She refused to eat and syringe feeding or appetite stimulants we.
If she concurs this is the best course of action take a bit of canned cat food from a 3 ounce can and shape it into a ball the size of a small marble.
A very good option for the sad task of cat force feeding might have to squeeze the tip back into a circle now and then if your cat is a jaw clamper and squishes it into an oval over many feeds.
While force feeding cats via syringe is often not a good idea assisted feeding via the other options described here is very often a life saver.
This takes energy away from the cat and gives it to the cancer.
Grasp the cat s head from behind with your thumb and forefinger resting on the cheekbones and gently lift the cat s head.
When i suspect that long term nutritional support will be necessary i recommend a more permanent feeding tube placed into the cat s pharynx esophagus stomach or small intestine.
Pina s people came into the orleans vet hospital one day searching for some answers for their cat.
Syringe feeding is not only unpleasant it also can cause aversion to food so that the patient is reluctant to eat.
The next question that arises is what s the optimal diet for a feline cancer patient cancerous cells alter the body s metabolism.
Hold her mouth closed to give her time to swallow.
To syringe feed a cat successfully a set of steps need to be followed.
Her pancreas and liver became inflamed and she became jaundiced a yellow tinge to the skin eyes and gums.
An oral feeding syringe is much like any other syringe except instead of a tiny opening where a needle attaches there s a gentle cone shaped tip with an enlarged opening for thicker than water food to pass through.
You need to know exactly what you re doing before you even attempt to syringe feed your cat since if the food or water goes down the wrong way into their lungs for example it could cause them to develop illnesses like bronchitis.
Gather your supplies 6cc oral feeding syringe from the veterinarian.
Put it into the cat s mouth as you would a pill toward the back of her tongue.
Wrap the cat gently but firmly in a towel to keep them from scratching or struggling during the feeding.
After all ya gotta eat goes the argument.
Put in 55 force feedings with this thing one full syringe 3 times a day and brought our cat back from the brink of death due to hepatic lipidosis.
