Hearing Loss & Facial Paralysis

[SusanPit]

Hello,

I just found my way to this site. I do a lot of holistic things for myself, but just learning what to do for my dogs and happy that I found you! I'm beginning to pick up some great information, but had a medical situation arise that I need some help with. Apologize for the long post, but would appreciate any insights and recommendations you have.

I have a 7.5 yo male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Diesel. Neutered, 21 lbs, eats Honest Kitchen Dry dog food with some cooked beef/chicken/carrots mixed in. Has had all recommended vaccines. He has no heart problems, and has been very healthy, although has some anxiety issues and had several teeth pulled due to periodontal disease, despite regular brushing. Also - drank a incredible amount of water on a daily basis.

Diesel oddly began losing his hearing a year ago, with almost total loss now. The vet we went to at the time said that it was most likely hereditary and that there was nothing we could do about it. About 2 weeks ago, we noticed some paralysis in the face . We took Diesel to a neurologist, who said that the hearing loss was likely Primary secretory otitis media (PSOM)(common in Cavaliers) The neurologist did a MRI yesterday and performed a myringotomy of the ear, subsequently flushing out a great amount of mucus. The MRI did not diagnosis why he is having paralysis in the face.

Details from the Neurologist:

Diagnosis from MRI
1. Primary secretory otitis media of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
2. Caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS) with very mild secondary syringohydromyelia

Procedure/Surgery:
• Neurology consultation and case management
• Pre-anesthetic lab work including a complete blood count (CBC) and serum chemistry profile
• MRI of the brain, bullae and cervical spinal cord
• Bilateral myringotomies with deep ear flush

Medications prescribed

Rx: Gabapentin – 100 mg - Give 1 capsule by mouth every 8 to 12 hours as needed for pain

Rx: Omeprazole(Prilosec) 20mg tablets Give 1/2 tablet by mouth once daily for the rest of his life
(used to decrease spinal fluid production and decrease the abnormal pressure gradient and slow the development and
progression of syringohydromyelia.)

Rx: N-acetylcysteine 600mg capsules Give 1 capsule by mouth once daily for the rest of his life
(and may help break down the mucous and allow it to drain normally to try to prevent recurrence of this condition.)


Sorry if that is too much information – but here are my questions:

1. Regarding the Medications prescribed. Has anyone ever heard of giving these to the dogs(Prilosec and NAC)? And if so, do these doses seem correct? Do I give him the whole NAC Capsule, or open it in his food?
2. Is there anything else I should be doing for the Primary secretory otitis media to prevent a reoccurrence?
3. What about the facial paralysis (droopy right jaw), and no blinking of eyes? What else could I do to help this?

Attached a copy of my fur babies. Diesel is the Black and Tan

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Wow! Thanks for your detailed first post Susan!

Diesel and his buddy (what's her name?) are super cute!

The drug and supplement doses look fine. However, weaning (and maybe even stopping) some of them should be an attainable goal. Along with close monitoring by the neurologist.

However, they are not treating(nor are they meant to treat) the underlying cause of all of Diesel's health challenges.

How's Diesel's BEAM? What's his daily schedule like?

Did he have any bloodwork?

Perhaps start by sharing these details, you can upload them in this thread, along with the neurologist report.

It's also a really good idea for you to read through the HA 101 course while I do some research on the diagnostic label of "Primary secretory otitis media of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels"

Here's also some articles on the HA approach to all internal imbalances (dis-eases) such as Diesel's:

The Return to Wholeness and Homeostasis

As the legacy of Decartes comes to an end, the principle of dynamic equilibrium is being rediscovered and gaining prominence in veterinary medicine.

www.holisticactions.com

Optimize Your Pet's Quality Of Life Using BEAM

4 simple symptoms - behavior, energy, appetite, and mood - could help you track and increase your pet's health

www.holisticactions.com

How to Listen to and Learn From Your Pet’s Symptoms to Take Effective Holistic Action - Holistic Actions!

www.holisticactions.com

The Happiness Protocol in Your Pet's Life

At HA! we are committed to much more than helping pets become dis-ease free. We promote restoring and maintaining vitality, balance, energy, & happiness.

www.holisticactions.com

HA! Happiness Protocol: 7 Ways to Optimize Your Pet's Life

How can you empower your pet to live their happiest life? Here are seven activities to implement and boost your pet’s behavior, energy, appetite, and mood.

www.holisticactions.com

 

[Dr. Christina]

You are certainly challenged with Diesel right now. Know that holistic approaches do not need a diagnoses to be completely effective.

Since you do a lot of holistic things for yourself, realize that the most important thing you can do right now is to keep yourself grounded and thinking positively, even while making all the health decisions. I suggest creating a space in your mind for the worry and thoughts about next steps and visiting it once or twice a day. The rest of the time, be like Diesel and enjoy every moment. Discover what makes him the happiest (check out the Happiness protocol and read even more with a search of "happiness protocol" ) and be sure to include your other Cavalier.

