Question of the Day

Think of facial nerve paralysis (CN 7) with a unilaterally droopy face. Remember the facial nerve is motor to the muscles of facial expression (causing drooped ear, lip, and eyelid) and innervates the lacrimal and salivary glands.

Loss of lacrimal innervation can lead to dry eye and exposure keratitis if dog loses ability to close eyelid from damage to facial nerve innervation of the orbicularis oculi muscle.

Idiopathic in 75% of canine cases (25% of cats).

Can also see these signs with middle ear damage (from otitis media), facial nerve trauma (ear surgery in dogs, or pressure from halter buckles in anesthetized horse), or neoplasia.

Think more of a dropped jaw with trigeminal neuropathy (CN 5-dogs).