My 3 year old golden retiever bitch has been diagnosed with paralysis ofthe trigeminal nerve;she is having difficulty eating and drinking, is drooling excessively, cannot bark and is depressed.Does anyone have any experience in this matter, as it is very distressing both for the dog and the owner, thanks.

can anyone help?

Hi, I am sorry to hear this, must be both distressing for yourself and your dog too. However you do not say what has caused this to happen and what condition your dog has. It appears looking at search engines that there can be many causes that result in the paralysis of the trigeminal nerve.
If you put 'trigeminal nerve paralysis,dog' in a search engine you can read the artcle and maybe this may help.
I know that acupunture can assist in the case of trigminal neuralgia but this may not be the condition that your dog has.
Has the vet not advised you of the cause and treatment.
As a thought have you considered using a liquidizer for the food and then using a very large syringe to administer the food into the mouth by holding the head back. This way your dog will not have to physically chew anything. Has the vet not advised you of the best way to care for your dog whilst in this temporay situation?
Sorry it is not much help just thoughts really. Hope soon is well.