A lot has happened in the last day and a half. Since the first episode (I try not to use the "s" word), Boris has had 5 more in a 32-hour period. Most of the subsequent episodes have been about 4 hours apart. All have been equally harsh (grand mal), but fortunately brief (less than a minute).
Yesterday, I took Boris to 2 veterinarians. First, the one right outside my neighborhood, a traditional vet. Then later, to a holistic vet that he has visited before. Yes, that means 2 big bills.
The first vet recommended putting him on meds as soon as the blood tests come back (today) and made it clear that, once on the meds, he would be on them for life!
The second vet also recommended meds, but also recommends several natural supplements that will attempt to naturally treat the condition and lessen the dependence on drugs. In his opinion, Boris might NOT have to be on meds for life. Before leaving, he gave Boris a shot of Valium (helps to calm the dog and reduce the possibility of an episode) plus I got a collection of homeopathic pills and drops to administer.
By the end of the day, I was mentally drained and even feeling somewhat physically exhausted. I realized that it would have been further taxing to try to keep Boris through the night, both watching for the next episode and trying to get a little rest. So, I checked him into a local animal emergency room. Its only about 10 minutes away and the cost was about that of a luxury hotel room, but it was worth it for the peace of mind and the rest that I got. ( Last night, he had 2 episodes while in the ER).
Today I took a sick day, which I needed (feeling pretty sick right now). When I picked him up this morning, he seemed to be in fairly normal spirits, albeit a little subdued and distant. He was ok, but definitely not himself. Understandable, since he has been through a lot. Once we got home, he became energized by his toys and got back into his usual obsessive fetch mode. Suddenly, he seemed to have excessive energy, so I took him on a long walk and then to the park and just let him run around and check things out. He seemed almost back to normal.
After a while, his disposition changed, he laid down in the grass and just rested. It sook a bit of prodding to get him to stand up and walk home with me and I had to almost pull him some of the way. Instead of walking ahead of me as usual, he trailed behind at a slow pace. Very NOT Boris.
I decided to take him back to the vet so that he would be under observation for the afternoon. Also, I needed to get to a pharmacy to pick up the first set of meds, in case I decided to move forward with them. I have left Boris in the car a couple times since this all started, but now I am getting nervous about leaving him alone at this early stage.
So there he currently rests, while I debate the pros and cons of medicating for the eposides and which doctor (and approach) to go with.
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