Disposable polypropylene animal feeding needles for mice and rats.

• Flexible tube and soft tip to minimize trauma
• Disposable design; no cleaning and no risk of residual compound
• Transparent to see compund delivery
• Faster to train new technicians
• Available in a variety of diameters and lengths
• Sterilized by ETO gas
• Manufactured in USA

Oral gavage tubes are flexible to reduce the risk of trauma, and disposable to eliminate the cost of cleaning and the chance of compound crossover. Flexible tubes are an animal welfare refinement over rigid metal tubes which have been shown to cause significantly more esophageal inflammation. They are part of the 'Be Nice' family of products.

Feeding tubes are manufactured using medical grade materials to minimize the risk of interactions with test compounds. The tube is polypropylene, the same material used to make plastic syringes. The soft elastomer tip is designed to minimize trauma to the esophagus and to prevent inadvertent placement in the trachea.

Proper restraint and dosing technique are critical for success, and the technique with flexible tubes is different from rigid tubes; see Instech's 'Guide to Oral Gavage for Mice and Rats' for assistance.