How To Tube Feed Your Puppy Part 1

If you are going to have to tube feed your newly born puppy, you will have to get a few tools to begin with. The equipment you will need for tube feeding your newfound orphaned or abandoned pup is real simple. To begin with you will need to get a #8 or a #10 French infant feeding tube, and one hypodermic syringe. You will also have to find a substitution for the mother's milk.

The feeding tube and hypodermic syringe can be tossed away after you use them. However, there is reusable equipment that you can get, but must be cleaned immediately after each use. There is also one advantage of using these types of feeding tubes, which is, that you can place them in boiling water when you need to sterilize them.

After you have gathered the right equipment, you can then apply the below steps when you need to feed a puppy via a stomach tube:

Step 1: First thing you need to do is get the syringe ready, fill it about half way with a suitable substitute milk, you can place this aside until you are ready to administer it into the puppy's feeding tube. Now, you need to determine what the proper depth of the tube should be by measuring it from the tip of the puppy's nose to the point just behind his legs, or just in front of his last rib. The stomach is located just behind these two points. With one hand continue to hold the tube with your thumb and pointer finger.

Step 2: You then need to make a mark on the tube making sure it is the correct length, which was measured in step 1. You can use a magic marker or a piece of black tape to mark the tube.

Step 3: You may need some help with this next step, but if you don't have anyone to help you can do the following:

Still holding the tube you marked in step 2 with the same hand, pick up the puppy with your other hand and hold him in the palm of your hand, placing your thumb and your forefinger on his cheeks, and one on both sides of his mouth. Use your remaining three fingers to hold the pup. The middle finger should be around the pup's neck in front of his forelegs. The index finger should grasp his rib cage just behind its front legs. The pinky finger should be located in front of his hind legs, either near his groin or around his abdomen, according to the puppy's length. As soon as the puppy is held firmly in your hand, pry his jaw open with your little finger that is holding the tube. Applying gentle but steady pressure to each side of the puppy's mouth at the exact same time. By holding this gentle pressure, the puppy's mouth can continue to be held open with ease.