Facial paralysis

What could be the possible causes of this to happen in a 2 year old bunny? Especially one that has never stopped eating and pooing :?

Otitis Media -usually unilateral
EC- can be unilateral or bilateral
CVA-usually unilateral

I expect there are other causes, but the above are ones I have known to occur in Rabbits in my care xx

I think Vera (Lurcher girl) has had a bunny with this. It was some sort of palsy if I remember rightly

Parsley has recently developed a partial facial paralysis. (just on side, just the lower cheek etc).

OUr vet suggested either EC or damage to the nerve from a bite or such.
He does have his nose and face nipped quite often when he insists on sticking them in other buns areas.

We will be treating with Lapizole once he is off current medication for his leg op.

Jack's-Jane said:

Otitis Media -usually unilateral
EC- can be unilateral or bilateral
CVA-usually unilateral

I expect there are other causes, but the above are ones I have known to occur in Rabbits in my care xx

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can you explain the initials please? (well - other than EC!!)

We are going to start panacur and metacam. I just would have thought there would have been other more obvious symptoms for the causes listed :?

parsnipbun said:

can you explain the initials please? (well - other than EC!!)

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Otitis Media = Middle Ear Infection

CVA= Cerbrovascular accident -ie a stroke

xx

We were wondering about a CVA but thought there would have been a point where he would have been unwell and off his food for a bit :?

I knew Daisy had something wrong with her when one side of her face and, one side of her mouth looked drooped. Bristol diagnosed the severe lower ear infection by x-ray and neurological tests. They said they were surprised her head was still upright as most would have tilted. She has been on long term antibiotics for 16 months and it gave her this additional time.

raine said:

I knew Daisy had something wrong with her when one side of her face and, one side of her mouth looked drooped. Bristol diagnosed the severe lower ear infection by x-ray and neurological tests. They said they were surprised her head was still upright as most would have tilted. She has been on long term antibiotics for 16 months and it gave her this additional time.

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I did ask about skull x-rays but they didn't want to give a GA at the moment. He is going back in a few weeks as long as there is no deterioration so will see if he is able to have some then :?

Hopefully the panacur will improve the situation during the next couple of weeks, which will point to EC rather than have to undertake further tests. Fingers crossed. Daisy did test negative for an EC test.

Apache had partial face paralysis and it turned out to be an abcess which I understood must have been pressing on part of his nervous system causing him to lose movement down one side. It looked like Bells Palsy.

Flynn has facial palsy

Note the "droop" in this pic. He has had it for years, no idea why or how it happened, numerous vet examinations and we are still none the wiser.

Thats how Eddie looks but the opposite side. I have spoken to 2 vets about this now and neither could give any explaination and neither thought antibiotics would help :?

I think there are a few people with buns like this, i know Lynda at Carrot has one (Fudge) and im sure a few others on here have said they have buns like this. Flynn's developed over night for no reason and has been like that for a number of years. It does not bother him in the slightest though, just looks odd.

It's been a while so my memory is a bit sketchy but assuming rabbits have cranial nerve arrangements similar to ours then inflammation or damage to the cranial nerve that supplies motor control to that side of the face - in humans this is mainly the motor branch of the facial nerve (although others supply different regions of the face) - can cause a loss of innervation and a visible droop, the well known one being a Bell's Palsy.
Most cranial nerves originate from the brainstem so you can have damage within the brain stem at its origin e.g. EC, CVA etc. or a 'compression' for example outside the brainstem from perhaps an abcess, tumour, cyst etc. Something like otitis media will cause an inflammation of surrounding tissues so the nerve becomes inflammed/damaged this way.
I have a human friend who has developed a Bell's Palsy following infection in this way.

Liz if he had had a little stroke or TIA sufficient to cause damage to the cranial nerve it could have happened within a few seconds unbeknown to you with very little clinical symptoms for you to observe if any at all. CVA's strike out of the blue sometimes with little warning and little visible symptoms sometimes. Perhaps some covering antibiotics would be sensible to rule out an infective agent in case there is a continuing infection though?
If it has a vascular cause there isn't really anything you can do. It might be worth checking his BP though if that is possible in buns? and obviously with EC the damage is irreversible but the Panacur should help prevent any further occuring if it is this. Sorry to hear this has happened to the lovely fluffy Eddie.

Thanks Vicky. I have asked 2 different vets for antibiotics and neither will give me any so not sure what else I can do

I do feel it is brain related as there are other very subtle changes in his behaviour :?