Clostridium botulinum

Trend Term

Clostridium botulinum

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high

Summary

Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium that produces the botulinum neurotoxin, most commonly encountered by pets through ingestion of decaying animal carcasses, contaminated raw meat, or spoiled vegetation. Once absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream, the toxin binds to nerve cells and causes progressive flaccid muscle paralysis that can rapidly advance to respiratory or cardiac failure and death. Typical signs include ascending muscle weakness beginning in the hind limbs, paralysis of all four limbs, and potential pneumonia; cats are noted to be generally more resistant to oral exposure than dogs, though severe illness and death have been documented in both species.

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