Otitis media/interna is a chronic, deep ear infection if you’re aware of Horner’s Syndrome in humans, then you may also see symptoms like decreased pupil size, third eyelid coming over eye, head tilted to one side or the other, and a problem with maintaining balance.Idiopathic facial nerve paresis basically means there really is no known cause for its sudden onset it could be compared to a human condition known as Bell’s Palsy.And this nerve travels from the back of the brain to cause some of above symptoms in Fido or Fifi so they don’t look and act quite like themselves. It is usually caused by something that has damaged the facial nerve itself and this damage affects the way in which the nerve causes its associated muscles to behave, or not behave. Unlike the human counterpart, facial nerve paresis is not due to any disease of the brain in most dogs. The nucleus of the facial nerve, also known as cranial nerve VII, is located in the rostral medulla oblongata of the brain stem and it travels various bones and pathways until it ultimately exits the skull through the stylomastoid foramen and then splits into auricular (ear), palpebral (eye) and buccal (lips) branches. These two types are dependent upon the degree to which the facial nucleus or nerve is involved, both in terms of damage or injury and location. Facial paresis is a milder form of facial paralysis in that some movement of the eyelids, ears, lips and/or nostrils is possible but the movement is reduced.Complete facial paralysis which is the inability to move the eyelids, ears, lips and nostrils of the dog this is the more severe of the two types.Reduced salivation or tearing on one side.If the lips are drooping, you will likely notice food caught between the lips and teeth of your pet.The third eyelid may even elevate in some instances.If the lateral or medial (nasal or temporal) corners of the palpebral fissure are touched, the eyelid may not close but the eyeball will likely retract into the orbit instead, due to the lack of mobility of the frontalis muscle in the upper eyelid.The palpebral fissure (the eye opening) may be larger on one side than the other. Nostrils may not be symmetrical in that one nostril may deviate toward one side or the other.Lips may droop or sag, exposing the mucosa and allowing food and drinks to leak or fall out of your pet’s mouth.Ear set or carriage may appear higher or lower on one side than the other side.Inability to move the eyelids causing problems in the blinking process or to close normally.Here are some of the symptoms you would likely notice to some degree in your pet if a unilateral paresis or paralysis is present: When both sides look similar, it makes the diagnosis a bit more difficult but not impossible. If the paresis or paralysis is bilateral, your dog will have a dull facial expression and increased drooling. How might you tell if your dog is suffering from facial nerve paresis or paralysis? If the paresis or paralysis is unilateral, the appearance of your dog’s face will be asymmetrical - that is the two sides of his face will not look the same.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |