Discovering Coonhound Paralysis / Canine Facial Paralysis

My best friend is a 8 yr old boxer/lab mix named Sullivan. I have had several dogs over the years, but Sully is different. I came to own him when he was almost 2 years old, as his then-owner decided to go on tour with a band. He had no training other than being house broken, but his unbelievable loyalty made "training" him so easy. Within a few weeks he already knew a series of "tricks", would walk beside me without a leash, and could be 'free-fed' (doesn't over eat despite the food bowl always being full). He even got along with my cat.
     Sully has recently been diagnosed with a rare acute idiopathic disease that has resulted in the full paralysis of his facial muscles. Due to the relative lack of information surrounding diseases of this nature in dogs, his condition could be caused by one of two ailments: Coonhound Paralysis Disease or Canine Facial Nerve Paralysis. These diseases cause partial or full paralysis of the face, and in the case of Coonhound Paralysis, two or all of the dog's legs. Occasionally, severe cases will lead to the dog experiencing respiratory failure.
     In Sully's case, paralysis of the face was caused by his killing of a raccoon. This was his second contact with a raccoon, as is often a common precursor to the onset of this type of paralysis. The initial fight with the raccoon left Sully with scratches to the face, and a paw swollen from a raccoon bite. The vet prescribed anti-inflammatory medication, and Sully's immediate injuries showed rapid improvement. Seven days after the initial contact with the raccoon, I noticed Sully drooling somewhat after drinking from his water bowl. It seemed like nothing too unusual at first, but within 4-5 hours his face was completely paralyzed.
     I took him to the vet, who admitted to never having seen this condition and consulted a veterinary book to narrow down to a possible diagnosis. Her book was outdated (2005 version), and she told me that the outlook was bad, that Sully would likely never recover, and it was quite possible that the paralysis would rapidly spread to his legs or even his respiratory system (which would require him being put on a ventilator to survive). In an admitted shot-in-the dark, she prescribed Baytril and Previcox, hoping that the paralysis could be caused by subsurface inflammation affecting the nervous system.
     Needless to say I was heartbroken. I was shocked that a perfectly healthy dog could be taken down in a matter of days by a disease no one has ever heard of. I took Sully home, and got online to search for answers. I found that I was not alone in fighting this horrible disease. And thankfully, the vast majority of owners had successfully seen their dogs through a tedious recovery process.
     I will include links to information on these diseases, and detail my daily struggle to save Sully.
Coonhound Paralysis Info          Facial Nerve Paralysis