How to fill a food tube so the paste comes out in small amounts
Updated: 23 October 2026
The tube is in your hand and the first squeeze does nothing, or it dumps the lot. You need a smooth paste, a wide end to fill, and a wash that matches the listing you bought. This is how to fill a food tube for AKONE and Qiwenr in silicone, and Coghlan's in polyethylene. Which listing to buy sits on the [food tube comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/food-tube) and on [which listing fits](/hub/diy-supplies/food-tube/sub/food-tube-best). Reward timing sits on [dog food tube training](/hub/diy-supplies/food-tube/sub/food-tube-dog-training). Peter F. wrote these steps from the care lines and written reviews.
The tube is in your hand and the first squeeze does nothing, or it dumps the lot. You need a smooth paste, a wide end to fill, and a wash that matches the listing you bought.
The tube is in your hand and the first squeeze does nothing, or it dumps the lot. You need a smooth paste, a wide end to fill, and a wash that matches the listing you bought. This is how to fill a food tube for AKONE and Qiwenr in silicone, and Coghlan's in polyethylene. Which listing to buy sits on the food tube comparison and on which listing fits. Reward timing sits on dog food tube training. Peter F. wrote these steps from the care lines and written reviews.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Closure | Dishwasher line | Microwave line | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  AKONE AKONE silicone dog food tube, pack of 3 | Twist lock | Yes | No | 8.6 | about £9.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Qiwenr Qiwenr silicone dog food tube, pack of 4 | Twist cap | Not printed | Not printed | 8.0 | about £9.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Coghlan's Coghlan's polyethylene squeeze tubes, pack of 2 | Screw top and roll-up clips | Yes | No | 7.8 | about £10.91 | View offer |
On this page
Get the paste smooth enough
The paste has to move through a small hole without running out of an open outlet. AKONE's German reviews praise a thin liver-sausage paste, and they are not British opinion. They complain that the hole is too small for lumps, and that a hard squeeze can blow the front off.
Too thin is the other failure. A United States trainer at eileenanddogs.com describes a drip test: purée the filling, open the outlet, and see whether it runs. Treat it as one trainer's experience, not as a UK standard. A pea from a small squeeze is the workable range those notes describe. If it runs, thicken it. If it sits as lumps, smooth it. Do not cut the nozzle.
Fill the wide end, not the outlet
The filling opening and the squeeze hole are different ends. Spoon the paste in through the wide end, with the outlet closed, then press the air out. AKONE's bullets claim a large filling opening, while reviews on the same capture say the outlet is small.
Coghlan's has a screw top and roll-up clips. Fill through the open top, roll from the tail, and fit the clip. Reviews say the clip can be stiff or can break, and one says the tube springs back and does not keep air out. If the clip will not seat, do not bag it. Qiwenr's bullets say leak-proof. That is a bullet, not a test. A hard squeeze is not the remedy for a blocked hole. On AKONE, reviewers link that squeeze to the front coming off.
Wash only what the listing allows
Wash from the printed care line, not from another brand's habit. AKONE and Coghlan's say dishwasher safe and not microwaveable. Coghlan's also lists freezer safe. Qiwenr prints no dishwasher line and no microwave line. The bullets say rinse with water. Do not put that pack in the dishwasher because the other two allow it, and do not microwave any of these tubes to soften a paste. Silence is not permission.
Rinse meat or a dairy sauce as soon as you finish. Qiwenr's title names a brush and the components field says no, so do not count on one in the box. For raw pet food, the Food Standards Agency says use a dedicated container and keep the tube off boards you use for people's food. Do not keep a meat paste for the week.
When to stop using the tube
Stop when a part that closes the tube has failed. On AKONE, reviewers say the front can come off. A cap that has detached is not one you press back on for the rest of the walk. On Coghlan's, a broken clip means the roll-up close is gone. On Qiwenr, the single review describes no fault. That absence is not evidence the cap lasts.
If a dog swallows a cap, a clip, or a piece of tube, call a vet. If a person is ill after handling raw pet food, use the NHS. Do not keep squeezing a blocked outlet until something gives. In the AKONE reviews, the thing that gives is the front of the tube.
Common questions
How thick should the paste be?
Thick enough that it does not run when the outlet is open, and smooth enough that a small squeeze moves it. AKONE's German reviews praise thin liver sausage and complain about lumps and a small hole. A US trainer's drip test says chunky fillings fail and thin fillings drip. If a spoonful runs onto the plate with no squeeze, it is too loose. If it will not move, it is too stiff for these outlets.
Which end do I fill?
Fill the wide end, with the outlet closed, then press out the air. AKONE's bullets distinguish a large filling opening from the small hole reviewers complain about. Coghlan's fills through the screw-top end before you roll the tail and fit the clip. Forcing paste backwards through the outlet packs the hole with the thickest part of the food.
What if nothing comes out?
The paste is too thick, or a lump is in the hole. Stop squeezing. Empty the tube and make the paste smooth. On AKONE, a harder squeeze is what reviewers link to the front coming off. Do not cut the nozzle.
What if it all comes out at once?
The body is soft, the paste is loose, or both. AKONE reviews describe a soft tube that dumps the paste. Coghlan's reviews describe peanut butter that drips and a tube that springs back. Use less pressure, or thicken the paste until an open outlet does not run. If the tube is overfilled, take some paste out before you use it again.
Can I microwave it to soften the paste?
Not on these listings. AKONE and Coghlan's both say they are not microwaveable. Qiwenr prints no microwave line, so do not treat that silence as a yes. Soften a stiff paste the way you already soften that food, or thin it, rather than heating the tube.
Can one tube do shampoo and dog food?
No, if the dog food is a meat paste or any raw pet food. The FSA wants a dedicated container, off human-food surfaces, and clean hands. These listings mention toiletries as other uses. That is a reason to own two tubes, not a reason to rinse once and switch.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.
- Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Article 2 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Food contact materials authorisation guidance (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- BPA in food contact materials: EU rules and UK implications (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Hand luggage: liquids (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Raw pet food (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Kennel Club: motivate and praise your dog (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- AKONE listing on amazon.co.uk (retrieved 22.10.2026)