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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #198: Caprine Tetanus

Goat veterinary case - Hard - September 17, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A goat is examined for progressive stiffness and difficulty eating several days after a recent surgical procedure.
  2. The owner reports the animal startles easily and now walks with a very rigid gait.
  3. The ears are held back and the facial expression appears tense.
  4. Muscle spasms are triggered by handling and sudden noise.
  5. The history suggests toxin production from Clostridium tetani entering through a wound.
  6. This neurologic disease causes generalised muscle rigidity and hyperaesthesia in goats.

Diagnosis

Caprine Tetanus

This case is most consistent with Caprine Tetanus because the goat has wound-associated progressive rigidity with stimulus-triggered spasms. The most important clues are the recent procedure and hyperaesthetic stiff gait, which make a primary orthopedic disorder less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this goat case supports the provided diagnosis, Caprine Tetanus, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A goat is examined for progressive stiffness and difficulty eating several days after a recent surgical procedure.
  2. Clue 2: The owner reports the animal startles easily and now walks with a very rigid gait.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: The ears are held back and the facial expression appears tense.
  2. Clue 4: Muscle spasms are triggered by handling and sudden noise.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: The history suggests toxin production from Clostridium tetani entering through a wound.
  2. Clue 6: This neurologic disease causes generalised muscle rigidity and hyperaesthesia in goats.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this goat case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Caprine Tetanus?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Caprine Tetanus?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.