Tetanus in Dogs

Few known poisons arc so deadly as that produced by lockjaw germs. Before discussing the peculiarities of the bac - terium which causes tetanus, let us consider some of the symptoms.

SYMPTOMS: Growing in a sealed - over wound, forming a minutepocket, yet giving off their deadly toxin, these bacteria produce a stiff - ness in the dog, due to muscle contraction, which is generally diagnos - tic. The gait is stiff, the head tends to be extended too far in front, thetail is held out stiffly behind, the ears are hard and cocked, not hangingpendulously as they should in the case of a lop - cared dog.

All the reflexes are sharpened. Any noise causes a quicker responsethan is normal. The facial expressions shows anxiety. Occasionally dogowners may suspect their dogs of being rabid.

Locking of the jaw muscles is not a universal feature. In fact, somedogs have only parts of their bodies affected and their jaws not at all.But once the jaw muscles have contracted so that the dog can neithercat nor drink, he is helpless without radical treatment.

METHOD OF INFECTION: When a dog becomes infected with spores ofthe bacterium Clostridium tetani, it does not necessarily mean it willhave lockjaw. In fact, the germs are exceedingly common over theearth's surface and often grow outside of dog bodies. They are foundin soil, around manure piles, and also in many unsuspected places aswell. An interesting fact about them is that they grow when oxygen isexcluded from their environment. They do not grow in an open woundto which air has access. But with other bacteria in a deep wound theythrive. The other types of bacteria exhaust the oxygen supply andresider the environment propitious.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT: Prevention consists in having everydog with a puncture or bullet wound given antitoxin and the woundcleaned. In treatment very large doses of antitoxin are injected and thesource of infection is thoroughly disinfected. Antitoxin is a chemicalantidote for the toxin. When used in large enough amounts, it "knocksout" the toxin, as bacteriologists say.

Supportive treatment of relaxing the muscles by drugs that the veter - inarian can give is helpful. Then, too, if the dog's jaws are affected, itmust be fed by vein or rectum until the jaw muscles are sufficientlyrelaxed to allow it to eat.

The treatment of tetanus requires extreme patience, but it is oftenrewarded by the joy which comes in watching a dog recover when therehad appeared to be little hope.