# Animals have CFS too



## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Well, I guess it's true that 'you learn something new everyday'









> quote: http://www.rlschmitt.com/Hobbes%20and%20CFS.htm R.L. Schmitt Company Inc.*Hobbes' Battle with Equine Fatigue Syndrome---------------------------------------------------------------(Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Horses)*Over the past two years Hobbes has been suffering from achronic undiagnosed disorder. We have run many tests withlittle to no success in finding a diagnosis. Hobbes' symptomsinclude neurological abnormalities, bad allergic reactions,fevers, various illnesses, anemia, heavy sweating and breathing,and generalized fatigue (tiredness). Finally, during the month ofMay I stumbled upon a newly discovered disorder that is beingresearched by Dr. Walter Tarello D.V.M. a veterinarian in Italy.The disorder is called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.The disorder is known to affect people but not widely known toaffect horses. CFS affects horses slightly differently than peopleand causes very distinct abnormalities in the blood. Due toseveral abnormalities in Hobbes' bloodwork as well as thepresence of micrococci on the individual blood cells, thediagnosis of CFS in Hobbes is 100% sure.Fortunately, there is a treatment for CFS and it has beensuccessful in many other cases. Hobbes went through five daysof treatment during the end of June, 2001. He seems to bedoing well. We have been able to wean him off of all of hismedications, which included large doses of steroids which werenecessary to keep him comfortable. It took a tremendousamount of research and time for me to find this vet and get thisdiagnosis. CFS is unheard of in the veterinary community in theUnited States. Hobbes is in the process of rewriting the medicalbooks!! Hobbes may have to undergo another round oftreatment to completely clear his body of the bacteria but he ison the right track. We are all crossing our fingers. It would bewonderful for Hobbes to finally be healthy.Results of the 1st TreatmentHobbes came through his first round of treatment with thePotassium Arsenite without complication. He experiencedminor side effects from the first day of treatment which includedsymptoms similar to being drunk. However, the side effectsquickly wore off and he has very slowly began to feel better. Weare very excited to say that Hobbes is no longer on anymedication and he has gone back to work. Follow-up bloodwork will be done on August 3 to make sure that the treatment iscomplete. He may have to undergo another round of treatmentbut we are optimistic that he will come through it just fine. Weare very relieved to finially see improvement in Hobbes. Heseems to feel much better.Results of the 2nd TreatmentFollow up blood work was done on Hobbes in August todetermine if he had indeed been cured. The results of the bloodwork suggested the although Hobbes was feeling much betterhe was not completely cured. Dr. Tarello referred to him as a'healthy carrier'. This meant that his clinical symptoms werealmost completely normal but he still had a bit of infection left inhis body. The decision was then made to put Hobbes through asecond course of treatment. This treatment was completedsuccessfully during the first week of September. Hobbessuffered no side effects and within several days we began tonotice improvement in his condition. Follow-up blood work willbe done on September 21,2001 to determine if Hobbes hasbeen completely cured. We are hopeful and optimistic that thissecond course of treatment has been successful.November/December 2001After a few scary weeks following Hobbes' second treatment Iam now very happy to say that he is definately feeling very good.He has a lot of energy now and his neurological symptoms areimproving day by day. I do believe that Hobbes now feels betterthan he ever has before in his life. He is resting from work untilJanuary and we are checking his blood regularly. His blood hasnot yet come back clear of the micrococci but the numbers aredecreasing consistantly. More blood work was drawn at the endof October and we are hopeful that everything will come backnormal. Hobbes came so close to dying back in March, 2001.We are so happy that he is still with us....and that he is happyand comfortable without the need of medication!! It iswonderful!!Results of the December, 2001 BloodworkWell....I have great news! Hobbes' bloodwork has finally comeback completely clear of infection. This means that Hobbes is100% clinically cured. This is GREAT news. Now it is just amatter of time to allow Hobbes' body to heal and recover fromsuch a devastating illness. His neurological symptoms areimproving day by day and it is very possible that his neurologicaldamage may completely heal over time. We are so excited tothink that Hobbes may be able to live the rest of his life as anormal, happy, healthy horse. It is such a relief for Hobbes tofinally be healthy!````````````````````````````** Dr. Walter Tarello D.V.M. in Perugia, Italy is the Veterinarianwho has been researching Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in horsesand treating Hobbes. He has published his research in theinternet at: http://www.geocities.com/cfsinhorses/ For more information regarding Chronic Fatigue Syndrom inhorses and the research being done you may also contact Dr.Tarello directly via e-mail at: wtarello###yahoo.itHobbes is 100% clinically cured~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





