Oral gavage tubes produced by INSTECH are flexible (to reduce the risk of trauma) and disposable (to eliminate cleaning costs and lower the possibility of cross-contamination). Flexible tubes represent an improvement in animal welfare over rigid metal tubes, which have been shown to cause significantly more esophageal inflammation. They are part of Instech’s “Be Nice” family of products. They are made from medical-grade materials to minimize the risk of interactions with test compounds. The tube is made of 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. Available in boxes of 250 pieces (50 sterile pouches of 5) or smaller boxes of 50 pieces. Proper containment and dosing technique are critical to success, and the technique with flexible tubing is different from that with rigid tubing: guides to oral gavage for mice and rats are available for information on this.
