Masticatory Myositis (MM) in dogs is a focal autoimmune myopathia which selectively affects the masticatory muscles and can present with acute or chronic symptoms. Acute MM presents with pain and swelling of the muscles involved, while chronic MM presents with atrophy of the masseter and temporalis muscles and difficulty in opening the mouth. The diagnosis is made based on the history, clinical signs and laboratory exams. Occidental Medical therapy utilizes immunosuppressant drugs. The prognosis is good for acute MM but guarded for chronic MM. In this Case Report we used acupuncture as the complementary treatment for chronic MM in a dog. The TCM theory is that MM is an External Wind-Cold Invasion in the face. The Treatment Strategy is to Eliminate the External Wind-Cold and Tonify Blood and Wei Qi. Yuri, a male maltese, was referred for acupuncture. He presented with trismus and atrophy and was diagnosed with chronic MM. The main acupuncture points used were: ST 6, ST 2, SI 18, TH 21, GB 20, BL 12, GV 4, GV 14, CV 24, LI 4, ST 36, SP 6, SP 10. The patient showed progressive improvement, no recurrence, with return of normal man-dibular mobility.
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