Gavage - food supplementation for stalled weight gain in mice
taylor.panczyk
Abstract
In mice, specifically in Ndufs2fl/fl mice, weight gain usually stops above 70 days post injecton with the TH-Cre AAV into SNc. From that point, food supplements should be provided once daily via a gavage of 0.4-0.5 mL Ensure (Ensure original; 9gr protein,220 calories and we use Plastic feeding Tubes 22gax25mm FTP-22-25n from INSTECH mfg 2021-08-17; www.instechlabs.com) as long as mice keep gaining weight. When the second stop of weight gain happens, another daily gavage and 1 mL of subcutaneous saline should be added as necessary care.
Steps
Gavage
Provide light anesthesia with isoflurane.
Once the animals are ready we look to put the feeding tube behind its tongue.
Once there, we place the feeding tube parallel to the animal with a light hyperextension, in this manner the feeding tube will get into the stomach with no effort**
*With this detail we will be avoiding all complicaBon for gavage that can happen acute or
chronic.
Slide the feeding tube in to the stomach and administer solution.
