Symptoms of tetanus in dogs:

1. Sick dogs usually develop symptoms 5-10 days after the trauma.

2. The dog’s muscles all over the body are stiff, the gait is stiff, the tail is held high, and the dog is in an opisthotonus posture. (Opistotonus: refers to the twitching of back muscles that causes the body to lean backwards, like a bow.)

3. Typical symptoms are that the dog’s ears are erect, close together, and stiff. The nictitating membrane prolapses and the limbs are straightened. Trismus, squinting at the corners of the mouth, etc.

4. Dogs salivate due to difficulty in swallowing, exposed conjunctiva, and facial muscle spasm. Dogs often die from respiratory center paralysis.

Preventive measures for tetanus in dogs:

1. Dogs with trauma should be treated promptly and injected with tetanus antitoxin.

2. Take good care of the sick dog and use magnesium sulfate or chlorpromazine to calm and relieve spasm.

3. Recovery can be achieved with timely treatment. Intravenous injection of tetanus antiserum, 100 to 1000 international units per kilogram of body weight (IU/kgbw), 2 to 3 times.

4. Clean the wound, remove foreign matter, necrotic tissue, blood clots, etc., rinse and disinfect with 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, and do not suture the wound. For those who cannot eat, parenteral rehydration is used.