Abstract
Pancreatitis, hepatobiliary disease, and proximal gastrointestinal tract disorders are clinical situations where delivery of nutrients via jejunostomy tube is preferable to a feeding gastrostomy. A thorough description of the percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy (PEG-J) technique and practical guidelines for its use in small animals have not been reported. That a simple technique of PEG-J tube placement in humans would be useful and safe in healthy dogs and cats. Twelve healthy dogs and 5 healthy cats were included in the study. Commercially prepared PEG-J tubes were modified for use in animals and positioned in the small intestine by endoscopic guidance. Eight dogs and 5 cats were bolus fed enteral diets for 14 days. Complications associated with the use of the PEG-J tube and responses to bolus feedings were assessed. Jejunostomy tubes were placed distal to the caudal duodenal flexure in all dogs and cats. Complications associated with PEG-J tubes occurred in 5/12 dogs and 4/5 cats and included J-tube removal, local pain/inflammation, retrograde tube migration, and diarrhea. Bolus feeding (daily maintenance energy requirement [MER] divided q8h) through the jejunostomy catheter was well tolerated, maintained normal body weight, and was not associated with adverse gastrointestinal signs. Placement of a PEG-J tube is an effective, noninvasive technique for providing enteral nutritional support of healthy dogs and cats. Bolus-feeding techniques via PEG-J tubes maintain normal nutritional status in healthy dogs and cats. This procedure for jejunostomy feeding may be easily adapted for use in clinical practice outside of an intensive care facility.
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