Abstract
In veterinary medicine, abdominal auscultation has been described as an adjunctive tool for the diagnosis of abdominal diseases or gastrointestinal dysfunction. There are two basic goals for intubation of the gastrointestinal tract: removing contents or administering food and medications. Nasogastric intubation involves placing a tube through the nasal cavity down into the stomach and is best placed in a conscious animal that can swallow. Gastric trocarization often decreases the time to gastric decompression and therefore may decrease the risk of gastric necrosis. Cases of engorgement associated with clinical signs are usually secondary to ingestion of large amounts of dry commercial food, which absorbs fluid and slowly expands in the stomach. Gastric residual volume monitoring is used to assess gastric emptying and the degree of dysmotility in human and veterinary patients receiving enteral nutrition.