Dog facial paralysis: Will my dog fully recover or will it come back?

I'm sorry that Joel is having this problem! Middle or inner ear infections can sometimes affect the nerves that control some of the facial muscles, so it's certainly possible that this is what you're seeing. Your veterinarian will do an otoscopic exam to see exactly what's going on inside the ear, and will get him started on an appropriate treatment plan depending on what is found. In some cases, facial nerve issues that are secondary to ear infections will resolve when the infection is treated; in other cases, some of these issues can be permanent. Your veterinarian should be able to give you a better idea of what to expect after Joel's exam today.

I am unsure from your question quite how far he has recovered - is he still unable to blink, or does he blink and have protruding third eyelids? If he has a functional blink, and hie eyes are making sufficient tears to protect the eye (your vet can perform a simple procedure to check this) then continued monitoring would be a reasonable option to see how things improve over 3-6months

Hello. We do see a Bell's Palsy type syndrome, most often referred to as idiopathic facial neuritis, in dogs. I would recommend checking Harley's thyroid levels as hypothyroidism will sometimes cause facial paralysis. Otitis or another inner ear conditions certainly can result is some facial paralysis, too. Sounds like your veterinarian is on the right tract trying to figure out Harley's problem. Hope he is doing better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm so sorry to hear that Tank has developed these problems. It sounds like he may have developed something that affected a number of cranial nerves. The most likely reason for this would be a middle ear infection that has affected the vestibular apparatus as well as the nerves to the face. I am attaching more information about this below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951444 If he has also developed Horner's syndrome ( https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951369 ) that can cause the eye to appear sunken in or the facial nerve paralysis can look worse as the muscle gets smaller. Unfortunately, facial nerve paralysis can be permanent, so if Tank does not regain the use of the left side of his face, he may have to continue using eye drops life-long. Hopefully the facial nerve paralysis will improve along with his head tilt and coordination. The only other suggestion I would have is that I have had some luck with facial nerve paralysis with acupuncture, so that may be an option for Tank. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

This may be due to facial nerve paralysis. This nerve that controls the muscles of the face and can be damaged if Hunter was hit hard in the face by something, or in certain diseases that can affect the nerve and cause paralysis. In order to discover the cause of this, you would have to get Hunter examined by a veterinarian. This is a good idea, because there may be more problems associated with this and a chance to detect a disease before it gets worse. I hope that helps and Hunter gets better soon.

I'm sorry that Bruno suffered from distemper! Your vet was right that there is no cure for distemper, and about 50% of dogs who come down with it pass away. It's fortunately that Bruno was one of the lucky ones to survive, but dogs who do survive often have lasting effects such as the paralysis you are seeing. I would recommend speaking to your vet about seeing if a doggie wheelchair can be made or purchased for Bruno. Dragging his legs on the ground can easily lead to wounds on his legs which can then get infected. A wheelchair will support him and make it easier for him to get around safely. Dogs with distemper typically do not have normal life spans due to the lasting effects of the disease, so to answer your question, Bruno will survive but for how long is truly unknown. I'm sorry I don't have a more definitive answer for you :-(

It certainly sounds like Winston is going the right way. It will be a long road though, and although this is very promising you must keep him really strictly rested especially as feeling comes back. The excitement of being able to use his legs could damage his back further. I'm so glad he is improving though!!