Complications and outcomes of surgically placed feeding tubes in dogs

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequencies of in-hospital complications and survival to discharge in dogs with surgically placed gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) and to assess the association between G-tube complications and primary disease, serum albumin concentration, and plasma total protein concentration. DESIGN: A retrospective multicenter study was performed at two university teaching hospitals between January 2010 and December 2020, including 133 dogs with surgically placed G-tubes. RESULTS: Nine dogs (6.7%) experienced a complication associated with the surgically placed G-tube. The most common complication was stoma site infection/inflammation (8/133 dogs [6%]), which was managed with topical therapy alone. One dog had septic peritonitis secondary to gastrointestinal leakage (1/133 [0.75%]). There was no association between primary etiology, serum albumin concentration, or plasma total protein concentration and complications. No dog died or was euthanized as a result of G-tube complications. CONCLUSIONS: A low in-hospital complication frequency was found to be associated with surgically placed G-tubes in dogs with a variety of primary disease processes. Stoma site infection or inflammation was the major complication noted. Surgically placed G-tubes may be useful in patients undergoing abdominal surgery that are likely to need ongoing nutritional support.