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Syringe Feed. How to use Syringe

David Piggie Lover

David Piggie Lover

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I'm trying to feed a piggie Chloe meds and food supplement by Syringe but I'm struggling basic to pull open syringe and then it's so dam tight to give her some I press so hard and suction is tight.
Any simple tips pls. IMG_3058.webp
Looks easy trust me I've pulled two rubber ends off trying to open a empty one. :doh:
 
You could try going to the chemist and asking for oral syringes. They are purple but often a bit easier to get apart and can have a wider nozzle. Just make sure they don’t give you screw on enteral ones.

Some brands are easier than others. I work in healthcare and got covered in antibiotic the other day when the end unexpectedly popped off the syringe. I believe we’ve swapped back now as it was a big problem.
 
We use a sharp kitchen knife to cut the end off the syringe to make it wider, if its a 1ml syringe just saw the whole narrow end nozzle bit off to make a simple tube. If its a bigger syringe cut less off, just enough to make it a bit wider. And for syringe food you can water it down a bit more to make it suctionable. Its never as simple as it looks at the vets or in the syringe feeding guides is it! X
 
David Piggie Lover said:
I'm trying to feed a piggie Chloe meds and food supplement by Syringe but I'm struggling basic to pull open syringe and then it's so dam tight to give her some I press so hard and suction is tight.
Any simple tips pls. View attachment 117237
Looks easy trust me I've pulled two rubber ends off trying to open a empty one. :doh:
Click to expand...

Hi! Most of have found the large syringes difficult to handle and control. It is a lot easier with small 1 ml syringes where you have cut off the tip and bit of plunger that is sticking out. I use scissors for the cutting.
Have a look at our syringe feeding guide: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
Has anybody tried using the oral syringes you get with Children’s Calpol? I haven’t but I noticed that they have an open end which is nice and wide. I normally use 1m with the narrow bit cut off the end which is fine, I make sure the end has no sharp edges too with a smooth nail file.
 
I use burgess dual care and make it slightly more watery so I can use a spoon to put it into the top of the syringe (15ml one). Then I put the plunger part in. I believe it's the supreme science ones that I use:)
 
I use the 1ml syringes with the tip cut off. I find them easier to manage. I bought 100 of them on ebay for around 12 quid so not much per syringe.
 
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