Every time you scratch yourself from a metal, get a dirty cut, or some bite wound, it probably comes to your mind to take tetanus shots. Most of us have been in such a situation and probably heard the term tetanus.
But what does tetanus actually mean?
In the medical world, this disease is also known as “lockjaw”, and yes, it can affect your dog too.
Let’s discuss more about tetanus in dogs, the disease’s symptoms, causes, and treatment.
What Is Tetanus?
Tetanus is a life-threatening non-contagious acute disease caused by the bacteria called Clostridium tetani. The tetani bacteria produces toxins that cause nerve symptoms in dogs.
The toxin affects the whole nervous system, including the nerves, spinal cord, and brain. Toxins function as blockers of nerve signals and produce muscle contractions that lead to hyperexcitability and muscle spasms.
C. tetani is found in soil and can quickly enter your pet’s body and multiply. Therefore, this bacteria usually affects dogs that live on farms or around it. The bacteria’s spores can live in dirt and dust for years.
The bacteria usually enters the body through wounds. The tetanus bacteria is anaerobic, which means that wounds are the perfect entrance since they lack oxygen. Then, healthy cells die, and a massive amount of nerve toxins are released.
Tetanus can affect both cats and dogs, but it is not very common. The most susceptible species to the tetanus toxin are horses and humans. Cats and dogs are very resistant; on the other side, horses and humans are extremely sensitive.
In the beginning, there is general stiffness 24 hours after the initial contact. This bacteria is so dangerous that it causes spasms and painful sensitivity in a short time.
Unlike other sensitive animals like horses, dogs have a more extended incubation period, and in the beginning, there is only localized tetanus around the wound. As the process continues, the dog experiences stiffness and rigidity in the limb, the opposite leg, and finally around the head.
After the disease affects the whole body, there is generalized tetanus. In such conditions, you can notice erect ears, an extended tail, and a partially open mouth with drawn-back lips.
Unfortunately, if you don’t treat your dog immediately, there are high chances for your pet to experience muscle spasms throughout the whole body. The good news is that there is an available antitoxin. However, the symptoms develop very fast, and often it is too late to treat this bacterial disease.
How do dogs get tetanus?
Clostridium tetani produces spores that are widespread and very resistant outside the dog’s body. Believe it or not, they can survive for years in the environment.
This bacteria won’t do much harm in the gastrointestinal tract if ingested or on the skin. But, this bacteria “loves” a low-oxygen environment. Therefore, if it enters through an open wound, it begins to rapidly multiplicate and produce tetanospasmin toxins.
Symptoms of Tetanus in Dogs
In the beginning, there might be only localized tetanus, so you won’t be able to see any signs. After a while, symptoms will become visible, and you will most likely notice them.
Although you might experience difficulties in recognizing the symptoms because the wound will be healed, and you will wonder what is causing those symptoms.
Our recommendation is to take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as you notice the first signs, explain the previous health issues of your dog, and he will quickly recognize the cause of it.
We are here to help you, so read carefully and find out if your dog shows some of these signs. These are the most common symptoms and signs of tetanus in dogs:
- Muscle stiffness and spasms
- Erect ears
- Tail stiffness
- Straight and rigid legs while standing
- Neck and jaw stiffness
- Drooling
- Face swelling
- Abnormal facial expressions
- Fever
- Dehydration
- Difficult eating and drinking
- Constipation
- Difficult breathing
Bear in mind that any dog might get tetanus, but some dogs are more prone to tetanus than others. Increased susceptibility is seen in:
- Dogs between 3 months and 2 years old
- Large dog breeds such as Labradors and German Shepherds
- Dogs that spend a lot of time outside the house.
Now, let’s discuss the two most common clinical forms of tetanus in dogs: localized tetanus and generalized tetanus.
The localized form usually occurs in pets since they are less sensitive than other animal species. As the name implies, dogs with a localized form of tetanus have muscle rigidity around the limb area or close to the wound.
Very often, after the muscle rigidity, you may notice muscle tremors. If this condition is not appropriately treated, the localized form can progress to generalized form.
Generalized form of tetanus is way more severe than localized tetanus. This type of canine tetanus is widespread throughout the dog’s body, and dogs might even walk stiffly or hold the tail up. Affected dogs become very stiff, and they are not able to stand or bend their legs.
In cases when all four legs are rigidly extended, the condition is called “sawhorse”.
Another drawback of a generalized form of tetanus in dogs is that the facial muscles are affected. In such cases, dogs have elevated third eyelids and wrinkled foreheads. If the face is affected, you will most likely recognize it by the held back lips, also known as “rusus sardonicus” or “sinister smile”.
