What Is Nasogastric Tube Used For In Horses?

Nasogastric intubation is used to perform gastric decompression in horse that relieve excess gas, fluid (such as enteral reflux) or gastric impaction. This procedure also used to administrate of fluids, medications, nutritional gruel or supplements. It further relieves esophageal obstructions.

Why is nasogastric intubation so important for a horse that is presented with colic?

Nasogastric intubation is an essential and possibly life-saving procedure performed routinely in cases of equine colic to decompress the stomach and to provide therapy. After the horse is adequately restrained, the nasogastric tube is passed into the ventral meatus, using the thumb to keep the tube directed correctly.

What does tubing a horse do?

Nasogastric tubing is commonly used as a diagnostic (as opposed to a treatment) to determine whether there is fluid (reflux) or gas built up in the upper intestine or stomach. It is a fundamental diagnostic for horses experiencing abdominal pain (colic).

What are the 3 principal reasons for nasogastric tube insertion?

Relief of symptoms and bowel rest in the setting of small-bowel obstruction. Aspiration of gastric content from recent ingestion of toxic material. Administration of medication. Feeding.

What are the indications for inserting a nasogastric tube?

Indications for Nasogastric Tube Insertion

• To decompress the stomach and gastrointestinal (GI) tract (ie, to relieve distention due to obstruction, ileus, or atony)
• To empty the stomach, for example, in patients who are intubated to prevent aspiration or in patients with GI bleeding to remove blood and clots.

What is the best treatment for colic in horses?

Treatment of Colic in Horses
Medical treatment for colic may include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as banamine (flunixine meglumine) to alleviate pain and inflammation. The administration of fluids, electrolytes, and/or mineral oil via the nasogastric tube placed in the horse’s stomach may also help.

What are the chances of a horse surviving colic surgery?

Over the past 10 years, short-term survival rates after colic surgery (generally defined as survival to hospital discharge) have been reported to range from 32% to 100%, with an average around 80%.

What is the most likely complication of equine nasogastric tubing?

There are some potential complications of nasogastric intubation; the most common resulting in the horse having a nose bleed. There is a highly vascular (lots of blood vessels) structure called the ethmoturbinates at the back of the horse’s nasal cavity which the stomach tube passes next to.

How do you insert a nasogastric tube in a horse?

Once you are sure you are at the nasopharynx, the next stage is for the horse to swallow the tube. At present, the end of the tube is pointing ventrally, but the oesophagus is dorsal. Therefore, turn the tube 180°. Move the tube gently back and forth to encourage swallowing – blowing down the tube may help.

What causes choke in horses?

The most common cause of choke is swallowing food or other material, that is either too dry or coarse (most commonly hay), or that swells rapidly once chewed (typically sugar beet) so that its passage down the esophagus is slowed or stopped.

How long can an NG tube stay in?

Long term NG and NJ tubes should usually be changed every 4–6 weeks swapping them to the other nostril (grade C).

How painful is an NG tube?

NG tubes are very painful. They are routinely rated as among the very worst things that we do to patients. It is possible to limit the pain associated with NG placement using topical lidocaine, although it is unclear how long the analgesic effect will persist, as these tubes are generally left in place for many days.

What are the risks of nasogastric tube?

Nasogastric Tube Complications
Common complications include discomfort from placing and removing the tubes, sinusitis, or epistaxis. When placed incorrectly, tubes may puncture your child’s esophageal tissue, make a hole, and cause damage. Placing the tube into the lung instead of the stomach can be life-threatening.

What does NG tube do for bowel obstruction?

A nasogastric tube (NG tube) is used to drain fluid from the stomach, so that the bowel can rest and return to normal size.

When should a nasogastric tube feeding be initiated?

4. Feeding should be initiated within 24 hours of admission, unless contraindicated. Enteral feeding can be initiated using an existing gastric drainage tube but it should be replaced with a small bore feeding tube within 24 hours.

When would you need a feeding tube?

You may have home enteral nutrition, or tube feeding, if you can’t eat enough to get the nutrients you need. A doctor may recommend it if you have head or neck cancer, if cancer treatment makes it hard or painful to swallow, or if you have a brain and spinal cord problem such as stroke or ALS .

What is the number one cause of colic in horses?

The most common types of colic are related to impaction, in which undigested feed or foreign bodies such as parasites block the movement of digesta through the intestines and cecum. More serious cases involving “twisted gut” can block blood flow to the area, causing tissue death.

What are 4 signs of colic in horses?

Signs of colic in your horse

• Frequently looking at their side.
• Biting or kicking their flank or belly.
• Lying down and/or rolling.
• Little or no passing of manure.
• Fecal balls smaller than usual.
• Passing dry or mucus (slime)-covered manure.
• Poor eating behavior, may not eat all their grain or hay.

Do horses want to eat if they have colic?

Some of the common behaviors exhibited by colicky horses include but are not limited to: not eating, lying down, rolling, pawing at the ground, or looking back at the abdomen.

When is it time to euthanize a horse with colic?

Euthanasia is recommended in these horses with colic of any cause once signs of hyperlipidemia develop (icterus, de- pression, lipids in serum) when referral is not an option. In general, enteroliths might be indistinguishable from an impaction with digesta, based on clinical signs.

What are the 3 types of colic in horses?

Three Types of Colic
True intestinal colic can be divided into three types: gas colic, obstructive lesions, and functional obstructions. Gas colic is the simplest and most common type. Just as in other animals, excess gas production in horses can cause mild to moderate discomfort.