Spritual Healing

With all the happening over the weekend things haven't really improved a great deal. Following the seizures I've still not fully recovered. It seems the after effects have been somewhat distressing to mum and dad.

There's defiantly some mental impairment going on though. For instance I'm scared of the stairs now. Previously I'd follow dad like a shadow just to be with him, and going up and downstairs was never an issue. It's not like I've even fell down the stairs whilst having a seizure either.

But the worst part, for mum at any rate, is that I'm not letting anyone know when I want to go out to the toilet. Add onto that that I've also got diarrhea at the minute, it means that there's a lot to mop up.

On Sunday dad was just taking me out when Anita's (she's Ian's girlfriend - Ian is dad's brother, and they live next door), well her mum came round to see me. She's a spiritual healer and offered to work her magic on me and see if she could help. Dad's not going to turn away anything that may help. So she came around and did a laying on of hands. I certainly enjoyed the attention, now let's hope it helps out in some way.

I guess dad's a bit of a sceptic. More a case of he believes what can be demonstrated as proof rather than simply accepting things based on another's beliefs. But without wanting to sound hypocritical, nothing else seems to work so far, so what harm can it do?

After consulting with the vet on Monday over the phone dad ordered some probiotic formula to ease up the diarrhea. They also recommended that the potassium bromide be increased to 3 x 325mg twice a day.

Dad reckons it seems a little strange talking with the vet on the phone for free. After all you pay for the consultation and prescription charges and drugs, but talking to them on the phone incurs no cost. I think it would make more sense to pay for any consultation that takes up a vets time and fore go the charges on prescriptions.

At least this time it seems to have been value for money as after paying the £14 for the probiotic formula (Pro-Kolin+), which appears to be a reasonable price, and getting a free phone call, the balance swings our way a little for once.

I've also had to go without dinner or breakfast to try to clear up the diarrhea. But I was so persistent mum buckled under the pressure and gave me a mug of Bakers dog biscuits. I have never eaten dry food, I just don't like it, but I guess if that's all I'm getting I'll eat the lot!

But just to be different it looks like I'm not so fussy with my food now. So mum and dad are going to try me on dried food again, just to see if they can at least use it part of the time.

The vet is also going to discuss my case with a specialist and see if there's anything else that can be recommended. They also spoke about an MRI scan, but mum and dad really can't afford that.

Today's been a bit better. At 5am this morning I still left a puddle in the living room. I did bark to wake dad up... but only to tell him I had already gone, and not before as I should.

I also finally gave in. After dad went back to bed I made several attempts to go upstairs, before I finally picked up the courage to make it to the top! Now I've made it once, getting there and back has become easy again and I'm back to following dad. I hope this is a sign that things are turning around.

Pro-Kolin+ : A highly palatable paste formulation containing beneficial microorganisms, prebiotics, kaolin and pectin, whose absorbent and soothing properties are well known. It soothes the gut lining during periods of diarrhoea and improves the consistency of stools.

PS: Well the eczema seems to have cleared up, yay! Looks like the steroids have done their job, but will I be as muscle bound?

"Just Do It"

As this eczema is still driving me nuts, I'm still mouthing my paws, dad ordered me a pair of doggy boots from eBay. I can't say I'm too impressed with them.

They make me walk around really goofily and mum and dad chuckle. You can hear me coming a mile away as they scuff along the floor.

Dad likes them, as they work. They've been putting them on me mostly at night, so I don't spend all night chomping my toes. Once they are on they stay on. They may twist around but I just leave them alone and ignore them, not even showing any interest in pulling them off.

They're supposed to be able to be used outside and the leather on them probably would survive quite well. But they're definitely not submersible. They'll keep out puddles but not to the depth I'm used to paddling in.

Mum went out with the girls last night and left dad to fend for himself. Before she went she put a pizza and some chicken wings into the oven. When they timer went off dad couldn't believe the pile of wings that were in there!

Just as well I was there to help out. Dad wouldn't have gotten through all that on his own... or would he? After all the wings dad didn't bother with the pizza. So I kept on reminding him I was there and could help tidy up, if necessary. When I finally got a piece I ate so carefully, not dropping it onto the floor, just rolling it around in my mouth and giving it a good chew so as not to get any hair on it.

When mum came home and they went up to bed they forgot something... they'd left the pizza on the table. Whoohoo! Party time. It wasn't there in the morning and as I was on guard all night I just said that I hadn't seen anyone, and dad must have eaten it.

How Irritating - Eczema

Today dad decided it was best to drive all the way into Loughborough to get the vet to have a look at my paws. The irritation has finally shown itself as an inflamed pink patch on the inside of my toes. So all this slurping my paws was for some good reason.

The vet took a quick look at my feet and decided it was Eczema. Probably caused by some allergic reaction to a chemical in or around the house. He said it's not unusual this time of year with people planting and growing things, using pesticides and fertilizers. So finding the cause could be quite difficult.

The vet prescribed a weeks (7 days) dosage (1 x 5mg, twice a day) of a corticosteroid called Prednidale/Prednisolone. He also preceded it with an injection to kick start the effects.

The vet explained it acted as an anti-inflammatory and that although I currently take an Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory (NSAID, Previcox) the two can be used together as the Prednidale targets a different area and that the Previcox is very specific in its treatment.

Dad asks the questions and gets a lot of useful information from the vet. They seem very open and keen to discuss specifics, so dad tries hard to get as much detail as he can. He's no vet, but if you get the information, even if you don't understand it (and dad really doesn't), you can take it away and go rumage around the internet to get more help.

So digging around later dad find a wealth of information regarding possible side effects so now we know what to look for.

What dad also found out is that it is an immunosuppressive drug. So I guess the allergic reaction should also be lessened because of this feature.

As I'm about due another bout of seizures this really couldn't have come at a worse time. Now we wont know if these new tablets or the injection will have had any impact on my seizures. Maybe it'll cause me to go into one, delay it, who knows? But whatever it does, it means a change which we can't account for.

Well with all these drugs it looks like entering the 2012 Olympics will be out of the question. Any sample I'd give would be sure to cause the testing machine to blow a gasket!

Pink Socks

Since the last trip to the vets my frustration/fixation with my paws seems to have gotten worse. I just can't seem to leave them alone. I'm not chewing them or raking them with my teeth hard enough to take out hair or even break the skin, I just lie there with my paw in my mouth or lick at them constantly.

I know I'm driving mum and dad mad as they're always telling me to pack it in, but I can't help it. I just slurp away for ages and leave my paw and the surrounding floor soaking wet with slobber.

It's like when I start I just can't stop. Many times dad's come down to find me in the morning with a big soggy patch on the floor or in my bed.

So by way of preventing me from doing it they've started putting a pretty pink sock on me when I start. It tends to distract me for a while and I'll leave it alone, but eventually even the sock gets covered in slobber. I guess no one else will be wanting to wear it again?