10 Best Dog Feeding Tubes & Their Reviews
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How about getting your furry pet a dog feeding tube.
Mealtimes are the ultimate bonding moments between a loving dog-owner and his grateful, hungry pet.
Suppose your dog skips a meal or two.
In that case, it’s probably because loneliness, boredom, separation anxiety, awful food memories, or too many treats are messing up with your pet’s appetite.
For that, you may need to make a couple of changes.
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10 Best Dog Feeding Tubes Reviewed
However, if your pup goes without feeding for two or more days, his weight begins to drop, or worse still, his ribs and spine start to show, you will need to seek the attention of a vet.
The vet may suggest warming his food, hand-feeding your pet, a diet change, or prescribe medication to stimulate his appetite.
At such desperate moments, force-feeding is tempting, but it may make an already bad situation worse, as it may cause the dog to develop disgust for that particular food.
When none of these options are working, and your dog can still not feed on his own, using a feeding tube will play a crucial part in restoring his excellent health.
A feeding tube is a long, flexible pipe inserted into an animal’s body to allow food to pass directly into his stomach or intestines.
Your vet will recommend the type of feeding tube will depend on whether the tube will be used temporarily or for the long term.
1. Dog Training Food Tube
- Fill this reusable 8 oz tube with high quality canned dog food, raw diet, cream cheese, goat cheese or cooked...
- Food tubes are great for delivering positive reinforcement: The tube enables you to deliver reinforcement faster....
- Dishwasher safe.
- Complete instructions on how to use, clean and store the tube are furnished with each tube.
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Professional dog trainers prefer to use food as positive reinforcement during training sessions because all dogs love food.
If your dog is undergoing some kind of training, there is no better way to keep encouraging him and get quicker results than giving him those treats he loves so much.
You may be wondering if your pup loves food that much – yes, he does!
If your dog does not find motivation in food, there could be an underlying problem and it is recommended you visit the vet to get a solution.
Otherwise, you can change the food you have been giving him to find out which one works best for him.
This Dog Training Food Tube is most ideal for such dog owners and trainers.
There is no reason to get distracted from the training because with this tube it’s easy to deliver positive reinforcement without taking unnecessary breaks.
When you use a Dog Training Food tube, you can treat your dog without worrying about your fingers getting all wet and slimy.
Additionally, this food tube can be used even for dogs on a special diet using the canned version of their foods.
Dog Training Food Tube is particularly useful for feeding small dogs and those with sensitive tummies.
This 0.5lb tube is reusable and comes installed with a cap and clip for ease of closure.
Every time you need to reinforce good behavior, it’s simple, just allow the dog to lick it at the opening, and your pup will love you for it.
Pros & Benefits:
- Reusable
- Ease of closure
- Easy to use
2. Premium PET Supplies – Complete Red Puppy Tube Feeding Kit
- Puppy / Kitten / Small Animal Tube Feeding Kit
- (3) Red Feeding Tubes 16 inch PVC
- 8Fr Size (Puppies & Kittens)
- Life Saving Design for Hand Feeding
- 3 Pack
Last update on 2024-08-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If your dog is about to whelp, this feeding kit should top your checklist of must-have items.
The feeding tubes come extra smooth with a rounded tip for ease of use on small animals such as puppies.
The kit also contains a bulb syringe used primarily for sucking up milk or food from puppies’ nostrils to avoid chances of breathing food particles into their airways.
Users have described this kit as a lifesaver and recommend it for anyone who could potentially end up with orphans or a puppy that can’t nurse with a bottle.
This feeding kit’s downside is that the tubes may also not be a good fit for all puppies.
For instance, they have turned out to be too big when feeding newborn French bulldog puppies.
The kit comes conveniently packed with the following items: three 16inch feeding tubes, three plastic syringes, two in 35ml and one in 10ml size, one bulb syringe, and four prep swab wipe.
The three feeding tubes are of different sizes, giving you a choice of which size works best for your pup.
The feeding tubes come individually packed and sterilized for maximum hygiene.
Since the feeding tubes are long enough at 16inches, you can adjust the size.
All components of the kit come sterilized, but you have the option of boiling the feeding tubes before and after use to maintain hygiene.
