Zorro's Recent Challenges

Curry hasn't blogged in a while.  She's gotten caught up in my own busy schedule.  And lately, we've been dealing with a medical condition that Zorro developed.  He has anemia and has spent the last few weeks going back and forth to various veterninary appointments.  I'm happy to say that he's feeling better, but he still needs some help, and lots of love from his friends.  Curry will tell you more.

"Well, just like my mom said, Zorro has been having a tough time.  He went to our regular vet Ballston Animal Hospital for his annual check-up.  Mom was a little concerned that he had lost some weight and was drinking more water than normal.  They ran some bloodwork and found that he has anemia, and it is a pretty severe anemia.  So Zorro spent a couple weeks going back and forth between our regular vet and the specialists at SouthPaws.  He had more bloodwork, x-rays, an ultrasound of his abdomen (see his shaved belly in the photo), and some very thorough examinations.  The doctors couldn't determine the cause of his anemia, so the next test they wanted to do was a bone marrow biopsy.  Ouch!  Mom said that would have been a painful and expensive test.  She chose not to put Zorro through that, and I'm glad.  He was not up to that kind of invasive procedure because he already wasn't feeling well.  And the results of the test were not going to substantially change the course of his treatment, so no bone marrow test for Zorro.

The specialist veterinarian prescribed a sterioid for Zorro: Prednisone, a drug also used for humans.  But mom wasn't satisfied with just giving Zorro a steroid, so she took my brother back to Ballston Animal Hospital to see Dr. Morse.  She's a regular veterinarian, but she also practices holistic medicine.  She has an extra layer of knowledge about alternative treatments, and mom thought there might be some options for Zorro to help him get better.  Of course, I didn't go with Zorro to see Dr. Morse, but the way I understand it, she was very gentle with him and he was more at ease than we was for any of the other doctors.  Dr. Morse prescribed several supplements for Zorro.  He's on a Chinese herbal remedy that is supposed to help with his blood.  He's also taking an amino-vitamin B supplement, ginseng and probiotics.  Dr. Morse also said Zorro should have omega-3s, so she said he could have a fish oil supplment or he could eat sardines.  Mom doesn't eat sardines, so she never had them in the house.  She bought some sardines packed in water and gave them to us.  Yuck!  I hate sardines!  I like other seafood, but not sardines.  But the good news is that Zorro loves them (see below), so he can get his omega-3s and all the other good nutrients from sardines.  Willie and Grayson liked them too.  I'm sorry, but I just don't get it.  Sardines are yucky little fish.

Zorro seems to be feeling a lot better with his steroid, his supplements, and the changes in his diet.  But the coolest thing Dr. Morse suggested was acupuncture.  Yes, acupuncture.  Mom took Zorro to see Dr. Morse yesterday for his first acupuncture treatment.  I guess he did OK.  Dr. Morse only used a few needles for the first treatment because she wanted to see how he did.  He was restless at first but then settled down.  Dr. Morse also did some energy work on him: something called reconnective healing.  I don't understand what it is, but we are all open to anything that might help my brother.  Zorro goes back for his second acupuncture treatment in a few days, and a few days after that they will do another blood test to check his anemia. 

We are all happy that Zorro is feeling somewhat better and mom and all of us are less stressed than we were a week ago before the treatments began.  I'm still concerned about Zorro because he's my favorite brother and he helped raise me.  Please, everyone, send Zorro and all of us some love because it definitely helps to know that people care!"