When and How to Use a DeLee Mucus Trap

Last updated: June 11, 2019

In this Vet Minute, Revival's Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Marty Greer, talks about when and how to use a DeLee mucus trap.
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Video Transcript

So you've got a puppy, the puppy's just been born, and the puppy isn't breathing right. What do you do to solve that problem? Hi, I'm Doctor Greer, Director of Veterinary Services with Revival Animal Health and in this Vet Minute we are going to be talking about how DeLee mucus traps are life saving for a young puppy or kitten newborns. The most important thing for a newborn puppy or kitten is that they get their first breath taken effectively, without too much fluid. While bulb syringes can be useful in removing some of thick mucus in the back of the airway, the DeLee mucus trap is a much more effective tool in removing the clear watery fluid that can cause a lot of congestion in the airway of young puppies and kittens. They are simple to use. You put the soft small end in the puppy's or kitten's mouth back into the back of the airway. The other end goes into your mouth, like a straw. And all you need to do is gently suction and gently move the tube around in the back of the airway. You'll very quickly hear and see the fluid coming out of the puppy or kitten's airway, dropping into this chamber. And you'll have a very successful recovery for your puppies and kittens and they'll start breathing. And it will be a huge relief.

Marty Greer, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, has 35+ years' experience in veterinary medicine, with special interests in canine reproduction and pediatrics. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 1981. She's served as Revival's Director of Veterinary Services since 2019.