Pros & Benefits:
- Life-saving design for hand feeding
- It comes with a bulb syringe
- Extra smooth feeding tubes with a rounded tip
3. Premium PET Supplies - Complete Puppy Whelping Kit
- Puppy / Kitten / Small Animal Feeding Kit
- (3) Red Feeding Tubes - 8Fr PVC
- 5ml Feeding Syringe w/ Nipple Attachments
- 50ml Feeding Bottle w/ Nipple Attachments
- Plastic Syringes & Bulb Syringe
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Puppies are usually hungry when they are born and come with an instinct to suckle.
When whelping a litter of puppies, therefore, and for one reason or the other, the puppies cannot suckle their mother, the complete Puppy Whelping Kit will come in handy.
Some of the reasons your pups may not be able to suckle include
- the mother could die from birth complications,
- some puppies may be born with a cleft palate, or
- the mother may not produce enough milk
Complete Puppy Whelping Kit is an advanced version of the Complete Red Puppy Tube Feeding Kit.
The three 16inch feeding tubes, three plastic syringes, two in 35ml and one in 10ml size, one bulb syringe, and four prep swab wipes in the kit.
It also comes with one 5ml feeding nipple syringe and one 50ml feeding nipple bottle.
The kit also comes with an assortment of seven different sized nipples in the equipment, and each size nipple is compatible with the 5ml syringe and 50ml bottle.
The feeding tube is smooth with a rounded dual-hole tip.
Pros & Benefits:
- Includes different-sized nipples
- Smooth feeding tube
- Several feeding tubes available
Check Price and Reviews on Amazon
4. 5Fr Puppy Small Animal Red Tube Feeding Kit
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Depicted by the manufacturer as a lifesaver, this pack is ideal for nursing critically ill small animals, such as puppies, who can’t feed on their own.
If your puppy has been sick and is not having optimal nutrition, instead of force-feeding him and creating food aversion for him, why not grab this fantastic pack.
The kit is very easy to use and is highly recommended for beginners.
It contains one 5fr style feeding tube, one sterilized syringe, and one microwave-friendly sterilizer bag.
The tube is reusable, to eliminate any chance of infection, it’s recommended to sterilize it each time before use, using the microwave steam sterilizer bag in the kit.
The tube should be stored in lukewarm water to maintain its delicate texture and flexibility else.
You can boil it in hot water before use.
The 10ml syringe with Luer Lock tip that comes with the pack allows a needle to be securely locked in place to prevent accidental removal.
One of the most significant disadvantages of using feeding tubes is the possibility of clogging.
To keep the syringe and the tubes from clogging it’s prudent to make a habit of flushing them with hot water after each use.
This pack also comes with various tube sizes: 3.5fr and 5fr are recommended for small puppies while 8fr and 10fr are for more giant puppies, allowing you to choose your pup’s best fit.
This is an incredible feeding tube kit to use for your puppy; however, it’s essential to keep checking on the graduated markings on the syringes, which are likely to rub off.
Pros & Benefits:
- Reusable kit
- Includes an O-ring Luer lock tip syringe
- The sterilizer bag can be used up to 20 times
5. Tube Feeding Kit 4F
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Appropriate for puppies and kittens, this pack comes with a 40cm feeding tube made from PVC material free from DEHP hence safe for the animals.
DEHP exposure can cause cancer, congenital disabilities, and may also damage the male reproductive system.
This kit does not conform to the standard Luer system in its design, further improving the tube feeding process.
Some of the kit’s devices are intentionally colored in purple to make it easy for the user to identify tube feeding devices.
The feeding tubes are marked with numbered graduation every centimeter making it easy for them to place and monitor it.
There is a special connector on the tube, which helps to prevent contamination with any non-feeding syringes.
If you need to store or warm milk in the syringe, a syringe cap is provided to secure the needle and avoid any spillage.
Although sterile items are labeled ‘single-use only, they can be re-sterilized after use and used several more times.
Pros & Benefits:
- Uses DEHP-free PVC for the feeding tubes
- Special connector on the tube to avoid contamination
- Color-code purple for easy identification of feeding tubes
6. Breeder Essentials Tube Feeding Kit Puppies and Kittens- Lifesaver
- Professional Tube Feeding Kit for Puppies kitten Orphans, newborns with weak suck reflex, cleft palate, critically...
- Kit Includes: * 2x 12ml Lure-lock syringes * 1x 60ml Lure-lock syringes * 1x 2oz, mucus sucker * 2x 5fr Red Tube...
- Furbaby Lifesaver Tube Feeding Kit provides a sterile reusable nursing kit that is modified for adapting to...
