New, Innovative Canine Parvovirus Treatment Available at Beacon
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alli Bauer
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Email: Marketing@BeaconER.vet
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA EMERGENCY VET HOSPITAL
UTILIZES NEW AND INNOVATIVE CANINE PARVOVIRUS TREATMENT
St. Petersburg, FL., Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Beacon - St. Petersburg, Florida’s only local and woman-owned 24/7 Emergency Veterinary Hospital, is proud to offer the first-ever, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conditionally approved canine parvovirus (parvo) treatment from Elanco Animal Health. This innovative treatment is shown to reduce hospital stays and improve outcomes of patients suffering from canine parvovirus when combined with supportive care, helping puppies feel better, faster and get home sooner. The treatment is currently in high demand and available locally at Beacon Emergency Veterinary Hospital.
Parvo is extremely contagious and can be difficult to remove from environments. Once contracted, the virus attacks the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and the white blood cells (the fighting / immune cells of the body) of dogs. This leads to severe severe upset stomach (i.e., vomiting and diarrhea) and severely sick pets. While all canines are susceptible to contracting parvo, the highest risk population are puppies between 6 – 20 weeks of age that are either unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated.
“Puppies with parvovirus often get extremely sick very fast due to their underdeveloped immune systems,” said Dr. Ellen Buerkett owner of Beacon Emergency Veterinary Hospital. “They often require aggressive round-the-clock hospitalization and care. Parvo is an extremely aggressive disease and unfortunately sometimes, despite all our aggressive veterinary care and efforts, puppies pass away from this terrible illness. This new treatment offers new hope for this terrible disease. Currently, the drug may provide better outcomes and may provide shorter hospitalization. The veterinary community is hopeful that the drug will yield shorter hospitalization times and less death among puppies experiencing this terrible disease.”
When Dr. Buerkett, and her husband Nathan, learned of the drug in the Spring of 2023, they immediately jumped on the opportunity to have it available for the community. “Beacon was fortunate to be able to obtain this new treatment and so far, we are seeing positive outcomes.
We hope that by having this medication, we will shorten hospitalization times for sick pups and hopefully result in saving more lives from this horrible illness. It is an honor that Beacon can serve our community in this way and be a source for this new and innovative therapy,” said Buerkett.
Developed by Elanco, a global leader in animal health, the Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody treatment is the first monoclonal antibody treatment that they have brought to the market. The drug was granted a conditional license by the USDA and according to animal health experts, has the potential to be a game-changer in the fight against this deadly and highly transmissible Parvo disease.
“In Elanco’s clinical efficacy study, zero parvo infected dogs died when treated with our Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody treatment," said Dr. Jennifer Miller, technical veterinarian with Elanco. "Early results are highly encouraging. We're seeing puppies feel better, faster. It's redefining how we treat the disease.”
Elanco recently launched a multi-year “Defend Puppies. Defeat Parvo.” mission, with the goal of saving 1 million puppies from the unnecessary death from the highly contagious virus.
According to Elanco data, an estimated 900 dogs are diagnosed with parvo daily in the U.S. – mostly unvaccinated puppies. Elanco research revealed only 44% of dog owners know what parvo is, with 20% having no knowledge of the disease. You can learn more at DefeatParvo.com
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About Beacon Emergency Veterinary Hospital
Beacon is St. Petersburg, Florida’s only 24/7, 365-day Emergency Veterinary Hospital. They are a locally owned and operated clinic staffed with an experienced and emergency-focused veterinary team. Committed to providing a different breed of care, Beacon is known for excellent medical care that offers a human touch. Beacon is client-focused, and pet-driven with an aim to provide comfort and care to our community’s pets and the families that love them. Beacon is a state-of-the-art veterinary medical center capable of caring for all of St. Petersburg’s critical and emergent pet needs. Learn more at BeaconER.vet
