A dog left paralysed from head to tail by tetanus has made a remarkable recovery. Two-year-old Rusty was struggling to walk and shaking uncontrollably after he was rushed to a vet.
The English Springer Spaniel had contracted life-threatening tetanus which caused him to suffer muscle spasms, stiff limbs and hyperthermia. He spent three weeks in intensive care while veterinary staff gave him round-the-clock care and support.
Thankfully Rusty made a full recovery and was soon bounding around the animal hospital. His owners took him to Linnaeus-owned Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull for treatment.
Vicky Maund, head of nursing services at Willows, said: “Rusty was referred to our neurology team suffering from tetanus, which is a life-threatening neurological condition caused by a bacterial infection, which can cause muscle spasms, hyperthermia and limb rigidity. He was very stiff, unstable and immobile when he arrived and was hospitalised for a total of 19 days in our dedicated Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he was treated by our specialist-led Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) team.
“Throughout this time, he was intensively nursed 24 hours a day by a devoted team of ICU nurses and patient care assistants. So much teamwork and effort went into keeping Rusty comfortable during his hospitalisation."
Rusty needed to be fed through a tube, given fluids intravenously and his vital signs were constantly monitored. He also had regular blood tests and a urinary catheter fitted.
As Rusty was unable to walk, he also underwent intense physiotherapy, with staff working hard to encourage him to move his legs.
Vicky added: “It was pretty much constant care and monitoring around the clock for the whole 19 days but Rusty battled hard and defied all the odds. He gradually regained the movement in his legs, started to walk again and was able to get home to his family after almost three weeks in hospital.
“It was a lovely moment and everyone was so pleased. His recovery is a real tribute to our incredible nurses and patient care assistants.”
