Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Respiratory problems in dogs with tetanus and their outcomes
By Guedra, Miriam et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2021·The Royal Veterinary College Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Respiratory complications in dogs with tetanus: A retrospective study of 53 cases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs diagnosed with tetanus experienced serious breathing problems, with 14 out of 53 dogs developing issues like aspiration pneumonia and upper airway obstruction. Some of these dogs required mechanical ventilation or had tracheostomy tubes placed to help them breathe. Unfortunately, only a small number of the dogs with respiratory complications survived, while most of the dogs without these issues recovered well. This highlights the importance of monitoring for breathing problems in dogs with tetanus, as it can significantly affect their chances of recovery.
People also search for: dog tetanus symptoms · dog breathing problems treatment · aspiration pneumonia in dogs · upper airway obstruction in dogs · dog tetanus recovery rate
Abstract
Tetanus can lead to respiratory complications, and the outcome of dogs affected by this disease is still largely unknown. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the frequency and outcome of 53 dogs with tetanus and respiratory complications between February 2006 and January 2019. Medical records from dogs diagnosed with tetanus admitted to a referral teaching hospital were reviewed. Fifty-three dogs were diagnosed with tetanus and respiratory complications were observed in 26.4% (14/53) of dogs; 8 developed aspiration pneumonia (AP), 5 developed upper airway obstruction (UAO) and 1 dog developed both. A total of 5 AP dogs were mechanically ventilated. Three dogs with UAO had tracheostomy tubes placed. Dogs with respiratory complications had a poorer outcome, with only 14.3% (2/14) surviving to discharge, compared to 94.8% (37/39) for dogs with no respiratory complications. Respiratory complications such as AP and UAO were common in dogs with tetanus, and this was associated with a poorer outcome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34728847/