How to Tube Feed a Cat With Lymphoma

Your senior cat is losing weight, vomits, has diarrhea, and has suddenly stopped eating or drinking. Your veterinarian diagnoses your pet with alimentary lymphoma, a malignant cancer of the lymph system showing as an intestinal mass. The vet recommends surgically placing a gastronomy (or PEG) feeding tube through the abdominal wall into the stomach to facilitate feeding and hydration---and you need to learn how to perform the feeding procedure at home.

Things You'll Need

  • 10- or 35-ml feeding syringe
  • Blender
  • Microwave
  • Veterinary prescribed food or nutritional supplements
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Instructions

    • 1

      Consult with your veterinarian to determine a feeding schedule, and the type and amount of food to be given your cat with each feeding. Your vet also needs to tell you the amount of water to flush through the tube with each feeding.

    • 2

      Purchase a 10- or 35-ml (milliliter) syringe online or from your veterinarian to administer the food.

    • 3

      Puree your cat's food in a blender, adding water to make it easier to draw up in the syringe. If the food has been refrigerated, let it come to room temperature or heat it in a microwave to decrease the chance of your cat becoming nauseated from the cold food.

    • 4

      Warm a small bowl of water and draw up the recommended amount of flush water into the syringe.

    • 5

      Lay your cat on its side, and gently unwrap the dressing around the feeding tube to loosen the tube and give you access to the removable rubber tip. Remove the tip and gently flush the tube with the water-filled syringe, replacing the tip when you are finished.

    • 6

      Draw up the amount of food to be given to your cat into the syringe, getting rid of any air bubbles. Remove the tip, insert your syringe into the end of the tube, and slowly begin pushing on the plunger to force food through the feeding tube.

    • 7

      Complete the feeding by withdrawing the syringe from the tube once all of the food has been administered. Draw up more water into the syringe and flush the tube again. If your veterinarian recommends pushing extra water through the feeding tube for hydration, now's the time to do it. Remove the syringe from the tube, replace the tip and rewrap your cat's dressing around the tube until the next feeding.

    • 8

      Clean the syringe in hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly to prepare for the next feeding.