Clinical experience utilizing a novel fluoroscopic technique for wire-guided esophagojejunal tube placement in the dog and cat: Twenty cases (2010-2013).

Objective: To describe the clinical use of a novel, minimally invasive technique for fluoroscopic wire-guided esophagojejunal tube (FEJT) placement in dogs and cats.

Design: Retrospective study (February 2010-September 2013).

Setting: University veterinary teaching hospital.

Animals: Eighteen dogs and 2 cats with intolerance of, or contraindications to, gastric feeding that underwent attempted FEJT placement.

Interventions: All patients underwent attempted FEJT placement using a novel fluoroscopic wire-guided technique.

Measurements and main results: Patient data were collected including information about the FEJT placement and utilization of the tube postplacement. The primary diagnosis in dogs undergoing FEJT placement was pancreatitis in 61% of cases. The ability to achieve postpyloric access with the technique was 95% (19/20). Mean duration of the procedure in dogs where FEJT placement was successful was 63.8 minutes (SD, 28.6; min-max, 30-120 min). Mean fluoroscopy time was 19.4 minutes (SD, 11.5; min-max, 5.2-42.1-min). Esophagostomy site infection was a complication of FEJT placement in 2 dogs. The mean duration the FEJT remained in place in dogs was 3.8 days (SD, 2.2; min-max, 1-7 days), and mean duration of feeding was 3.6 days (SD, 2.2; min-max, 1-7 days). Vomiting was noted in 89% of patients prior to FEJT placement and was significantly reduced to only 24% of patients postplacement (P = 0.0001).

Conclusions: FEJT placement is a viable technique for providing postpyloric nutrition in dogs and cats intolerant of, or with contraindications to, gastric feeding.