Product Description
Plastic Feeding Needles for Rodents (disposable)
Instech’s plastic feeding tubes for rodent oral gavage are flexible to reduce the risk of trauma and disposable to eliminate the cost of cleaning and the chance of compound crossover. Flexible tubes are recommended as an animal welfare refinement over rigid metal tubes [1].
Instech manufactures the feeding tubes using medical grade materials to minimize the risk of interactions with test compounds. The tube is constructed of polypropylene, the same material used in plastic syringes. The soft elastomer tip is designed to prevent inadvertent placement in the trachea and reduce the risk of perforation. The feeding tubes are available in a variety of diameters and lengths for use in rodents ranging in size from mouse pups to rats to hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits. Download the PDF below for complete specifications and species suggestions.
Prices for boxes of 250 pieces (50 sterile pouches of 5) below. Also available in boxes of 50 pieces.
Proper restraint and dosing technique are critical, and the technique can vary between flexible and rigid tubes, so Instech and Veterinary Bioscience Institute have developed training videos. Click the links for the full length videos, or view the 45 second video below for a summary and product overview.
Mouse oral gavage training video (YouTube, 10min)
- Rat oral gavage training video (YouTube, 8min)
feeding tube information [PDF]