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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Olive – Facial Drooping

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    • ollie1115
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        So, about 3 weeks ago, my 5 year old bun, Olive came running to me and when she looked up at me I instantly notice that she had asymmetry to her upper lip.  At first I thought it was swollen, but upon further inspection it seems to just be drooping.  I felt around on her jaw line and looked in her ears because I know commonly they can get paralysis from ear infections or a tooth issue, but did not find anything. 

        I made a vet appointment that week and they could not see anything wrong and sent her home saying maybe it was something like a Bell’s palsy in people.  I have to say nothing else was different about, Olive, she was still running around, eating, pooping, and binkying as normal.  But as a mom I felt like I still needed to look into it further so I brought her to another vet, who is very bunny savvy.  Of course her first thoughts were maybe ear infection or tooth related, but she could not find anything upon inspection.  She was thrown off though because as I said everything else was 100% normal otherwise.  Also the “drooping” or paralysis has not effect any other part of her other than her upper lip.  The vet did prescribe an oral Baytril for 10 days and sent out an ear culture.  The ear culture came back negative for any bacteria.  It has been 10 days and I have not seen any difference, good or bad.

        Has anyone dealt with anything like this, any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks so much.  Here is a picture of Olive to show her lip.

        [Inserted by wick]


      • Wick & Fable
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          Welcome to BB! I’ve inserted your picture into your post. After attaching the photo, you need to click Insert Image once it pops up on your attachment list. A confusing extra step, we know!

          I’m not 100% certain, but I feel like I’ve heard that facial drooping can sometimes be normal and not harmful at all? It’s good that you noticed it and spoke with a vet to have it assessed. I’m curious what other members have in terms of experience and knowledge.

          The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.


        • Bam
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            We’ve had buns with facial paralysis here. It can be due to an ear infection, but I remember one bun that hit its head when it made a miscalculated jump from a box and got facial paralysis as a result. In that instance the owner saw the fall, otherwise they’d not have known what caused the facial paralysis.


          • A Happy Herd of Hares
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              Not sure what happened, but sending vibes!!


            • DanaNM
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                Wow, how strange!

                I have no knowledge of this in rabbits, but my roommate once had Bell’s palsy. It was temporary in her case, which was lucky for her. It did affect once whole side of her face, including her eye-lid. It was crazy, she would have to manually blink her eye with her finger, and tape her eyelid shut to sleep.

                So in your case, it’s interesting that it’s just the lip/cheek, and not the eye or ear on that side.

                Glad you are working on it with your vet and that everything seems normal for the most part!

                . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  


              • LBJ10
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                  Wooly has permanent facial paralysis, but we know the cause. His eye is somewhat affected on that side as well, but he can still blink.

                  There does seem to be some kind of nerve damage. As Bam said, there was a member here who had a rabbit with facial paralysis that was caused by trauma. It is much more common to see facial paralysis as the result of an ear issue though. There can be permanent nerve damage or it can be temporary.

                  Did the vet take x-rays? I remember one bunny here on BB not too long ago. No symptoms… nothing. Suddenly there was facial paralysis. Turned out, there was an abscess deep inside the skull. It had originated from the inner ear, but it was encapsulated in there so there wasn’t evidence of an ear infection that was visible from the ear canal.


                • jerseygirl
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                    Medirabbit has a little about the subject. While it list some worrying causes, it’s not always the case. http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Neurology/Differentials/facial.htm

                    My rabbit Gooseman also has permanent facial nerve damage. It contracts the muscles on one side. Sometimes it looks more contracted then others…
                    He has an abscess affecting the bulla of the ear and had surgery, so it’s most likely there was some damage from that time. He was receiving penicillin shots prior to that and on one occasion, the nurse felt that she had hurt him as he jumped and let out a squeak. I always wondered if some nerve damage could have been done then. He manages fine, it doesn’t affect his eating, tongue movements or swallowing.


                  • ollie1115
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                      Thank you everyone for the responses. I will have a follow up with my vet next week with her to speak about further options. It looks as though an xray most likely will be in the cards. Olive is still a happy bunny and everything as normal, thankfully!. I will keep you guys posted.


                    • gusnuffles
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                        Hi there! How is Olive doing? Did you get an xray? My bun, Gus, is having a seemly identical problem and I was wondering how Olive progressed. Well, I hope!

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                    Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Olive – Facial Drooping