> quote:Note: The author, Walter Tarello, a veterinary surgeon has done extensiveresearch on CFS in animals.He has also published an article on the role of micrococci in humans withCFS.He's currently conducting a new study on Micrococci in humans.Here is his latest article on cats and dogs suffering of Chronic FatigueSyndrome------------------------ACTA VETERINARIA HUNGARICA vol 51, n. 1 (Jan 2003)*IMMUNOLOGICAL ANOMALIES AND THROMBOCYTOPENIA IN 117 DOGS ANDCATS DIAGNOSED WITH THE CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME (CFS)*Author: Walter TarelloThis work has been carried out in the "Clinica Veterinaria Airone" of Nus,Aosta (Italy).Address: Walter Tarello, C.P. 1644, 06129 PERUGIA, ITALY.Email= tarello###iol.itReprinted with Permission of Walter Tarello-------------------------------------------------------------Abstract:Retrospective analysis of immune dysfunctions found in 55 dogs and 62 catsdiagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), revealed leukopenia in 11% ofdogs (n. 6) and 22.5% of cats (n. 14), lymphopenia in 14.5 % of dogs (n. 8)and 10% of cats (n. 6), hypo-gamma-globulinemia in 9% of dogs (n. 5) and 13%of cats (n. 8) and thrombocytopenia in 20% of dogs (n. 11) and 68% of cats(n. 42).All patients had creatine kinase enzyme levels above the normal range (CK =5-100 IU/L) and carried micrococci-like organisms on erythrocytes. Bloodcultures proved positive for Staphylococcus spp. in 16 cases. After lowdosage arsenic-based therapy (sodium thiacetarsamide) all animalsexperienced complete clinical remission. Subsequent controls demonstratedimmune restoration in 4 representative FIV-FeLV negative cats, previouslydiagnosed with CFS associated with leukopenia, lymphopenia,hypo-gamma-globulinemia and thrombocytopenia. The main conclusion is that aCFS-like disease in dogs and cats, characterised by the common hallmarks ofhigh CK levels, absence of know causes of chronic fatigue in animals andpresence of micrococci-like organisms in the blood, can be associated withhumoral and/or cellular immune deficiencies in 9-22.5% of cases and withthrombocytopenia in 20-68% of cases. Considerations are made on the possiblerole of micrococci in the aetiology of the condition and on the similaritieswith CFS in humans.-------------------------------------------------------------Full article at: http://www.cfsresearch.org/cfs/tarello/7.htm


Both were posted to the Co-Cure email list.


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## kamie (Sep 14, 2002)

Susan, not only do animals get CFS but they also get other auto immune disorders too.I have a dog who has Pemphigus.She was diagnosed in January.It's been quite a learning experience.Currently the dog is maintaining well on an every other day schedule of azathioprine.We started her on a huge amount of Pred and Kefflex when the illness first hit.It was devestating and we almost lost the dog who was then a little under her 1st birthday.I found a lot of really good autoimmune information regarding food triggers over on the Internatinal Pemphigus web site.Although the site is a site for the People w/ Pemphigus I got a lot of really wonderful support for the care of my dog over there.I have since used the information I found over there to touble shoot the dogs diet and my own as my own symptoms are mysterious and defy placement except in various and connected symtoms that loosely fall under the syndrome x.Following a few of the food cautions I eliminated certain triggers and the dog began to make a turn around.I eventually applied the same triggers to removing things from my intake and it has helped.Kamie


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