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This unit is invaluable and an absolute necessity for any breeder out there.
When purchasing feeding tube kits, you will notice most are meant to be used by small animals, and you may wonder if it will still be a great fit as your puppy grows and develops.
The Breeder Essential Feeding Kit comes with different sizes of tubes, so the puppy is covered throughout all the stages of his development, especially the first few weeks of nursing.
The kit comes with four 12ml atrial syringes, one 2oz mucus sucker, two 5fr Red feeding tubes 16inches long, two 8fr red feeding tubes 16 inches long, and one permanent marker.
This feeding tube kit is ideal for puppies who are orphaned, those born with congenital fissure, too sick to feed on their own, whose mothers have low milk supply, and those that are risking infection.
Pros & Benefits:
- Reusable
- Includes tubes of different sizes
- Comes with a mucus sucker
7. No products found.
When a dog can’t eat independently for a long time, a Pet Esophageal tube can be used to feed him.
A small opening is made on the side of the puppy’s neck, and a tube is placed in the stomach through it, via which the puppy can eat and drink.
It’s recommended that the tube be soft and comfortable and stay in place until the dog can eat on its own for 3 to 4 days.
Any attempts to remove the tube too soon may mean a second surgery to replace it and the consequent risk of infection.
The Pet Esophageal feeding tube comes with a soft, comfortable, and firm cover as it comes in three layers with an eyelet on the left and a Velcro strip to secure it.
Pros & Benefits:
- The tube is held securely in place
- No need to keep changing the tube until the dog can feed on its own
- Little risk of infection unless the tube is removed too early
No products found.
8. Welpi 250g Puppy Milk & 5 French Feeding Tube Kit
- Puppy / Kitten / Small Animal Tube Feeding Kit
- (3) Red Feeding Tubes 16 inch PVC
- 8Fr Size (Puppies & Kittens)
- Life Saving Design for Hand Feeding
- 3 Pack
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In addition to the feeding tube, this product includes a nutrition supplement ideal for puppies, bitches, sick and aging dogs.
The supplement contains nutrients fundamental to dogs and is considered the closest substitute to dog’s milk.
Most of its features are similar to Tube Feeding Kit 4F highlighted earlier on, except that this particular one also helps the user effectively recognize the puppies that have already been fed and those that need feeding.
This is made possible by using the fourteen free collars in the kit that come in a variety of colors.
The feeding tubes are also made up of PVC material free from DEHP, which is considered safe for the animals.
To avoid any chance of contamination from non-feeding syringes, the feeding tubes are installed with a special connector.
The tubes are also easy to place and monitor since they are marked with graduation every centimeter.
The color purple is also used on this kit to simplify the identification of feeding tube devices.
Its design is contrary to the standard Luer system, which helps to improve the tube feeding process.
Pros & Benefits:
- Incompatibility with the standard Luer system
- DEHP-free PVC material is safe
- Special connector to avoid contamination
9. NEW LONGLIFE 5f Sterile Tube Feeding Kit
- 300ml Syringe with Tube - 1pack 300ml syringe, 1pack 3.2ft silicone catheter, 1pcs 3.2ft plastic hose, 1pcs port...
- 300ml Large Plastic Syringe - Polypropylene barrel and soft silicone rubber plunger, the plunger is easy to push...
- Flexible, Multi-combination - 300ml syringe & silicone catheter combination, 300ml syringe & port adapter +...
- Wide Applicability - Used for measuring and distributing fluids, watering succulents, feeding pets, also can be...
- USE ATTENTION - 300ml large syringe is for industrial use only. quickly set super glue cannot be used due to...
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Food fed through feeding tubes should be at room temperature.
If such food is stored in the fridge, you can add a little water and warm it in the microwave.
Food warmed in the microwave usually does not heat uniformly, so mix it well before avoiding those ‘hot pockets.’
Unlike all the other feeding tubes, the NEW LIFE 5f Sterile Tube Feeding Kit is intended to be sterilized at home.
The guide is 1week or 35 sterilization cycles, but it can be used longer and discarded when the markings fade away, or the syringe plunger starts to get stiff.
The feeding tubes and syringes don’t entirely fit with any other feeding syringe, even from the same manufacturer.
Other features are similar to the Tube Feeding Kit 4F.
The kit comes with a tube made from PVC material that is free from DEHP.
