Tetanus in squirrels

[Loopy Squirrel]

I have seen a lot of stuff on this web site but not tetanus. Has anyone had a squirrel with tetanus? I have recently had two cases of tetanus and only one vet was willing to confirm it. I don't think enough people including vets have seen it before especially in squirrels. Both cases had a foot injury and symptoms didn't set in for a few days to a week. I lost both but I feel that was because I waited too long to treat with the appropriate meds. due to the inability of the first vets saught to agree. From now on I am not going to wait on treatment. I feel comfortable enough w/ signs to treat aggressively now. If anyone has had experience w/ tetanus I would like your imput on signs, treatments, etc. I have also spoke w/ the people who make the antitoxin and their head vet about dosing squirrels.

[Loopy Squirrel]

The squirrel was Eddie. He was one I had raised and released. He been out for a couple of weeks and they all come back to the feeders. I noticed one day that he had a bad wound on his foot but I couldn't catch him. He seemed fine, very active. Well everyday I saw him and tried to catch him unsuccessfully. Finally after about five days I caught him when he ran into one of my wilding out cages. I brought him in the house to inspect the foot. It was healing but he didn't want to bear weight on it so I kept him in and started Baytril. I flushed the wound and tried to keep it clean. I had him for about two days and I was growing concerned because he was using it less and less. First it was the foot, then it was his whole leg. Just when I noticed he wouldn't bear weight on the whole leg the lock jaw set in. I ran him to three different vets. The first two thought the jaw was unrelated because he wasn't seizuring or tremmoring. It was only after the third vet (four days later) who wouldn't rule it out. Her concern was that it may be too late to start treatment. I called the antitoxin maker and explained my situation and he contacted the head vet who said it was relatively safe for animals...wasn't too sure about squirrels but they had given it to many other animals w/ no reaction. I gave a dose of dex sp thirty minutes before I gave the antitoxin and then broke down the vial into three dose. I gave each dose one every hour looking for a reaction. I didn't have any reaction but it didn't help the outcome. He continued to get worse and he did die after two more days. The other squirrel hit me very hard because she was one of my keeper squirrels. Bear was a partial paralysis. She had run of the house and only recently she had become interested in running outside...every chance she had. I have two kids too and they accidentally let Bear out. I spent one weekend retrieving her six times. Well she had a small injury to her toe that she had opened on her cage. It had almost completely healed when she ran out on me. I wasn't too concerned at first because she only got on the ground two times & the others she was caught on the deck. Her wound was almost healed so I didn't feel a need to be too concerned. I would wash her off w/ soap & water and she was good to go. Well, about a week later she wasn't coming out to play like she usually does. I was worried about a UTI due to her paralysis & her incontinence. I began SMZ (Bactrim). She stayed the same for a few days then she started to come out but she seemed stiff. Well, I thought she is paralyzed, maybe all her sleeping made her stiff. Well it wasn't going away and I was getting more concerned. Dummy me was looking at the symptoms and it didn't register until the lock jaw set in. Then I knew I up in an uphill battle. It was Sunday night...no feed mills open and noone had the antitoxin. I immediately switched her to penicillin and was going to go in the am for the antitoxin. Didn't make it. My baby was gone by morning. I felt like someone kicked me in the stomach. How could I have missed the symptoms? I won't make that mistake again! The vets usually look for tremmors and/or seizing before they act. Both squirrels developed stiffness and within two days the lock jaw. You need to start penicillin and the antitoxin as soon as you suspect it may be tetanus. The stiffness starts out slow like maybe in a foot and it gradually moves up the body.

[TexanSquirrel]

I guess that because we don't see it in people here much because of the vaccine, that people don't think about it when it comes to wildlife.

[Loopy Squirrel]

I never did either until this. I was searching for why Ed wasn't using his leg and I even considered blood poisoning. He came in using it fine and it got worse really fast. It wasn't until the lock jaw that it hit me but by then its usually too late. I am almost considering at least starting penicillin when a severe foot injury comes in. At least I will have a heads up on the bacteria. All the other meds. are not recommended for tetanus bacteria. The maker of the antitoxin said that you really can't overdose an animal but you can have reaction so thats why I went ahead and gave the dex sp.. This info by the way also came down from a vet for the dex as a precaution. I may just give the antitoxin as well. ??? I would rather be safe than sorry.

[Mars]

Penicillin will wreck havoc with the digestive tract and possibly cause bleeding in the GI tract. I would not use it unless absolutely needed. And then only in conjuction with an excellent probiotic. Tetnus can effect all mammals. I have not seen it personally but was doing some reading recently where it was mentioned. There is a possible homepathic remedy that can be used as an option. :)

[Mountain Mama]

Interesting. I wasn't aware that squirrels were suspetible to C. tetani. Unfortuntely, it sounds like a grave prognosis, even if you are able to deliver the antitoxin in time.

I am so sorry about your babies.

[Loopy Squirrel]

The penicillin is injectable and not as bad on GI track. I don't like using any "cillin" in rodents but this is the only one that works on tetanus bacteria well. I prefer to use either SMZ (generic for Septra/Bactrim) or Baytril (only on bad cases). "cillins" are controversial in rodents and an absolute no no in rabbits. I will use it when I am dealing with life or death situations like bone infections because clavamox is a better choice with that kind of bacteria. We have used Baytril also for bone infections.