Nutritional support in companion animals Flashcards
Define enteral
Methods which utilise the GI tract
What are the advantages of enteral methods?
- Easier
- Fewer complications
- More economical
- More physiological
- Enteral nutritional is preferred
What is the importance of enteral nutrition in malnutrition?
- Healthy animal can reduce nutrient utilisation to compensate
- Sick animals cannot compensate with starvation
- Malnutrition develops early in illness
Name some situations where the need to anticipate and provide nutritional support is needed
- Facial trauma
- Polyneuropathy
- Megaoesophagus
- Post surgery
- Prostatic abscess
What are some general rules of nutritional intervention?
- Recent weight loss >10%
- Partial/complete anorexia for ≥ 3days from the start of the illness
- Diseases causing excess catabolism = increased metabolism
- Treat obese patients the same
What are some considerations when encouraging feeding is being used as a form of enteral nutrition?
- Privacy
- Comfortable environment
- Favourite foods in small amounts
- Feed fresh and try warming
- Do not ‘overface’
- Record closely how much the patient has actually eat
Which drugs can be used in enteral nutrition?
• Diazepam • Mirtazapine in cats - Best appetite stimulant - Usually well tolerated - Only for partial / short term anorexia
Name four methods of tube feeding
- Naso-oesophageal tubes
- Oesophagostomy tubes
- Gastrostomy/ PEG tubes
- Enterostomy tubes
What are the main features/ considerations/ contraindications of using naso-oesophageal tubes?
- Short to medium term
- Small diameter tubes
- Contraindications: Vomiting, no gag reflex, disease of nose or pharynx
Where is an oesophagostomy tube placed?
Tube is placed through the left side of the neck, directly into the distal oesophagus
What are the main features/ considerations of using an oesophagostomy tube
- Medium - long term support
- Well tolerated
- GA required: patients may initially not be well enough for this
What are the indications and contraindications of using an oesophagostomy tube
Indications: Oral cavity, nasal, pharyngeal disease
Contraindications: Diseases of oesophagus and below
Where is a gastrostomy/PEG tube placed?
Tube is placed through the left side of the flank, directly into the stomach
What are the main features/ considerations of using a gastrostomy tube
Long term support: minimum of 7 days as it needs time to seal
- Well tolerated
- GA required
- Indications: all but gastric, intestinal and pancreatic
Where are Enterostomy tubes placed?
Into the intestine