Stiff neck, wobbly after dog attack

[Roll farms]

What you're describing right now doesn't sound like tetanus....yet.
My goat went from 'ok' to 'fully locked in tetanus' in 18 hours. She appeared fine to me the night before, but looking back, I can't swear she wasn't acting 'off', either....
I was too new then.

She couldn't move / eat / anything -

Her legs were straight out, neck bent like in the pic. Teeth grinding. Starting to bloat.

I called the vet, but it was pretty late by the time I figured out what was wrong. She told me to bring her in the next day.
I did not have antitoxin on hand, but I did have Pen G. I researched online and got the dosage, gave her that and baking soda (for the bloat) and vitamins / electrolytes by trickling it down her throat.

The vet gave her the antitoxin the next day, along w/ a shot of Dex. She started recovering almost immediately - was able to hold her head up on the ride home.

We didn't give more antitoxin (not to say you shouldn't...I just didn't b/c the vet didn't say to....), we kept up the Pen G shots for 10 days and she recovered fully.

I treated a 4-H kids' doe w/ the same symptoms a few yrs ago w/ antitoxin / Pen G and she recovered long enough to die in childbirth 6 mos later.:/

I would def. put your doe on a 10 day course of Pen G, at minimum.
Might not hurt to see a vet / get some banamine. I suspect he's sore, shocky, and stressed out from the attack.

Good luck.

 

[kathleengp]

I want to thank you all so much for the advice yesterday. I went to TSC and got both the antitoxin (and the vaccine for the sister now and him later when he's better) and the PnG. I gave him both the antitoxin and the Pn yesterday and already this morning there is such an improvement!

He was spending 95% of his time hiding in the coop. This morning he has been outside 80% of the time! And he is moving his head quite a bit - he looks to have about 1/3 or so of his mobility back already!

Although he has a way to go there is no question he turned around and is on his way back! I'm so relieved

Thank you for the advice and encouragement

I'll keep him on the Pn for another week or so to make sure.

 

[elevan]

Glad to hear he's making an improvement already. Keep us posted.

 

[cmjust0]

That's great! To turn that quickly after PenG and Tet Antitox, I'd bet diamonds to doughnuts he was starting a tetanus infection.. As I understand it, the incubation period varies pretty wildly.. Could have just been stiff and freaked out, of course, but still...my gut tells me the antitox was key.

Either way, good job getting him treated and on his way to recovery!

 

[LizFM]

You can't leave a dog with herding instinct (or a really good cow horse) out alone with livestock. They'll pester them to death. Sometimes literally. Hindsight is 20/20 of course. Glad the little guy is coming around.