Labrador Retriever Forum
Comment
Just an interesting little aside for you: The mucous trap was invented by an obstetrician, Dr. Joseph DeLee in the 1930's and is what we used on human babies up until fairly recently. It is indeed very effective. Just be careful not to let the container get full or you'll be sucking up a mouth full of gook. 
Dee Lee
I looked for a you tube video and couldn't find one El. The magic with the Dee Lee is that you can suction the puppy's airway without getting it's mucous in your mouth, because the fluid stays in the little chamber (as long as you keep it upright, with the tubes facing the ceiling). It is designed to go to a wall suction in the hospital, and to produce sputum specimens for hospitalized patients so it can be cultured. What's great about it for a rattle-y puppy, is that you can control the suction power with your mouth.
Get the puppy ready on a surface you can lay him on, or a helper, because you will need both hands. Practice this next part before you need to do it, so looking at the image on the link that Allison provided: Hold the little chamber in your non dominant hand, tubes facing the ceiling, then take the part with the white plastic end, and place it in your mouth. The second tube is then threaded (carefully!) into the puppy's mouth to the back of the throat (you can actually go into the stomach, but I don't start out going that far) then gently suck on the tubing as you slowly pull the catheter out of the back of the throat and mouth. Mucus and fluid is trapped in the little chamber, (provided you held it upright, if you tilt it you will suck it through into your own mouth), repeat until the puppy is not rattle-y anymore. You can rinse out the little chamber if it gets full, and use it for the entire litter, then toss it when she is done, you don't need a new one for each puppy. Once you use it a time or two, it's easy to use.
Get the puppy ready on a surface you can lay him on, or a helper, because you will need both hands. Practice this next part before you need to do it, so looking at the image on the link that Allison provided: Hold the little chamber in your non dominant hand, tubes facing the ceiling, then take the part with the white plastic end, and place it in your mouth. The second tube is then threaded (carefully!) into the puppy's mouth to the back of the throat (you can actually go into the stomach, but I don't start out going that far) then gently suck on the tubing as you slowly pull the catheter out of the back of the throat and mouth. Mucus and fluid is trapped in the little chamber, (provided you held it upright, if you tilt it you will suck it through into your own mouth), repeat until the puppy is not rattle-y anymore. You can rinse out the little chamber if it gets full, and use it for the entire litter, then toss it when she is done, you don't need a new one for each puppy. Once you use it a time or two, it's easy to use.
You are welcome!
Thank you
Dee Lee
I looked for a you tube video and couldn't find one El. The magic with the Dee Lee is that you can suction the puppy's airway without getting it's mucous in your mouth, because the fluid stays in the little chamber (as long as you keep it upright, with the tubes facing the ceiling). It is designed to go to a wall suction in the hospital, and to produce sputum specimens for hospitalized patients so it can be cultured. What's great about it for a rattle-y puppy, is that you can control the suction power with your mouth.
Get the puppy ready on a surface you can lay him on, or a helper, because you will need both hands. Practice this next part before you need to do it, so looking at the image on the link that Allison provided: Hold the little chamber in your non dominant hand, tubes facing the ceiling, then take the part with the white plastic end, and place it in your mouth. The second tube is then threaded (carefully!) into the puppy's mouth to the back of the throat (you can actually go into the stomach, but I don't start out going that far) then gently suck on the tubing as you slowly pull the catheter out of the back of the throat and mouth. Mucus and fluid is trapped in the little chamber, (provided you held it upright, if you tilt it you will suck it through into your own mouth), repeat until the puppy is not rattle-y anymore. You can rinse out the little chamber if it gets full, and use it for the entire litter, then toss it when she is done, you don't need a new one for each puppy. Once you use it a time or two, it's easy to use.
Get the puppy ready on a surface you can lay him on, or a helper, because you will need both hands. Practice this next part before you need to do it, so looking at the image on the link that Allison provided: Hold the little chamber in your non dominant hand, tubes facing the ceiling, then take the part with the white plastic end, and place it in your mouth. The second tube is then threaded (carefully!) into the puppy's mouth to the back of the throat (you can actually go into the stomach, but I don't start out going that far) then gently suck on the tubing as you slowly pull the catheter out of the back of the throat and mouth. Mucus and fluid is trapped in the little chamber, (provided you held it upright, if you tilt it you will suck it through into your own mouth), repeat until the puppy is not rattle-y anymore. You can rinse out the little chamber if it gets full, and use it for the entire litter, then toss it when she is done, you don't need a new one for each puppy. Once you use it a time or two, it's easy to use.
