[Enteral forced feeding using blind fixed stomach probes: two practical methods].

Whereas fasting is well tolerated by the healthy organism, protein-energy malnutrition in the sick animal has a negative impact on organ functions, immunocompetence, wound healing, and reconvalescence. Sick animals, physically unable to eat or held off food for medical reasons for more than 5 days, consequently need some sort of nutritional support. Force feeding through a gastrostomy tube has several advantages compared to other forms of enteral nutrition. Gastrostomy tube feeding is relatively physiological, is quite comfortable for the animals and their owners, can replace oral feeding for weeks, and is associated with only rare complications. Gastrostomy tubes can be placed surgically, by use of a gastroscope, or blindly. Blind percutaneous gastrostomy tube placement is minimally invasive, fast, does not require any expensive equipment, and hence is well suited for practice.