The tube is either 40cm or 50cm long and marked with a number graduation every centimeter to simplify placement and monitoring.
The feeding tube has a rounded tip that allows for atraumatic insertion.
The kind of tube you choose to use should depend on the size of the animal and the duration of time it’s intended to be used.
Pros & Benefits:
- Home sterilizing design
- DEHP-free PVC
- Non-compatibility with the standard Luer system
10. Puppy Feeding Tube Kit
- Newborn Kitten and Puppy Tube Feeding Kit Includes: 1 - 5 Fr Covidien Kendall Feeding TubeUrethral Catheter and 1-...
- Quality You Can Trust - Kendall Coviden Red Rubber Feeding Tube 5fr is the same brand trusted by Veterinary Clinics...
- Suitable for Kittens and Small Puppies - 5 French Feeding Tube Red Rubber Catheter Tube (5fr) is appropriate for...
- Gentle - Soft Flexible Red Rubber Feeding Tube for Puppies and Kittens has a soft rounded tip to prevent injury,...
- Reusable - One kit can feed multiple newborns. Feed those in the litter that require extra nourishment then simply...
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This is a straightforward feeding tube kit consisting of only one syringe and one feeding tube.
Since the tube is susceptible to weather conditions, it’s recommended that the kit be stored at room temperature.
A freezing environment will cause the feeding tube to become rigid and stiff, while in warmer conditions, precisely body temperature, it becomes softer, resilient, and very flexible.
The 35cc syringe is usually attached to the funnel end of the feeding tube.
The other end of the tube has a closed round tip with two openings on both sides through which food and liquids are dispensed into the puppy’s body during feeding.
Food can be placed in the syringe in two ways.
You can either place the syringe tip into the food and pull the piston or you can pour the food into the syringe and replace the piston.
To eliminate any chance of infection, the insertion site should be cleaned using an antiseptic.
Any foul smell should be reported immediately to ensure it does not develop into an infection.
It is advisable to record the type and amount of everything that goes through the feeding tube.
Pros & Benefits:
- Easy to use
- Flexible at body temperature
- Easy storage
What Dog Feeding Tubes Procedure Entails
The decision to use a feeding tube may be daunting for most dog owners, but it’s one that is necessary if your dog can’t feed on his own anymore.
The health of the dog is at risk of deteriorating if he can’t or won’t feed by himself, force-feeding may sound like the next best option, but it’s not for reasons we mentioned earlier in this article.
A feeding tube may be done manually through the nostril into the stomach via the esophagus or placed surgically.
Surgically, there are three ways the feeding tube can be placed: through an opening on the neck into the esophagus (Esophagostomy), directly through the abdominal wall into the stomach (Gastronomy), or through the abdominal wall into the small intestines (jejunostomy).
During surgical implantation, preparation is done by first placing the dog under general anesthetic before shaving him.
Once the dog is ready for the procedure, an endoscope is inserted down through the esophagus into his stomach, allowing the surgeon to see if the tube has reached its target area.
Surgically, the next step will involve creating an opening on the neck through to the stomach.
Care must be taken not to tear into the stomach lining as the tube is going down.
The use of clamps is necessary for that.
For a nasal procedure, the next step after endoscopy will guide the tube down through the esophagus into the stomach and secure it in place.
The final step under the surgical procedure will require the surgeon to secure the tube firmly in place to avoid accidental removal, followed by closing up the incision.
After the procedure, your dog will require regular check-ups to ensure the tube is working well, and the dog is healing well.
Final Thoughts
Although given a choice, anyone would choose regular feeding over the placement of feeding tubes, sometimes that choice is taken away from us if our dogs are unwilling or unable to eat on their own.
You will naturally worry if your dog can access all the nutrients he requires to stay in good health.
When a dog is sick, he needs optimal nutrition to help him heal faster, and if he can’t feed on his own, chances are, he is not receiving the nutrients he needs to restore his good health.
Feeding tubes come in various types and sizes, providing us with an alternative way to give that much needed nutritional support our dogs need in such circumstances.
Choosing which dog feeding tube will work best for your pup will depend on his general health condition, caloric needs, and the likelihood of compliance with the specific feeding tube.
Generally, feeding tubes are easy to place, convenient, and affordable.
When chosen well, a right feeding tube will mean quicker recovery and generally a healthy dog.
All we want is a healthy dog, and a happy owner and feeding tubes will give us just that.
