Cat with no control over the left side of his face?

My cat is only 8 months old and has lost control of the left side of his face. The most obvious thing was that his left eye will not close, even when he sleeps.





I took him to the ER and then the next day to his regular vet. I am being told that he has lost control of the entire left side of his face which is likely caused by nerve dis-function of the facial nerve. Both doctors said that most likely he either fell or bumped himself on some furniture, in which case the nerve dis-function will be temporary. However, if he doesn't get better in a week I am told it could be a tumor.





It's been three days and there's no noticeable improvement and the waiting game is killing me! Has anyone ever heard of such a thing and have an insight on it? He is only 8 months old, I just can't imagine he has a tumor and the thought just breaks my heart. Please help!Cat with no control over the left side of his face?
Really wish I could give you reassurance. Waiting is the hardest thing to do.





8 months is pretty active %26amp; even an indoor only cat could easily run into something %26amp; hurt himself while playing. I recall a friend's cat running full blast into a mirror in a hotel room %26amp; knocking itself unconscious at about the same age.





There is also some sort of neurological disease that causes this, I forget the name... my grandmother had it in the 1960s %26amp; had to wear a patch over her eye because she could not close it.





When there is a tumor there is generally swelling %26amp; 8 months *is* very young for a tumor unless there is a family history.





Good luck!Cat with no control over the left side of his face?
Do you have an animal hospital near you? They would have an MRI machine and would probably be able to tell you tell you exactly what is going on.
I did a lot of research on nerve damage when I had an issue with a cat (it turned out to be vestibular due to damage caused by violently shaking his head) and I found a lot of natural remedies (suitable for cats) for nerve damage included Golden Seal (yeah, the same stuff potheads take when facing a drug test). Golden Seal is also known as Hypericum Perforatum. I know the waiting game you describe, and I went ahead and started dosing my 16-year nold cat with Golden Seal, and while my cat's issue wasn't specifically a nerve injury as your vets think it the case with your cat, but a by product, Whether the improvement I saw was due to the Golden Seal or just natural healing, I don't know, but it sure make me feel like I was doing something positive. When I have an issue with my cats and I am looking for natural remedies, the first place I go is Earth Clinic, and I've included a link to their info on Hypericum Perforatum and nerve damage. It will probably help you constructively pass the time if you to spend a little time doing your own research further. You might also want to do a little research on eye and brain tumors and lesions, but in my thinking there would be other evidence of tumors long before facial paralysis.





And, if for some reason your kitty never recovers from her facial paralysis, it's not the end of the world. When I was growing up, our beloved cat Peppy got hit by a car when she was 17. She pulled through the hours of surgery to wire her jaw and face back together, but one side just never functioned ever again. She lived to be 23 and died peacefully in her sleep.





Good luck. It isn't going to hurt to try some Golden Seal.