E-tube (feeding Tube) Discharge

[vmorris412]

Hello! My sweet boy, Peterson James, has IBD/pancreatitis and had a feeding tube put in exactly one week ago. At first, the insertion site looked perfect, but two days ago, it started to emit a brownish discharge and pretty gross smell (I am sensitive to smells, so I may be overreacting!) I am waiting for a call back from his Internist to see if I need to take him in to have it looked at, but I'm doing everything I can to not cause him any more stress- especially if I'm overreacting to a normal healing process!

So I guess I'm looking for what your experiences were with e-tube wound healing- was there discharge? Did it smell bad?

Note: I used Hibiclens brand chlorhedixidine topical antiseptic to clean it and had applied Neosporin instead of using the solution the night before it started to ooze a lot. I'm wondering if the Neosporin could be creating or contributing to the amount of ooze.

 

[vmorris412]

Here is what the pad looked like this morning when I changed it.

 

[white shadow]

,
Please do not use Neosporin on a cat.

You need to take the cat back to the Vet immediately.
.

 

[vmorris412]

,
Please do not use Neosporin on a cat.

You need to take the cat back to the Vet immediately.
.

The techs at his primary care vet and the internal medicine specialist's both said that Neosporin is okay to use for this.

 

[vmorris412]

Just took him in to get it checked out and confirmed with his Internal Med doc (the one who placed the tube at PVSEC, the best vet facility in Pittsburgh) that Neosporin IS recommended for e-tube entry sites.

I will elaborate when we get home and continue to post our experiences in this thread since I had a tough time finding any info!

 

[vmorris412]

Okay, so this may be helpful to other scared feeding tube newbies, so here it goes...

I got lucky and Petey's specialist/Internist's office had a vet tech appointment open, so I took him in to get checked out. They cleaned him up really well, and his doc ended up having time to check out his tube/entry site, which really made me feel better. He said that there wasn't an abcess or notable swelling, but it looks like the start of an infection, so antibiotics would be in order and it was a good thing I was so proactive with it. The brown stuff that was coming out was also definitely food, but they seemed pretty confident that it wouldn't enter his sub-q area (which is what terrified me.) I still don't really understand how that is happening, but I am pretty sqeamish so if the doc isn't worried, I'm not going to think about it too much!

So I left with another ($50! ) Kitty Kollar so I can wash and change it out and some antibiotics (Clavamox) that unfortunately have to be given orally and not via the tube, which was disappointing since oral meds have really been a problem for him (they worsen his nausea and cause drooling.) His dose last night was awful, but this morning, he took it like a champ and demanded some Fancy Feast right after! So things are going really well there.

As for the wound care, they instructed me to continue washing with the Hibiclens and then applying the Neosporin. I picked up some Band-Aid brand 2x2 gauze squares to replace the little round pads they supplied, and his tube hole looks WORLDS better this morning! NO food leakage at all yet today and he has eaten twice! My husband also had the genius idea to use some velcro cable ties he had on hand to improve the way the collar holds the tube, and I think that will help the hole to heal since the tube won't be able to move around so much.

 

[white shadow]

.
Hi again - this time with a belated welcome to the forum !

As you now know, it was really important to have him examined, the wound cleaned.....and, the antibiotics prescribed. (sometimes, these are given at the time of placement to prevent what you encountered)

And, now you know the textbook signs of infection, the 'ooze' and the odour. In the meantime, good on you for knowing something was wrong and for calling the Vet! So often, folks disregard their 'gut feelings' and take a wait-and-see approach.

When infection takes hold like that, a topical antibiotic just won't cut the mustard. It can, and often does, mask the external signs while allowing the internal issue to intensify. You needed a systemic antibiotic.

The gastric issues you're dealing with have to be one of, if not the singularly most difficult feline health conditions, taxing us to our core. There is a specialized online community that you may find helpful - they also have a website chock-full of useful information/resources (and you'll find the link to their FB group at the page bottom): IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time

If FB isn't "for you", post back and I'll dig out another reference for the original online community that still uses email as their 'operating platform'.

