A hole in a feeding nipple that is too large can cause

• A. Faster feeding
• B. Better growth
• C. No effect
• D. Leakage of formula and aspiration and/or pneumonia

Answer: (D)

A feeding nipple with too large a hole lets formula flow too quickly, and that fast, uncoordinated stream is hard for a tiny animal to manage. The animal may fail to swallow in time and formula can slip into the airway, causing aspiration. Once aspirated, the liquid irritates lung tissue and can lead to pneumonia, which is a serious, common risk in hand-reared wildlife. Leakage around the nipple further disrupts controlled feeding and increases the chance that droplets reach the airway. So, rather than speeding up feeding or improving growth, an oversized hole creates an aspiration risk that can worsen health.