How to Feed Your Cat Using Their Oesophagostomy Tube

Before each feeding, you need to confirm that the oesophagostomy tube is correctly positioned with two separate checks.

Pre-feed checks:

Negative pressure check

This involves gently pulling back on the syringe. If the tube is correctly placed, you’ll feel resistance rather than drawing in air.

To perform a negative pressure check, begin by attaching a 5ml syringe to the oesophagostomy tube. Gently draw back on the syringe and watch for negative pressure, which will cause the syringe to pull back slightly on its own.

If there’s no negative pressure, stop the process, cap the tube and give us a call. It may just mean we need to check that the oesophagostomy tube is properly positioned.

Water flush check

The water flush check helps ensure the oesophagostomy tube is functioning properly and your cat can tolerate feedings without discomfort. This process monitors for any signs of coughing or gagging, which could indicate an issue.

To perform the check, draw 3-5ml of tap water into a syringe. Unclamp the oesophagostomy tube and slowly flush the water over 30 seconds to one minute. It’s normal if your cat swallows during this time. Once the flush is complete, clamp the tube off again to prevent air from entering and replace the cap.

If you notice any coughing or gagging, stop immediately and give us a call for further instructions.

Steps for tube feeding:

• Draw up the prescribed amount of food into a syringe.
• Unclamp the O-Tube, attach the feeding syringe, and administer the food slowly over 10-15 minutes.
• If your cat hypersalivates, appears nauseous or shows signs of discomfort, slow down or take a short break. If coughing or gagging occurs, pause the feeding and contact us immediately.
• Once the feed is complete, clamp off the O-Tube to prevent air from entering.
• If your cat is prescribed medications, these should be administered via the O-Tube between feeding sessions. We will provide a separate guide for this.