My dog has tetanus?

Question

I know it is extremely rare in dogs, but mine has it. He's been on penicillin treatment for about 2 weeks now with 1 week to go. He isn't getting any worse, but his jaw won't release. Does anyone know if he'll ever be able open his mouth again even if the treatment kills the bacteria and toxin? He can get his tongue out and we have to make him "dog food soup" to eat, so he's not starving. But he's so playful and happy...so I know it's not spreading. Please...any insight would be very appreciated. My vet has never seen tetanus in a dog and he's researched it and called his colleagues....NO ONE knows what's going to happen! All he can tell me is from what he has heard...the outcome is usually not good and the dogs had to be put down.

Answer 1

He may not progress past this point, but it sounds like you and the dog have adapted and that's the crucial thing. If he can be happy as he is, then he will stand the best chance at some quality of life. You will have to wait until the medication has run its full course before you will know if he may regress off treatment, in which case, it may be best to put him down. But if it was my dog, I'd want to know he was happy as he was and if so, I'd be content to give him dog soup if need be forever. I had a dog get cancer at 1 year of age. She wasn't expected to last another year, but I never gave up hope, got her all the treatments that might work, fed her a holistic diet that was complicated. But she was happy. And lived another 16 years. That, to me, is the key. As long as they are happy, I will do what I can. Sounds like you are a kind, dedicated caregiver for this dog and are doing the right thing. Just keep up your positive attitiude and do what you are doing. I'd like to hear how this goes for you.

Answer 2

By law, they have to report the bite. Your neighbors are really going around telling everyone you are "mean"? Seriously? What are they 5 years old? You shouldn't be mortified, they should be. You did nothing wrong. They need to grow up. @Cody~ No. You have that backwards. Dogs don't walk around with rabies. They have to have the disease in order to pass it on to another mammal. And, you would know if the dog was rabid. And @Sophie~ really? You can't be serious. Dog bites can and DO get infected. In addition, a current tetanus shot is always recommended to ANYONE who is bit by an animal. The poster didn't think she was going to get some weird disease. It's common sense. What point is getting medical care if you lie to your providers. Think with your brain. This person should avoid treatment and put themselves at risk because of someone elses badly behaved dog? I think not. My dog is 15 and she doesn't go around biting people. And if she did, I would WANT the person to go to the doctor and make sure they were okay.

Answer 3

Maybe this will help you. I believe you're over-reacting a bit. Tetnus isn't that bad in a dog. In a horse or human it's quite bad.

Signs of the illness can take up to three weeks to develop after exposure has occurred. Paralysis can be localized, affecting only one limb (the one nearest the offending wound), or generalized, affecting all four legs. Death can follow due to respiratory arrest, and only occurs in those cases that go undiagnosed. Recommended treatments include:

AN ANTITOXIN: Made from equine or human serum, this serves to bind any toxin still circulating in the bloodstream looking to do damage. It doesn't undo damage, but it prevents more from occurring. It can be given intramuscularly or intravenously. The intravenous route is faster and more effective, but carries risk of anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction), so care must be given when using this method.

ANTIBIOTICS: These are given locally and systemically to remove any bacteria that are still living in the animal and actively producing toxin. Penicillin G is the antibiotic of choice and is given intravenously as well as in the muscle near the wound. Other antibiotics that work well include metronidazole and tetracycline.

SEDATIVES: Phenothiazines (tranquilizing agents), such as chlorpromazine, are given to stop the hyperexcitable behavior together with barbiturates, such as pentobarbital or phenobarbital, to control the convulsions. Attention must be paid to the heart rate when using these drugs. If it falls below 60 beats per minute, another drug will be needed to speed up the heart. Sedatives need to be given every three hours.

SURGERY: This may be necessary to limit the size of the wound and is generally done under general anesthesia to eliminate as much bacteria as possible. Hydrogen peroxide is a good cleansing agent for removing anaerobic bacteria and should be used often to flush the wound.

CARDIAC DRUGS: Both an increased and a decreased heart rate can result from tetanus. Usually the increased rate is corrected by the above mentioned sedatives. The decreased heart rate should be treated with atropine or glycoyrrolate as needed.

NURSING CARE: While in the recovery stage, your pet should be kept in a dark, quiet area with as little excitement as possible. She will be bedridden for a while, and will need a very soft bed so she doesn't get sores from laying on a hard surface for a long period. Your pet may have muscular spasms of the jaw--commonly called lockjaw--so it's a good idea to make her food into a gruel and feed her small amounts slowly. The muscles used for swallowing may also have spasms, so go slowly to avoid choking. If your pet does not have regular elimination, both urine and feces, touch base with your veterinarian to see if a catheter is necessary.

A full recovery is likely for both dogs and cats, and should only take about three to four weeks. Good luck!

Answer 4

Wow sorry to hear that, I never heard of that before. Hopefully after the meds. he will be better. Good luck.

Answer 5

try to get in touch with a trining school or vet college tehy should be able to help

Answer 6

This site should be good for you, check out the bottom of the page, she lists several links for research.

http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/tetanus.html