Dogs that have a generalized form of tetanus hold their jaws rigidly close; hence tetanus is referred to as lockjaw. Therefore, because the jaw muscles are affected, dogs face difficulties while eating and have increased salivation.
Your dog may also have a fever, and there are two scenarios for it. It might be caused due to the bacteria Clostridium tetani, or the constant muscle stiffness might cause it.
In very severe cases, tetanus in dogs can lead to muscle spasms in the throat or diaphragm muscles which makes the breathing difficult.
How Will My Veterinarian Diagnose Tetanus?
Clostridium tetani bacteria can be easily diagnosed based on the initial exam, especially if there is still a present wound.
There are some available tests for diagnosing tetanus. These tests detect the presence of the tetanus toxin, but usually, they are not 100% reliable.
Like any other disease or illness, your veterinarian will perform a physical examination, blood tests (complete blood count), and urinalysis to check your dog’s overall health status, ECG, and in some cases, chest X-rays.
Bear in mind that the only way to get a correct diagnosis of tetanus in dogs is to visit a veterinarian. Based on the performed exams, your dog’s heart rate, weight, blood pressure, temperature, and reflexes, your vet will be on a good way to diagnose tetanus.
Since dogs with tetanus have hypersensitivity to touch, you and your vet must be careful and gentle with your puppy. Even gentle contact might be stressful and painful to dogs.
Treatment of Tetanus in Dogs
Each veterinarian has a different approach to treating this disease. However, each treatment should be based on stabilizing, medication and supportive care, and observation.
Stabilization
The first step is to stabilize your dog with intravenous fluids (IV) in order to stop dehydration. In severe cases, some vets give oxygen therapy to prevent respiratory distress.
Medication and supportive care
The good news is that there is an available tetanus antitoxin immune globulin to stop tetanus progression. The bad news is that this treatment works only if the disease is diagnosed early.
Additional medication includes:
- Antibiotic therapy with metronidazole
- Anticonvulsants like diazepam for preventing muscle tremors
- Muscle relaxants like baclofen
- Strong sedatives such as acepromazine.
Observation
Dogs with tetanus require specific clock care and observation. Therefore, hospitalization is necessary in most cases.
The observation and outcome depend on the severity of your dog’s condition. Although, most dogs need 7-10 days of hospitalization.
Since the tetanus toxin binds to the nerves, the antitoxin works in finding the circulating toxin and preventing further binding to nerve cells. It is good to mention that if the toxin is already bound to the nerves, the antitoxin won’t do much.
Also, the antitoxin might have some significant side effects. Therefore, please leave it to your veterinarian to decide whether tetanus antitoxin therapy is appropriate for your dog.
If there is still a present wound, your vet can decide to surgically debride it. The whole process includes removing the dead and necrotised tissue around the wound, which will decrease the chances of spreading the bacteria through the entire central nervous system.
After that, your vet might administer local antiseptics with oxydative effects and local antibiotics.
Dogs with tetanus need intensive nursing care. Therefore, you must keep your dog in clean and soft bedding to keep the wound clean and decrease the pressure on it. Also, keep your dog in a quiet and dark area. Your dog experiences terrible hypersensitive, so you probably don’t want to worsen its condition.
What is the prognosis for tetanus?
The prognosis depends on the tetanus type and the disease’s severity.
If your dog develops a localized and self-limiting disease, it will respond very well to the treatment. You will notice improvement after 1 week of treatment, but full resolvment of the issue might take 3-4 weeks.
In case the dog has comprised immune system and secondary infections, the survival chances decrease. However, the survival rate is from 50-90% based on the reported cases.
How can I prevent tetanus in my dog?
Since dogs are not prone to this disease, the tetanus vaccine is neither obligatory nor recommended.
The most effective way is to ensure that your dog’s wound is properly closed by a veterinary professional. Another tip is to treat the wound with antibiotics to avoid bacterial infection.
You cannot solve this issue yourself, so you must contact a vet. As soon as you notice that your dog has muscle spasms around the initial wound, don’t wait. Immediately call a doctor of veterinary medicine!
The vet will clean the wound carefully and even surgically, so the chances for complications due to tetani bacteria will decrease.
FAQ:
To Sum Up
Tetanus is not a very common disease in dogs. Although, sometimes, it is good to have the knowledge and expect the unexpected. We know that dog owners are 90% of the time in a panic about their four-legged furry friends, so our suggestion is always to take advice from professionals and prevent it before it is too late.
References:
- https://www.msdvetmanual.com/dog-owners/disorders-affecting-multiple-body-systems-of-dogs/tetanus-in-dogs
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3113811/
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*photo by underworld1 – depositphotos