LATEX TEAT & TUBE CARE

To care properly and assure a longer life for your latex teats and tubes; please follow these directions.

PIERCING YOUR LATEX TEAT

Your teats are made of latex rubber and are not pierced. The process is very easy and the first thing is:

DO NOT USE A HOT NEEDLE

A hot needle creates a hole which will not close allowing milk to just pour out whether or not the animal sucks.

Start with a small cold needle and pierce the nipple making as small a tear (a rip not a hole) as possible. Try the teat on your little one and watch to see if it's getting any milk. As long as it is sucking the tear should open then close when each suck stops.

If too little milk comes through increase the size of the rip with a bigger needle. It is a little difficult to get used to but after a while you will get the idea, as too, will your little one.

After a lot of use the tear will get too big and too much milk will come out each suck. You can put a small wad of cotton wool inside the teat to restrict the flow.

Eventually, you will need another teat. Don't expect the latex teat to last as long as a plastic or other type of rubber. Your puppy will love the latex teat as its as close to the real thing as you can get.

CARING FOR YOUR LATEX TEATS & TUBES

The latex teats stand up well to liquid chlorine disinfecting. It will effect their color (turning them a milky white) but not their quality or use. The latex teats should not be boiled unless for emergency usage. Use any chlorine liquid (human infant sterilizing solution) or tablet medium for disinfecting.

The feeding tubes are reuseable until stomach acids make them loose their pliability. To ensure total disinfection use a syringe to draw up disinfecting medium through the tube. If tube feeding an entire litter, there is no need to disinfect the tube after feeding each pup. One tube is fine to use for all pups in the same litter as long as no symptoms of viral or bacterial illness are evident. In the case of one pup seeming unwell, use a different tube for that particular pup.

Between uses, store teats in an airtight container as air does perish all things made of latex rubber. Teats should be dusted with talc or edible flour (ie. corn or rice) to prolong their life when not in use. To pierce them turn inside out (if possible) and use an UNHEATED needle.

Teats will fit onto 10-12 ml. syringes minus the plunger. The exception is the deer teat which has a larger finish and fits sterile plastic drink or glass milk bottles. Bottles are also available from Pet and Wildlife Nursing Supplies.

MIKKI FEEDER KIT

The Mikki kit comes pre-pierced, unfortunately, and does feed fast for a strong sucker. Please test the flow personally before offering to your small mammal. If too fast, a small bit of sterile cotton ball inserted will slow the flow. The manufacturer is currently working on sending non pierced stock.

The Mikki teats are made of silicon and may be boiled or steamed but the syringe must not be boiled or autoclaved. I suggest using Milton or some other liquid medium for sterilization of the syringe barrel.

Pet & Wildlife Nursing Supplies

Carla Timmins. ( email )