Tetanus is rare in dogs but causes severe, painful muscle spasms and rigidity when it occurs, typically from wound contamination with Clostridium tetani spores in soil or animal feces.
Tetanus causes extreme suffering in affected dogs. The sustained, involuntary muscle contractions are painful and exhausting. Dogs become rigid and unable to move normally, eat, or drink. The muscle spasms can be so severe that they cause fractures or asphyxiation from respiratory muscle rigidity. Environmental stimuli including light, sound, and touch trigger painful spasm episodes. Affected dogs must be maintained in quiet, darkened environments to minimize triggering events, while receiving sedation to reduce spasm severity. The prolonged treatment course - weeks of intensive hospitalization - imposes ongoing welfare costs. Unlike in horses, routine tetanus vaccination is not standard practice in dogs, meaning prevention relies primarily on prompt, thorough wound management.