Thanks for all the info that's been sent my way.  I've really learned a lot
and don't feel nearly so overwhelmed now.  We've settled into a daily
routine with the supplements that my new vet prescribed and he seems to be
feeling a bit better.
 
Triumph number one is that he's eating on his own again.  I'm not having to
force feed him anymore.  Triumph number two is that he's eating the raw
food instead of the dry stuff and he even eats it with supplements in it!
He's usually such a picky little guy that I'm amazed that he's making this
switch.  I'm thrilled, 'cause I know that nutrition has a great impact on
health and they're getting much better nutrition.  Triumph number 3...
well, he did a wardance today!  I'm so thrilled.  We're not out of the
woods yet, but it's definitely lighter round here.
 
I took him to a holistically oriented vet last week, Dr. Leilani Hotaling.
Zen loves her.  I've never seen him take to a human faster than her.  He
was cuddled up in her vest in seconds flat.  He was also really calm
throughout the exam.  Dr. Hotaling was really gentle and didn't upset him
at all until the acupuncture treatment.  And he was pretty good for that,
too.
 
She's prescribed a few supplements and an all raw foods diet for both the
fuzzies, as my Calliope had her adrenals out about a year ago and we want
to keep her healthy as well.  While Zen was at the vet's office, she did an
acupuncture treatment and gave him a homeopathic remedy for nausea, which
seemed to help for a few days, but he still seems to be feeling sick to his
tummy some of the time.
 
Here's what I'm doing for both of the fuzzies:
     * 100mg Vitamin C 2x daily
     * 3-5 drops of Pau D'arco extract (without alcohol) 2x daily
     * 1500 IU of Vitamin A per day
     * 120 IU of Vitamin D per day
     * 20-30 mg of Pycnogynol per day
     * raw foods diet
     * lots of love and play
 
I'm still researching other supplements (such as Essiac).  Thanks for all
the pointers from those of you who replied.  My vet is hopeful.  None of
Zen's lymph nodes are really even swollen yet and his lungs sound clear.
She's not quite convinced of the nature of the illness at this point.
We're just trying to support him as best we can.
 
As far as the raw foods diet goes, I've adapted Bob C.'s chicken gravy a
bit.  I ground up a whole chicken (free-range), bones, skin and all.  I
added eggs with shells (ground up), some Sojourner farms pet food mix (you
can check out their website at www.sojos.com), and instead of honey I added
a small amount of cantaloupe at my vet's suggestion.  I add a tiny bit (a
few drops) of olive or sesame oil just before serving and they just yum it
up.
 
All in all we're doing better here.  I'm to take Zen to see Dr. Hotaling
next week for a re-exam.  Keep my baby in your hearts and I'll keep you
posted.  Thanks!
 
--
Serena Renee Cissell
faded skies~*~www.visi.com/~starla/
"Any idiot can face a crisis -
it's this day-to-day living that wears you out." -Anton Chekhov
[Posted in FML issue 2864]