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Metal in a mouse...My Poor Festivus

Cola contains sugars and ATP, the SOURCE of bacterial growth. No.
The cola uses phos acid to clean, but it need a lot more contact time.
Also, it's really bad about leaving a residue, and the residue is actually worse than what you're trying to clean off.
 
Hydrogen peroxide will work and leave no residue.
If there IS a residue, it reduces to water in a few minutes.
 
You're talking about a G-feeding tube right? (Gastrostomy.) You use cola to clean them because you leave the tube in place. If you take the tube out, you either need a trained person to put the tube back in, or go to the hospital.

You clean a snake feeding tube COP (Clean Out of Place.). You take it out to clean it. So you don't contaminate a snakes stomach with the bacteria feeding on the residue left on the outside of the tube.

Anyway, vets use dosing needles which are cleanable. Or disposeable syringes made for the purpose, like the monoject 412.
Your 'feeding tube' is most likely a catheter, which are disposeable, and not cleanable, technically.
Ever take apart a soda dispenser? Soda does no magic, and the nozzles will mold on the inside in a very short time.
Also, cola residue is a bear to clean off. Ever get soda on the carpet?
 
The way I clean this type of infant feeding tube is to put the end in soapy hot water, suck it back and forth through the tube a few times, then rinse copiously with hot water, then blow air (via syringe) through it.
 
Never used Cola for cleaning tubes, but I have used it to clean a car battery and coins. Water has removed the residue from both when it's used immediately afterwards.
 
Just because it appears clean, that doesn't mean there's no bacti present.
Mice aren't sterile, I get it.
But eggs contain lots of things that are harmful if left to reproduce at room temp.
Soda and eggs are both perfect foods for bacti, pathogens, yeast/mold, etc to colonize and reproduce to harmful levels.
We do ATP swabs at work and any residue will be picked up by those swabs and recorded as a failure.
We can't let failed equipment be used for food, so it gets cleaned again, until it passes.
If we cleaned with soda, it just wouldn't pass. Ever.
If you must clean it with soap and water as nanci does, it will work in the short term, just clean it immediately after using it, let it dry out, and store it in the fridge in a clean ziplock.
It's really not the best though. It would be better to clean and sanitize it with something like hydrogen peroxide (Using a syringe to circulate it.), dry it well, and store it in the fridge in a clean ziplock.
It would be even better to use it and throw it away, and next time use a new one.
I'm not trying to be a jerk, it's just that I would hate to see festy fight so hard to survive and succumb to an infection that was caused by poor sanitation of husbandry equipment. In his weakened condition it's a problem he doesn't need.

If organic matter was allowed to dry in the tube, it should be considered a biofilm, and no longer be considered clean-able.
 
The hot soapy water would work well. Bleach can rinse easily but leave a bit of residual chlorine until air dried, but it woudn't be any worse than your typical tap water amount and shouldn't hurt Festivus at all. Coke cleans all kinds of stuff because of it's awesome CO2 bubblieness. Vinegar and baking soda will give you that same effect, and you can make it up yourself.
Just rinse everything well afterward and you should be fine.
How does he seem today??
 
Vinegar would also work fine by itself.
Anything with a ph of less than 4.2 will prevent bacti from growing.
Vinegar is around 2.5, which is how pickling works.
 
Nanci said:
I used to rinse my ears with vinegar when I cave dived.
Click to expand...

Not to sidetrack this, but I've never heard those words in that order before, and I gotta say it's rather humorus to think about.
ROFL!
(Not the visual of someone rinsing out their ears with vinegar, but just those words in that order.)
OK, I lied. The whole thing is funny.
 
I'm glad I caught this before I went out (I'm at work now). I'm very comfortable with vinegar. I have listened and taken EVERYTHING into account. Thank you everyone!

Lori, he actually seemed a bit more active this morning. I don't know whether or not it's a good sign, but I'm hoping it is.

And Nanci....you have done so much already! You are amazing and I'm in your debt :)
 
Beth, I think you are in line for an award. I can see you on the stage at the front of the crowded auditorium. Some stuffy important person like Roy Munson would be handing you a plaque and telling the audience how you had listened to the advice of over one million people. “Never before has one woman taken so much advice. It this kind of woman that makes America the great country that it is today.” In the background you can hear a children’s choir sing America the Beautiful.

I’m getting a little misty just thinking about it.
 
wade said:
Beth, I think you are in line for an award. I can see you on the stage at the front of the crowded auditorium. Some stuffy important person like Roy Munson would be handing you a plaque and telling the audience how you had listened to the advice of over one million people. “Never before has one woman taken so much advice. It this kind of woman that makes America the great country that it is today.” In the background you can hear a children’s choir sing America the Beautiful.

I’m getting a little misty just thinking about it.
Click to expand...

Hahaha, amazing! :roflmao:

I completely agree though ^_^.
 
Jadie.Glitch said:
Hahaha, amazing! :roflmao:

I completely agree though ^_^.
Click to expand...

Yup!

Beth,

You've really been a trooper through all of this. Ideas and help coming from all over the world, weeding through all the information to pick out what's best for Festivus.... He's lucky to have someone like you to care for him....
 
Hi all....
Im a nurse so Im chiming in about G Tubes. In people, they are surgically implanted; cola is capital for unclogging them. From what I understand of Beth and Festivus's case, this tube is removed, and then reinserted for each feed. I dont understand why the tube cant be cleaned after each use with hot soapy water? If it can be attached to the syringe thats used to hold the bolus feed, it can be flushed as well that way. Maybe Im missing something.

Beth Im so happy to read that he seems to be a bit livlier and doing better.

Sincerely,
Susan
 
Well, We tube fed him last night. It seemed successful and he seemed livelier afterwards.
This morning however, his mouth and lower face seemed to be STUCK to the newspaper. I gently peeled off the paper and he seemed weak...I didn't notice any kind of spilled yolk or anything that could have stuck him....

We will tube feed a little egg yolk and calcium into him again tonight.

Oh, and I'm using vinegar to clean out the tubes, it seems to work very well..
 
Hi Beth...
Do you think he may have vomited up what you tube fed him so thats why his face was stuck? If it may have been vomit, is there anything you can give him to prevent nausea? I know in humans the medication Reglan can be given...but Ive no clue what can be done for a nauseous snake.

Sincerely,
Susan
 
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