I've had an interest in canine parvovirus ever since we got our Libby in 2009. She was born to a Montana hoarder whose "merchandise" was free-breeding, and whose property was riddled with that virus. A serial killer of puppies caught between the waning of maternal antibodies and the maturation of the pup's own immune system, death rates among untreated dogs is 71%, a horrifying figure. (Others cite a number of 91%.)
There's no real treatment for pups infected before they can get a vaccination. Or more accurately, there wasn't until fairly recently, when Kindred Biosciences announced a monoclonal antibody treatment with a claimed 100% efficacy. The drug was approved earlier this year on a "conditional license" by the USDA. It will be interesting to see whether the claimed 100% figure holds up over time, but this is almost unalloyed good news.
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