You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Paralysis of muscles of the face is not uncommon in dogs, and it can lead to a variety of problems

Facial paralysis is due to paralysis of muscles and other tissues supplied by the Facial nerve. There are a variety of signs that this can cause including :

• Loss of muscle tone to facial muscles including eyelids resulting in:
  • Drooping of the lip
  • Inability to close the eye
  • Inability to move the ear
• Reduced salivation
• Reduced tear production  

Sometimes the paralysis is reversible, but in other cases it is permanent. Causes include

• Injury - any blow or wound  to the nerve can cause paralysis
• Local pressure on the nerve - eg an adjacent tumour
• Injury to the nerve secondary to middle ear infection
• Hypothyroidism
• As a consequence of Lyme Disease
• Idiopathic - cause unknown

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Updated October 2013