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Diagnosis and treatment of generalised tetanus in dogs
Author(s) -
Fawcett Anne,
Irwin Peter
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
in practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.211
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 2042-7689
pISSN - 0263-841X
DOI - 10.1136/inp.g6312
Subject(s) - tetanus , medicine , clostridium tetani , paralysis , intensive care medicine , flaccid paralysis , pediatrics , surgery , anesthesia , vaccination , pathology
Generalised tetanus in the canine patient, well described in numerous case reports, is a life‐threatening disorder. The causative organism, Clostridium tetani, produces a potent neurotoxin that causes dramatic clinical signs, including spastic paralysis. The prognosis for patients receiving treatment is good but, as recovery is prolonged, many dogs are euthanased because of estimated costs of hospitalisation. This article discusses the diagnosis and treatment of generalised tetanus in the dog and the potential complications.