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Four months ago my Jack Russell Terrier male (turned 11 last month) began showing signs of loss of movement on the left side of his face.
He has been to FOUR veterinary facilities and he is worse that ever.
His eye has receded and they don't think it is a brain tumor.
They are so sure it is "idiopathic" that they didn't even do an MRI.
His blood work shows he is super healthy.
He isn't able to blink well so we have to put genteal gel into the eye. This causes goop and scabbing ALL around the eye. The scabs crack, peel and bleed. He is living in a cone all the time now.
If you lift his top lid...after all the Genteal and problems THAT treatment causes, it is incredibly bloodshot and red.
I don't know WHERE to turn now.
Any thoughts from anyone?
Thank you!
Stacey
Well I am not a vet Stacey but he could be suffering from Ocular Myasthenia Gravis, which is a disease where the muscles will lose their tone and sink into the skull and the eyes can't move well.
You might want to look up some articles online about it:
http://dogparvosymptoms.org/myasthenia-gravis-symptoms/
I am not saying that he has this, but it's a possibility.
I don't understand why they won't do an MRI on him. If he isn't having other symptom such as the generalized weakness etc then that's probably a good call on their part.
Idopathic just means that there is no reason for this happening, but is there ever a reason for disease?
It's quite possible that this will reverse itself with time. It is also possible that he has a form of Bell's palsey, which dogs do get.
http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/bells-palsy-topic-overview?print=true
From what you are saying, this sounds more like what he has.
You didn't mention any treatment, prednisone, etc. So what has the vet put him on, other then the eye drops or gel?
You might want to ask the vet what the possibility of him having Bell's Palsey is and how can it be treated.
I hope that you can find an answer soon. Please let me know how he does.
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Answers by Expert:
Jana Connell RVT, CVT
Expertise
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!
Experience
I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina.
I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.
Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.
Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT.
Certified Veterinary Dental Technician
Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).
Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.
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