Help! Air bubbles, blockage, & syringe technique

Our sweet little kitty Max has fatty liver disease, so we’re feeding him multiple times a day through a tube in his stomach, using these very large syringes to pass food directly into his system (the tube doesn’t go through the esophagus).

Our problem is that, for whatever reason, our syringe technique sucks. If we have to give him a little anti-biotic in a small syringe, it’s fine. But in these larger syringes, with this very dense, heavy food, we get stuck with these air pockets that make the syringes almost impossible to depress.

And it’s not simply because the tube is backed up. When we remove the syringe and try to depress it (say, into a sink), we can still get nothing out. We’ll push and push, but there’s some type of blockage that prevents the plunger from moving, until there’s finally enough force that everything is released with explosive force.

We’re also inclined to think that the blockage is not just food, because the same thing happens when we use the syringe to hold water. In the smaller syringes, the water releases easily, but in the larger syringes (which we have to use because of the way the tip fits into the tube), the plunger won’t go down easily—only explosively, again, and after much effort.

Needless to say, feeding him the sufficient amount of food per sitting has been extraordinarily difficult as a result. Because of the food, air pockets are a more common occurrence, and although sometimes the food slides down slowly and easily, just as often this invisible barrier prevents any type of passage, prolonging the procedure and scaring the little fella even more.

If it were just the food, we’d blame that—but it happens with the water, too, so we think it has something to do with the large, thick syringes (60+cc) and something we’re doing that aggravates the problem.

Help! :confused: :frowning:

Could you lubricate the rubber part of the syringe with a little vegetable oil or something like that? It might also help make a better seal.

We did actually try that, using Pam and later olive oil. Didn’t really help much–if it was moving, it moved a little easier, but if it had that “blockage”, it didn’t improve things at all.

Man, that happened to my cat and it was miserable trying to nurse him through it. Also awful to see how he suffered when he was so sick.

Are y’all using the Science Diet L/D? What I used to do was mix it with some water to make it thinner. And then I’d shake the syringe vigorously to mix it well and force out the air bubbles by pointing the syringe upwards before I squirted it down his neck. I’d still ocassionally get the explosions (you should’ve seen the ceiling over the kitchen sink) but the water technique worked pretty well. I’d also got a pill crusher and ground up all his medications and mixed 'em in with the food.

It was hard work, I had to feed him small amounts every morning, lunch (I had to come home from work), and evening. And in the beginning, he’d throw almost everything back up again. I could only hope a small smidgeon was staying with him. Eventually, he started throwing up less. I swear to go, it was the happiest day of my life, when he finally ate a little tiny piece of cheddar cheese popcorn from my hand.

Anyway, good luck with your kitty. I hope he feels better soon…

Thanks, tremorviolet, for sharing your experience (and to cher3 for your suggestion).

We were using the A/D but felt it was easier to go with another type (forgot the name) that’s more concentrated (compare 300cc/day vs. 170cc) so we had less to put in while getting the same positive effects.

Yeah, I messed the ceiling a couple days ago, but our problem was that this concentrated stuff is supposed to be passed undiluted. Yesterday, however, the vet said that’s secondary to getting the food in, so I tried to dilute it a little (with some liquid carnatine she suggested), but I think we’ll need to thin it out a little more.

Haven’t tried the shaking, but I’ll give it a go. The other problem is that I’d prefer to mix several batches at once (to conserve time, improve efficiency, and have some spares in reserve for the inevitable mishaps), but everything needs to be passed at room temperature. I may try fridging multiple syringes, and then soaking them in warm-hot water to acclimate them before treating him.

We hope that he feels better soon, though we know “soon” is likely months away… :frowning: