Ball Game Lands Ringo with Rare Disease

Ringo, a seven year old Staffie cross from Rodmell is lucky to be alive after contracting Tetanus, a disease which affects horses and people but is rare in dogs.  He’s required intensive veterinary care for the five weeks since the accident and is still being fed through a stomach tube as the disease has paralysed the muscles he uses for swallowing.  

Fortunately, he’s now making a steady recovery and his owners, Gary and Denise Halls, hope he’ll be almost his old self by Christmas.   Having seen the effects of Tetanus at first hand, however, they’re keen to alert other dog owners to the risks of this dangerous disease, which they may be unaware of as now relatively rare.  Tetanus is an often fatal disease of the nervous system caused by bacteria.  The bacteria infect dogs by contaminating wounds and excreting a toxin that stiffens muscles and can cause death.   It’s commonly known as ‘lock jaw’ because sometimes a dog’s jaw can be locked by muscle spasms caused by the toxin.  

Gary and Denise first became concerned about him when he went lame after breaking a nail while playing with his ball.  They took him to Pet Doctors in Lewes where vet Rachel Perry X-rayed him in case he’d broken a bone.  The next day they took him back to the practice as he was showing the tell tale and distressing muscle spasms which are a classic sign of Tetanus.

In many cases, Tetanus is fatal in dogs but, fortunately, in Ringo’s case, the disease was spotted early so the intensive treatment and care he has received has been successful.  He is now back at home but still being fed through a feeding tube into his stomach.

Commenting on Ringo’s brush with Tetanus, Rachel said:  “The muscle spasms and other symptoms Tetanus causes are very distressing both for the dog and is owners.

“In Ringo’s case, the bacteria entered through the broken nail and he was very seriously ill for several weeks.  It’s wonderful to see him so much better though and, at this stage, the prognosis is good and we expect him to make a full recovery.    Tetanus is not something that we recommend dog owners should routinely vaccinate against but, while the disease is quite rare, it’s still definitely still a threat so it’s important that dog owners are aware of it.  The most sensible precaution they can take is to ensure that any wounds their dogs suffer are checked out by their vet.”

Gary Halls added:   “Tetanus is just not a disease you think about when you’re out and about with your dog so we want other dog owners to be aware of the risk and what to look out for.

We were devastated to find out that Ringo had caught it and it was very frightening to watch him suffering the awful effects of the muscle spasms.  We’re just so relieved that most of his ordeal is now behind him and can’t wait to remove his feeding tube and have him properly back to normal.  It will be the best Christmas present we could have.”

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