Where to buy stomach tubes?

[TRAILRIDER]

I have been looking for a stomach tube for feeding new born kids but I cannot seem to find one anywhere. I looked in Hoegger's, Valley vet and Jeffers. Any ideas? I'd like to be prepared before springtime.

[mygoat]

http://www.jefferspet.com/products/weak-kid-syringe

Always detach and insert tube into stomach first, then attach the syringe WITHOUT the plunger. If you hold the tube up to the body, you can see about how much tubing should end up inside the kid - if it stops far short of that, you're in the lungs. A small blow in the tube should give you a little burp noise, too. Once the syringe is attached without the plunger, use gravity to administer colostrum. Once several oz of colostrum are down, wait several seconds. Remove syringe from the tube again, put your thumb over the end of the tube, and remove it RAPIDLY. (I'm not sure if you know all this already or not, but figured other readers may find it useful)

[punchiepal]

This is the one that I read on tubing that helped me the most.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/dai...UExtension.pdf

[TRAILRIDER]

Thank you my goat! Just what I was looking for. I was calling it a stomach tube and couldn't find it. Here's a good video I found. Looks like something I should know how to do.

Another quick question, I bet you know : ) What gauge needle do you like to use when giving kids BoSe? I have been giving all the kids 1/2 cc, would 1/2" 20g do the trick?

http://www.granny-miller.com/the-car...mbs-kid-goats/

[mygoat]

I use only 20ga needles for pretty much everything but penicillin/BioMycin. I use 1" on adults for IM, and 1/2" on kids, as well as on adults for sub-q. With something a bit thicker like BoSe, I do like luer lock more than luer slip (syringe type).

[msscamp]

Originally Posted by TRAILRIDER

I have been looking for a stomach tube for feeding new born kids but I cannot seem to find one anywhere. I looked in Hoegger's, Valley vet and Jeffers. Any ideas? I'd like to be prepared before springtime.

All of those places carry them, but they are called weak kid syringe.

[msscamp]

Originally Posted by mygoat

Once the syringe is attached without the plunger, use gravity to administer colostrum. Once several oz of colostrum are down, wait several seconds.

I tried to leave this alone, but I find I can't. Unless you have someone to hold the baby, or the kid is comatose, the chances are very good that while your letting gravity deliver whatever is it you are tubing, the kid is going to be squirming, thrashing, chewing/fighting the tube, working it out, and at least part of the contents of the syringe will be aspirated. Once you get the tube in the stomach - depress the plunger and get whatever you're tubing in the kids stomach!

[mygoat]

I have had to do it a couple times and the kid should NOT be thrashing while the tube is in the stomach. And, it's pretty easy to restrain a newborn weak kid. If it IS thrashing to where you cannot control it, perhaps you should NOT be needing to tube it, lol. As with everything, I never have anyone to help me and usually neither do other people who are tubing kids or lambs, it is perfectly doable alone and safely.

The kid WILL tend to fight far more if the tube is in the lungs.

I have learned ONLY to EVER use gravity in all situations - literature and in class while doing sheep management. Using a plunger is not suggested by any literature that I have ever seen, or learned in classes. What you end up doing is up to you.

ETA - I wanted to say that with really thick colostrum, I have mixed it with JUST enough milk to make it flow. Another reason I don't think I'll ever use the plunger is that I'd have to fight to remove the whole syringe just to refill it for more, around 4-5 times. Doing it all one handed doesn't sound fun. If you max out the stomach, gravity won't allow more to flow in... if you max it out with a plunger, you'll just force more in, possibly damage stomach OR have it backflow and aspirate. I usually end up tubing 8-10 oz colostrum to full size kid - and a 60ml syringe only holds 2oz at a time. :P

[Frosted Mini's]

I have also used gravity to tube feed a kid. One which I had to tube feed for awhile, she was very sick and already 3 weeks old, so you can imagine she had pretty good fight in her. I have only pushed in the stuff from a tube once, because I was helping a friend with her newborn Nigerian buckling, and the colostrum was extremely thick, wouldn't go down easily with gravity, so we gently pushed it in.

[Poultryguy]

Quite useful info here.

[billinwv]

soft aquarium tubing (usually blue) works great and will attach to a syringe well. As said before, placement is paramount. First "do no harm".

[punchiepal]

The main difference between getting the weak kid syringe and using aquarium tubing is that the tubing with the syringe kit has an enclosed end with a hole in the side of the tube, giving all smooth edges so nothing will scratch the insides of the little ones.

Only in a pinch would I suggest tubing. The kits are sooooo cheap everyone should have at least 1 on hand.

Also, I used one for a uterine flush when a doe had a stillborn.

[mygoat]

Providing you can get the 'stiffer' regular airline tubing that you can use for aquariums, you CAN also burn the end lightly with a lighter which will melt it a bit. It will re-solidify a bit rounder and without the ragged edges, and thus not cause irritation on it's way down.

I say 'stiffer' because there is a type of aquarium airline tubing that I wouldn't recommend for tubing kids... It was like a silicone type not only too squidgy that I wouldn't think it would be very easy to force down a kid, but was also textured on the outside. It was blue in color, sometimes its not colored though. The regular thin clear airline tubing that has less 'give' would probably work better.

[msscamp]

Originally Posted by mygoat

I have had to do it a couple times and the kid should NOT be thrashing while the tube is in the stomach. And, it's pretty easy to restrain a newborn weak kid. If it IS thrashing to where you cannot control it, perhaps you should NOT be needing to tube it, lol. As with everything, I never have anyone to help me and usually neither do other people who are tubing kids or lambs, it is perfectly doable alone and safely.

The kid WILL tend to fight far more if the tube is in the lungs.

I have learned ONLY to EVER use gravity in all situations - literature and in class while doing sheep management. Using a plunger is not suggested by any literature that I have ever seen, or learned in classes. What you end up doing is up to you.

ETA - I wanted to say that with really thick colostrum, I have mixed it with JUST enough milk to make it flow. Another reason I don't think I'll ever use the plunger is that I'd have to fight to remove the whole syringe just to refill it for more, around 4-5 times. Doing it all one handed doesn't sound fun. If you max out the stomach, gravity won't allow more to flow in... if you max it out with a plunger, you'll just force more in, possibly damage stomach OR have it backflow and aspirate. I usually end up tubing 8-10 oz colostrum to full size kid - and a 60ml syringe only holds 2oz at a time. :P

Whatever you think. I've had kids that were literally at death's door that still thrash and fight a tube. Apparently your goats are much more cooperative than mine. Please spare me the condescending attitude.

[mygoat]

Originally Posted by msscamp

Whatever you think. I've had kids that were literally at death's door that still thrash and fight a tube. Apparently your goats are much more cooperative than mine. Please spare me the condescending attitude.

I didn't intend a condescending attitude at all. I apologize if that's how you took it.

[1sttimemom]

Those weak kid tubes are basically just human urinary catheters. If you know someone who is in medical field you might ask if they can get one for you for free!