Gastric gavage is best described as delivering a liquid to which location via a tube?

• A. Intraperitoneal administration
• B. Stomach lavage
• C. Intragastric intubation
• D. Gastric gavage

Answer: (D)

Gastric gavage is delivering a liquid directly into the stomach through a tube. This is intragastric administration—the liquid is intended for the stomach, not for the peritoneal cavity or for washing the stomach. The other terms describe different actions: intraperitoneal administration goes into the abdominal cavity, stomach lavage means washing out stomach contents, and intragastric intubation refers to placing the tube into the stomach but not necessarily delivering liquid. In practice, gavage combines placing the tube into the stomach with delivering the liquid, and is commonly used for precise dosing or hydration in small animals.