Diagnosis and Therapeutic Management of Tetanus in Female Buffalo Calf at Tandojam, Sindh, Pakistan

A female buffalo calf with wound on left leg just below the knee joint suffering from high and persistent fever, anorexia, difficult mastication and urination, stiffness in neck muscle and with some degree of bloat was brought to department of veterinary medicine faculty of animal husbandry and veterinary sciences, Sindh agriculture university, Tandojam, Pakistan, and admitted. The calf was diagnosed to be suffering from tetanus based on clear cut symptoms of high fever, stiff muscles, urine retention and fixed jaws. The Graham’s staining of the fresh smear revealed gram+ve rod shape bacteria that appeared like drumsticks. Furthermore, the Clostridium tetani was cultured and isolated from the deep necrotic tissue of the wound. The calf was treated with high doses of procaine penicillin, anti-tetanus serum, sedative, meloxicam and intravenous fluid electrolyte therapy (Dextrose 5%). The calf was feed through stomach tube and the urinary catheter was administered to ease out the problem of urine retention. After continues therapeutics management, the calf recovered in two weeks.