The Titer Test Results Are In...

[gryhnd_adoptee]

Kare Bear and Tessie were both due this spring for Distemper and Parvo, so on April 30th they had Titers done at their annual checkups to determine just how ready they are to get their boosters. A few years back, our LuluBelle began having seizures at 5 years of age, just two weeks after her distemper/parvo shot, and ever since then we decided to titer before innoculations to prevent unnecessary exposure to the shots. We since lost Lulu to bone cancer just two weeks after her 7th birthday, but we do continue the practice of titers first.

 

Per our vet, below are the recommended values for innoculation, and the results of their tests. Neither girlie will be getting shots this year, but Kare Bear is scheduled for a follow up test next year. If she shows a downward trend, she will be innoculated. If she is steady, or increases due to environmental exposure, we will determine this to be her "personal norm" and just continue to monitor.

 

Recommended levels for vaccination:

 

Distemper: Below 32

Parvo: Below 80

 

Test Results:

 

Tessie:

 

Dist - 3072

Parvo - 1280

 

Kare Bear:

 

Dist - 96

Parvo - 640

 

It looks as though Tessie is much more reactive to the shots with her numbers, or she has had a recent environmental exposure and her numbers have gone this high due to an immune reaction.

[Guest BiancasMom]

How long has it been since they were vaccinated? Interesting to see how we over-vaccinate. More people should run titers.

[gryhnd_adoptee]

How long has it been since they were vaccinated? Interesting to see how we over-vaccinate. More people should run titers.

 

Kare Bear was last innoculated 05/29/08, and Tessie was 05/02/09.

 

Not all vets are open to titering before innoculations, and titers are a more expensive way to go. Not only because of the titer test cost, but if they come back as needing a booster, then you are usually paying for another office visit to have the shots administered. Our Dist/Parvo Titer Combo tests were $93.75 per dog.

[Guest d0ggiem0mma]

Recent studies have shown that MOST dogs properly vaccinated as puppies (starting 8 weeks, then 3 boosters every 3-4 weeks, then booster at 1 year) will have immunity for at least 10 years.

 

If I can find links to the studies I will post them later. In the mean time, my dogs get core vaccines only ever 3 years. No one gets lepto or bordatella. I don't vaccinate dogs over 7 years old at all. Of course my Louie is only 3 but after almost losing his leg to a rabies vaccine, he will be getting titers only from now on.

 

Vaccines are very important, especially parvo and distemper, but we currently WAAAYYY over vaccinate pets and it is proving very detrimental to their health. More and more diseases are being attributed to vaccinations including IMHA and soft tissue sarcomas.

[Guest sja5032]

What about boarding or taking your dogs places that require yearly vaccines? I don't like to vaccinate mine every year, I do think we over vaccinate but I wonder if I ever have to board them or something what the consequences will be? Has anyone had experience with this?

[Guest d0ggiem0mma]

First, NO ONE should still require annual vaccines. The new AVMA recommendations are every 3 years. I bet if you talk to them and have a letter from your vet explaining that your dog has had titers within 3 years that they would still allow you to board your dog.

 

The other solution is to NOT board you dog. We always have a dog sitter come to our house, but we used to take them to a sitter's house (when we had fewer.) Pet sitters can be expensive if you only have 1 dog, but if you have multiple the pricing comes out even if not cheaper to use a sitter!!

Edited May 11, 2011 by d0ggiem0mma

[gryhnd_adoptee]

Recent studies have shown that MOST dogs properly vaccinated as puppies (starting 8 weeks, then 3 boosters every 3-4 weeks, then booster at 1 year) will have immunity for at least 10 years.

 

If I can find links to the studies I will post them later. In the mean time, my dogs get core vaccines only ever 3 years. No one gets lepto or bordatella. I don't vaccinate dogs over 7 years old at all. Of course my Louie is only 3 but after almost losing his leg to a rabies vaccine, he will be getting titers only from now on.

 

Vaccines are very important, especially parvo and distemper, but we currently WAAAYYY over vaccinate pets and it is proving very detrimental to their health. More and more diseases are being attributed to vaccinations including IMHA and soft tissue sarcomas.

 

Our rabies are required here by law in order to license our dogs, epsecially since the Town Clerk lives just down to road from us...cannot plead ignorance there. I gave lepto to my first grey a few years back, and she had a reaction on the second shot in the series. Being as it only protected against four of the many strains anyway, we decided never to give lepto again. We also do not board our pups, so they also do not get bordatella.

 

I would be very interested in the additional links if you can find them.

[KF_in_Georgia]

PetSmart's required set for boarding, I believe, is parvo/distemper, bordatella, and rabies; bordatella has to have been administered within the last six months. For grooming services, only rabies is required. Titers are not accepted in the grooming salon in place of the rabies vaccination. Not sure about the boarding and day care facilities.

[cleptogrey]

lepto is not fun, have you checked the titers for that as well? it seems to be on the rise around here.

[Batmom]

Leptospirosis titer isn't going to tell you anything useful with respect to vaccine protection.

 

If you live in an area where lepto is prevalent and your dog doesn't react (my vaccine-reactive dog didn't), annual vaccine is a good idea.

[Guest d0ggiem0mma]

Rabies vaccine is required every 3 years here as well, but my county allows an exception letter from your vet if there is medical necessity. Since Louie had such a severe reaction the vet will be writing a letter for him and he will NEVER be vaccinated for Rabies again, and I will run titers for everything else. Boarding & Grooming places should be willing to accept whatever is accepted by the clerk/auditor/dog warden. (P.S. Any national chain like PetSmart will be less likely to make exceptions than a local establishment. You should look into finding a locally owned boarding facility and groomer!)

 

Lepto is one of those ones that you really have to look at the risks for and against. Is lepto common in your area? You also have to looks at environmental factors- how often are your dogs exposed to high wildlife areas where they are likely to be exposed to it? For me there is a very tiny incidence rate in my area AND my dogs are never outside the suburbs. Not really much risk for infection, but I know for a fact that at least 2 of my dogs react badly to the vaccine. If I lived in the woods in a highly affected area I might be more inclined to vaccinate.

 

If you DO choose to vaccinate for lepto I would highly encourage pre-medicating with Benadryl every 12 hours starting the day before. If your dog is prone to reactions and you still really need to vaccinate, the vet can do an injection of Benadryl and Dexamethisone the day they do the vaccine too.

 

(Still looking for the actual studies I cited earlier. Finding lots of references to the studies, but not the studies themselves.)

Edited May 12, 2011 by d0ggiem0mma