Horner's syndrome is a disease that occurs accompanied by a group of abnormalities that affects certain groups of muscles in the face And once these muscles are damaged they don't have the ability to contract in the way they normally do.
One of the signs that will make us realize that our dog has this syndrome is that one of your two eyelids has a drop that is not natural.
An injury that affects the nerves
There are certain breeds of dogs that are more likely than some others to suffer from this disease, among these we can mention the Golden Retriever.
It usually makes its appearance as an injury or as an abnormal functioning of the nervous system of our dog and affects each of the fibers that are in charge of transmit nerve impulses to each of the muscles of the face. This is something that causes the pupils to contract excessively and not have the ability to respond to each of the stimuli that are sent to the rest of the body.
If the cells that target the send nerve signals up to our dog's face They are damaged, as we have already mentioned, the facial muscles of our furry friend do not work in the indicated way and that is why the pupils contract excessively, because they do not have the ability to respond to the stimuli that they are sent to the body.
El Horner syndrome It has the ability to affect each of the muscles of our dog's face, however this is damage that could have happened in an area far from it. In certain cases, this is a lesion that has its development in the brain, however in other cases the area that has been affected is the upper part of the spinal cord.
Causes of Horner syndrome
There are several causes that can cause the reason for this disease to appear, among these we can mention a fairly serious ear infection, because this can affect each of the fibers that are responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses to the facial muscles. Similarly, this disease can appear in our dog if at some point he had an accident that affected the areas of the neck or also the head and even if there is an injury to his chest.
We must be very careful if it is contagious to another dog because a bite could cause nerve damage.
Going through a circumstance that has been deeply traumatic in our dog, such as going through an abandonment that has been painful, may be the reason for this disease to make its appearance. In other cases, this disease can be caused by an ailment that is greater, as a cancer probably is.
A serious ear infection
The circumstances that can cause the Horner syndrome disease in our dog.
As we have already mentioned, in some cases a severe ear infection it can be one of the reasons sufficient to be able to attack each one of the fibers that are in charge of the transmission of the nervous impulses to each one of the facial muscles. This is something that cannot explain that both the care and the fact of respecting a strict hygiene routine in the area of our dog's ears can be of great importance.
When we are cleaning our dog's ears it is ideal to determine if there is any ailment or infection in this area. Access to the ear canal must be pale pink, which means that our dog is in good health and that a completely healthy ear does not have a bad smell.
The existence of any wax abnormality in this area of the pinna it can represent the warning of some ailment.
An odor that is unpleasant as well as intense that comes from the area of our dog's ear is a warning possibility that there is infection, also known as otitis. Inflammation in the ear canal usually causes itching as well as discomfort, we observe that our dog scratches insistently and also shakes his ears in a completely abnormal way.
Una ear infectionIn any of the circumstances, it must be reason enough to make a visit to the vet as soon as possible.
Some dogs are more likely to suffer from the nerve injury that characterizes Horner syndrome disease. Dogs belonging to the Golden Retrieve breedr, above all, they have a greater probability of having a completely abnormal function of the nerves of the face, so we can say that they suffer from this disease with a much higher rate than the figures of other dog breeds.
Not all types of Horner syndrome may need treatment, because this infection in certain cases does not cause pain in our dog. However and before any of the symptoms that we have already mentioned, the best thing to do is visit a vet so that in this way you can prescribe the treatment indicated for each of the cases.
How to avoid Horner's disease
Despite the fact that in certain cases there is no possibility of this disease appearing, we can say that it is possible to prevent this disease with certain routines. As we have already mentioned, hygiene in the ear area should be quite strict.
In the same way, it is very important that we can avoid confrontations with other dogs, either when changing the park or the place for a walk if it becomes necessary. If it happens that any symptoms make us think that our dog may be suffering from Horner's disease, we should not hesitate to consult with the veterinarian.
Diagnosis and treatment
A veterinarian must make a diagnosis of Horner syndrome in order to rule out facial paralysis as well as to be able to determine the place where the damage to the nerves has been caused.
This is a damage that can occur in two completely different areas, preganglionic and also central postganglionic, each of these can be a sign of a possible cause. We know Horner's first order syndrome as the result of central nervous damage between the brain as well as the spinal cord; the second order occurs when what is the preganglionic area between the base of the skull as well as the thoracic cavity and the Horner syndrome of the third order indicates post-ganglionic damage between the base of the skull and the eye itself.
A veterinarian can determine where the damage is through the use of nail eye drops to stimulate parts of the nerve and observe how is their reaction.