The Kitty Kollar folks have a site as well with extra info: Kitty Kollar-Special Hugs for special kitties (Kanine Kollars too)


Now, after all this, you need to know that we'd never refuse any pictures of Mr. Peterson James....especially sporting his new Kitty Kollar

Meantime, keep an eagle eye on that opening!
.

 

[vmorris412]

Thank you so much, white shadow ! I will definitely be joining that facebook group. Here are some pics of the very regal Peterson James (all from the past month, so please don't judge his haircut. I was force feeding him and had to trim his beard to help keep him clean... and well... I am not a groomer... hah

 

[vmorris412]

Update: he is leaking food again, and I figured out why while cleaning him up this morning. His stitches appear to have pulled out of the skin on the side the tube bends away from, so there is a big hole there. Honestly got pretty sick when I squished some food out manually. I hate this so much for him, but I can see him getting better and better. He is howling at me for food and his big bright eyes are consistently back. He also doesn't seem to have any pain from the tube, which is shocking to me. He just has irritation that causes coughing and sneezing. With the cocktail of drugs he is on (steroids and antibiotics!) I don't think I need to worry too much about infection or inflammation, so that's a plus! Still washing him up and changing out his gauze and collar twice a day just to be safe, though.

 

[white shadow]

.
Look....I have no experience with tubes.

The "coughing and sneezing" - that does not sound good to me at all, though.

Nor does it seem "normal".

If there's ANY possibility that he could aspirate (breathe in) any food/debris, you need to solve that asap.

Cats are particularly vulnerable when it comes to aspiration of anything 'foreign' - aspiration pneumonia can result and, in cats, it's often fatal.

I think I'd be speaking with the tech/Vet (not just anyone) at the clinic tomorrow and describing exactly what you've written, maybe more.

Jeesh - I hate to be the one ringing alarm bells....sorry, though, I can not just waive good luck and turn away.


And, forgot to mention the pics - thanks for each of those WOW moments! He's stunning! (and, I see he's not an "only kid" from one of those....hmmmmm)
.

 

[vmorris412]

.
Look....I have no experience with tubes.

The "coughing and sneezing" - that does not sound good to me at all, though.

Nor does it seem "normal".

If there's ANY possibility that he could aspirate (breathe in) any food/debris, you need to solve that asap.

Cats are particularly vulnerable when it comes to aspiration of anything 'foreign' - aspiration pneumonia can result and, in cats, it's often fatal.

I think I'd be speaking with the tech/Vet (not just anyone) at the clinic tomorrow and describing exactly what you've written, maybe more.

Jeesh - I hate to be the one ringing alarm bells....sorry, though, I can not just waive good luck and turn away.


And, forgot to mention the pics - thanks for each of those WOW moments! He's stunning! (and, I see he's not an "only kid" from one of those....hmmmmm)
.

I appreciate your concern, but I've already spoken with them about it because I had the same fears regarding aspiration pneumonia. I call them about something at least once a day, so trust me when I say that NOTHING will be overlooked here! Until last night when I finally ventured out to make some returns at Kohl's, I hadn't even left the house except to go to the vet in 10+ days (I work from home, thankfully) because I couldn't let him out of my sight. The coughing/sneezing thing has been happening since the tube placement 9 days ago, and they have assured me that it IS normal due to irritation from the tube and endoscopy (and he has been checked out by the doc in person since then, obviously.)

And he says thank you for the compliments! He is far from an only kid... he has 5 other siblings!

 

[white shadow]

.
OK - got it - I'll relax, then. (Fussbudgets, as you will therefore well know, have a really hard time letting go)

Five.....did you say FIVE????????????

Well then, with that now revealed, allow me to direct you to our showcase Forum: Fur Pictures and Videos Only!

....and, I have it on good authority that this entire thread will disappear......unless "Peterson James and Sibs" appears over there
.