[Tetanus in cats: 3 case descriptions]

Three cats with spasticity on one leg or on all four limbs were presented between 1996 and 1998 at the Department of clinical veterinary medicine, Section of neurology, Vetsuisse-Faculty of Bern. The presumptive diagnosis was tetanus. A focal form was present in two cases and generalised tetanus in one cat. All cats had a history of injury at the affected legs respectively at the neck. The first clinical signs were seen between two days and three weeks after injury. The bacteriologic examination of serous fluid from the site of injury revealed an infection with Clostridium. EMG in one cat during anaesthesia showed motor united potentials (MUPs) on the spastic leg. All patients received antibiotics (Penicillin, respectively Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid and Metronidazol). Supportive aid were initially sedation, wound revision and in one cat nutrition through oesophageal sonde. In a second phase physiotherapy was performed. All three animals were significantly better after a couple of weeks, two cats were without symptoms after eight and five weeks respectively.