Is Refresh Tears safe for dog's facial nerve paralysis? How often?

With TECA (total ear canal ablation) surgeries, there is a good likelihood of developing facial nerve paresis, which is most often a temporary condition. The facial nerve wraps around the base of the ear and can often be "bruised" during the procedure. This nerve controls the muscles of facial expression, including eyelid movement. In most cases (>90%), there is significant improvement in these deficits within 2 months, with most returning to normal function. Some dogs retain permanent facial nerve deficits, but fortunately, that is much less common. Initially, I would recommend following the prescribed dosage of eye lubricant closely. The cornea can dry out pretty easily, opening it to more possible damage from irritation.

Hello again. Yes, human artificial tears are fine, that is what I use in the office. You can place a few drops into the eye every hour, or every few hours. It totally depends on your schedule. I would want to instill the drops at least 3-4 times a day. You can not over apply. Any concerns, please see your veterinarian as soon as possible. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, Refresh artificial tear solutions are safe for dogs. You can try applying some drops to her eyes 3-4 times a day to see if this resolves her clinical signs. Yellow discharge can be a sign of infection, however, which requires eye medications prescribed by your veterinarian. They will first want to perform a full ocular exam to look for evidence of corneal scratches or ulcers, as this would alter treatment. As a reminder, never give dogs pain medication that is intended for humans, as they can be fatally toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!

Tacrolimus is an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drug that works to stimulate Panda's tear glands and prevent further destruction of tissue in dogs with dry eye. The OTC drops will only prevent drying and do nothing to treat the underlying cause. It would be best to discuss alternative treatments that may be more affordable with your vet or veterinary ophthalmologist before switching any medications.

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

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These are used in dogs. However, I do not recommend using any eye drops without consulting with a veterinarian who can examine Iker and decide what would be best depending on what is going on. Best of luck!

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.