Boris came home on Thursday afternoon and now has been home for just under
2 days. This is after almost 48 hours in various clinics/hospitals and
subjected to mind-numbing drugs.
For most of Thursday afternoon/evening, he was still ataxic
(clumsy/uncordinated), almost appearing to be drunk. His gaze was distant and
he apeared to be still suffering from partial vision loss due to the seizures
and drugs. It was difficult to tell whether he recognized me or any of our
canine or human neighbors, but he was constantly checking everything out, always
sniffing around.
Thursday night was event free, but rough on me because it was my first
night "on watch". Even though he was 48 hours without an episode, I was still
nervous and watchful. Since he usually cries when in a crate, I slept on the
sofa and had him lying on a rug next to me. However, he was not very sleepy
that night and paced most of the evening. To keep him from straying too far, I
had him leashed, holding on to the other end while I "slept". I did not get
much sleep that night.
Friday I worked from home and kept an eye on him. As the day went on, he
seemed to slowly regain his coordination and his sight seemed to be fully
restored. He even started showing a lot more awareness of his surroundings and
reacting to things he saw. He saw some kids running down the street and he
immediately perked up and attempted to follow them in a slow but clumsy trot.
Although he is starting to seem almost like a normal dog, he still showed
no signs of being Boris. By that, I mean, obedient, head-tilting,
frisbee-catching, ball-chasing, trick performing, knows not to go into the
street, and prancing-gaited Boris. He doesn't respond to any commands and still
has a somewhat vacant gaze in his eyes. He shows no recognition of a frisbee,
ball or toy. When he walks, he sort of drags his toenails on the ground. But
he is still adapting to the drugs and recovering from the trauma.
Friday night was much bettter. I slept on ths sofa and he remained by my
side all night (unleashed). He got up twice, so I took him outside, but he
settled back down afterwards.
Saturday morning showed even more progress. He is clearly more aware of
people, dogs, cars, planes, and always getting distracted by sites and sounds.
Even after the morning dosage of the drugs, he did not seem to have a big crash
back into clumsiness or drowsiness. But he is still moderately clumsy. I have
to walk him on leash, because he tends to wander and no longer understands that
the street is off limits.
Some of the promising baby steps toward recovery...
1) at the park, he chased a ball when it was thrown (but did nothing when
he got to it - did not know what to do next)
2) when he saw his old girlfriend Lacey, he seemed to get a little more
energetic and tried to play (but too clumsy)
3) he seems to have better energy and focus of his surroundings
4) a few times, he tilted his head when I spoke to him (head tilt = Boris
trademark!)
5) found some cat poo and ate it (contrary to all my commands)
With
that, I am feeling a bit more optimistic about the potential for recovery. I
must admit that I have been very pessimistic, but I am now a little more
optimistic. However, I will not be completely convinced (about full
recovery) until I see him chase down a frisbee again and running behind me as I
ride my mountain bike.
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