Tetanus - What are our odds?

[CoJackFarm]

I have a 3.5 month old calf that we think contracted Tetanus from being banded. I have never had this happen before so we were surprised to get the diagnosis. I have read every article I can find (twice, I think) and just don't know what to think.

The vet was out yesterday and started treatment with penicillin and anti-toxins and we are still treating him but I just don't know if we are prolonging his death or giving him a chance. He can still get up on his own but does have some spasms at times. He is still eating and drinking but we are only giving him hay because he did start bloating. We have used a hose to release the pressure of his stomach and that seems to help.

The vet has been very vague about what to expect but because the calf has stayed alive this long he just thinks we should keep trying. All I can find out is that the diagnosis is grim, treatment needs to be early, and death could be swift? Anyone have clue in terms of days what they mean? And has anyone actually been able to keep an animal alive that contracted tetanus?

~Ann

 

[wbvs58]

You have a reasonable chance with it. Cattle are a bit more resistant to it than horses and I have known a couple of horses to get over it. Recovery is slow and the effects can linger on for months, however if you get into the second week with it not getting any worse the prognosis would be better.
Ken

 

[inyati13]

Skip this if it is more than you need to know. The Clostridial group of bacteria are nasty. They dump toxic by-products of their metabolism into the host when they set up house keeping. Clostridium difficile is what killed my 90 year old father. One of the most toxic poisons on earth is the one produced by Clostridium botulinum which casues botulism. It is a paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacteria. If my memory serves me, Clostridium are bacillus or rod shaped bacteria. They remind me of mexican jumping beans when you see them under the microscope. C tetani also produces a toxin that is paralytic. That explains the spasms. The diaphragm can become paralyzed and then suffacation occurs. This is a very large group of pathogenic bacteria. They are in our environment every where on earth so it is not a matter of one cow passing them to another. They are just there so not a bad idea to include all the clostridial organisms in your vaccination protocol.