Masticatory Myositis (MMM) or Retroorbital Abscess

Hello,
I have a Black Lab mix, roughly 1 1/2 years old and she recently has been having problems opening her jaw to its full range of motion. She first displayed symptoms very suddenly and it caused immediate concern as she could no longer pickup her toys (large toys) or even yawn because it would cause too much pain. Furthermore, it appears that there is swelling behind her left eye, and she has very dry skin and is constantly itching herself, but we’re unsure if these symptoms are related. We know the dog has allergies, so we’ve always attributed the swelling and itching to this cause. She has not had problems eating her food or drinking water. She was a bit lethargic at first, I believe she was scared, but has since remained as perky and active as ever.

My dog first displayed the symptoms in her jaw a few short hours after we had given her Zyrtec (10mg) to treat for the allergies. We figured this was just a coincidence. We brought her to the vet (initially thinking that it may be a fracture or a sprain in the jaw), who then performed x-rays, which came back negative. The doctor prescribed her an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory, treating the cause as a bacterial infection that may have developed as a development of the allergies, causing fluid to restrict the jaw, thus creating the pain.

As we were leaving, our Vet had mentioned that it may be MMM. The antibiotics seems to be working to this point, but I’m not sure what to do from here. If the symptoms go away, I’d hate to leave the MMM untreated just to have a problem reoccur; I’d rather treat it on the onset. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Could be a retroorbital abscess? Should approach it as if it’s masticatory myositis?

[Misfits4Me]

Hello & welcome......Please, copy your question over to the Expert Forum.....There is a wonderful Holistic Vet (Dr. Cheng) that can answer this for you...Scroll down THIS page towards the bottom...On the right hand side you will find different sections...

Go to the "Related Expert Forum" section, then click on "Animal Health-General". Post your question there....It usually takes a few days for her to answer, but she's really, really good at what she does....

I'm sorry, I have no help for you...However, I'm hoping someone else will drop by with information.....Posting to the Vet will give you an increased chance of replys......Good luck, Karla

[Misfits4Me]

Hello & welcome......Please, copy your question over to the Expert Forum.....There is a wonderful Holistic Vet (Dr. Cheng) that can answer this for you...Scroll down THIS page towards the bottom...On the right hand side you will find different sections...

Go to the "Related Expert Forum" section, then click on "Animal Health-General". Post your question there....It usually takes a few days for her to answer, but she's really, really good at what she does....

I'm sorry, I have no help for you...However, I'm hoping someone else will drop by with information.....Posting to the Vet will give you an increased chance of replys......Good luck, Karla