Another great resource to tap into regularly are the inspiring talks by
Bernie Siegel & Grandmother Nancy and listen to many more about energy healing and mental healing attitudes at you tube for holistic actions and at you tube for all paws pet talk tv; and

I am going to let @Dr. Jeff address your specific drug related questions.

In addition to the support from Holistic Actions, when there are these deeper issues, it is important to have one or more integrative veterinarians with whom to consult. I would suggest one trained in either homeopathy or TCVM (chinese medicine), along with a chiropractor as they are helpful with the challenges of chronic illness. Read this article on selecting vets and go to the web sites listed. Note that homeopathic vets can help by phone.

To not overwhelm you, start by shifting to all fresh food and no kibble for both dogs, read the holistic 101 class and schedule your 15 minute call with Dr. Jeff (he is better with the drug info).

Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi again Susan-

I tried to find some useful info. on PSOM but it's so "rare" (or rarely diagnosed and described) that there's not much available.

Angell Memorial had a good description if anyone else wants to learn more about this diagnostic label (which we also call "diseases"):

Primary Secretory Otitis Media (PSOM)

www.mspca.org

1. Do I give him the whole NAC Capsule, or open it in his food?

Either way would work. Perhaps give it in any way that is easiest for Diesel.

1. Is there anything else I should be doing for the Primary secretory otitis media to prevent a reoccurrence?

Yes! There are many strategies for Building and Preserving Diesel's vitality throughout HA.

All the actions are designed to conserve his cellular energy. Perhaps start with the 101 course and articles in the above post.

1. What about the facial paralysis (droopy right jaw), and no blinking of eyes?

IMHO, they're a manifestation of an underlying energetic imbalance.

1. What else could I do to help this?

Treat the underlying cause! Perhaps focus first on upgrading him to a fresh food diet with plenty of heart in it like Viva raw (25% discount off your first order using the HA code = vitality).

The more outdoor engagement with things like the Therapeutic Sniff Walk, snuffle mat use, etc. the better!

Also consider adding a vet focused on increasing and balancing energy like a certified vet chiropractor, trained vet homeopath, TCVM vet, etc. on your vet care team.

How to Select an Integrative Holistic Veterinarian - Holistic Actions!

www.holisticactions.com

 

[SusanPit]

Wow. Dr. Jeff, Dr. Christina, I'm blown away with all this information. Thank you. A lot to take in, as I am new to this, but I will work through this in the next couple days.
First, Diesel's partner in crime is Bella, a 4.5 yo Cavalier we "rescued" from a pet store while on vacation who has been unbelievably healthy.

But back to Diesel. He gets 2 meals a day, approx, 5 short walks on a leash and a lot of companionship, as I work from home. BEAM
APPETITE: Excitement before eating as we prepare the meal is off the charts. He would eat in 10 seconds, but we do feed him with a slow feeding bowl. He finishes his, and moves on to lick any slight leftover from Bellas bowl. He drinks a unbelievable amount of water on a daily basis.
BEHAVIOR: This is hard to assess for me. As a 2+ yo, we could go on long walks, and we had a large yard he could run around in on his own. He never cared about other dogs, even if they barked, and he would also roll over and be submissive to people. Did not bark as new people entered the home. As he got older, and Bella joined the family behavior changed, and obviously, loss of hearing and add in we moved to a condo. He is sociable with family, but incredible excitable barking as he comes and goes in the car. Aggression towards other dogs has also happened. More timid around new people.
ENERGY: I would say he doesn't have the energy he used to have. On walks, we will often not get more than 100 ft down the path, and he will stop dead. want to return. I don't think it is stamina, I think he could go further, but doesnt want to. He did his business and wants to return. He will play in the house and retrieve a ball unlimited number of times, though.
MOOD: Hard for me to know how much of Diesel's anxiety is fear, or excitement. He also licks skin incessantly, unless you move away from him. He seems content to be near us, but does follow you around the house if you leave the room.

There was bloodwork done by our local vet prior to going to the neurologist. I havent seen it, but can request it. The only thing I remember when they called, was that he was slightly on the anemic side, but they said it wasn't that much different than his others.

Attached is the Neurologist summary and care recommendations from the MRI and procedure.

Again, I can't thank you enough - will continue to work through this.

 

[Dr. Christina]

Yes, it is a lot, and there is even more.

You may want to consider working virtually with Dr. Larry Bernstein, a long time homeopathic veterinarian who raised Cavs for decades.

And a great FB group has 2 groups - 1 is diet - HOME COOKING FOR CAVALIERS | Facebook and one is general - is healthy cavaliers - THE HEALTHY CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL | Facebook

Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Jeff]

You're welcome Susan!

Wow, Dr. Farabaugh's MRI report is super detailed and helped explain why he recommended the Prilosec!

I second Dr. Christina's recommendation for working with Dr. B. He's great!!