Who does titers?

[my2boyz]

It's time for Peanut's booster shots and I'm seriously thinking about having titers done first to see if he even needs a booster.

I was told for the distemper/parvo titers it would be $68.50 and the rabies titer is over $100.00 but I don't remember the exact amount right off hand...maybe $125.00?

Do those figures sound right? I didn't even think about it before I got his rabies booster last week but I only did a 1 year shot so I'll do titers for that one the next time.

For those who do titers do you find that the immunity of the original shots is still there? How long have you been able to go without vaccines by checking titers first?

[Ellie May]

The parvo and distemper are about $80 together here, so that sounds right. Rabies titers are a total waste in the US for healthy dogs who have to be vaccinated anyway...

I found that Ellie's distemper titer is low chronically, but I don't feel like that's an accurate representation of being unprotected in her case. Because of this and the new research out, I have chosen to go another way with her vaccines. Her parvo was high for a couple years, but I don't know now since we haven't done them later...

[ArmaniMan]

Those numbers sound about right from what I have been quoted.

I plan to titer for everything but Rabies... I need to get the shot by law here anyway so the titer is kind of a moot point.

[tjdmom]

I had Zoe titers done last year too. I think it was about $85. Everything was good but I have mixed feeling because even though titers might be low, doesn't mean they aren't protected. It's so hard to know what's the right thing to do.

[my2boyz]

Thank you. I think I'll do titers for Peanut on the distemper and parvo.

My rabies concern is for Megan. She started showing some issues a couple of months after her puppy shots were complete so if she doesn't need the shot I don't want her to have it.

Fortunately the vets here do go by the 3 year vaccine protocol but most don't offer titers. I got lucky Monday and found a vet just 10 miles from me that does them and she offers nutritional consultations for home cooking, alternative medicine, dentistry, grooming, boarding, supplies and things like that along with routine vet care. So, even though I like the vet I found here first, I may be trying the second one too...and it's about 8 miles closer to home...16 miles round trip, a vet who offers more options...hmmm...that's a no brainer. Hopefully they carry a line of holistic foods too...I currently drive 80 miles round trip for the Fromm's food we feed...it would be nice if I could get it a little closer to home sometimes.

[kalina82]

i don't do vaccines or titers. i don't feel the titers are accurate enough and i feel like vaccines just aren't needed after she got her puppy vax and 1 year vax.

[my2boyz]

Originally Posted by kalina82

i don't do vaccines or titers. i don't feel the titers are accurate enough and i feel like vaccines just aren't needed after she got her puppy vax and 1 year vax.

So, you don't do any vaccines at all?

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

So, you don't do any vaccines at all?

nope.

morgan has liver issues and i just don't feel vaccines are necessary. i think in her situation, they can do more harm then good. she had her puppy distempers and rabies. then she had distemper and 3 year rabies a year later. i did give her 1/2 of a distemper vax at 2 years old as well. She hasn't had anything since then and she's now 4 years old.

i also don't vaccinate my cat anymore either. she's indoors only and is never exposed to any other cats.

[ArmaniMan]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

Thank you. I think I'll do titers for Peanut on the distemper and parvo.

My rabies concern is for Megan. She started showing some issues a couple of months after her puppy shots were complete so if she doesn't need the shot I don't want her to have it.

Fortunately the vets here do go by the 3 year vaccine protocol but most don't offer titers. I got lucky Monday and found a vet just 10 miles from me that does them and she offers nutritional consultations for home cooking, alternative medicine, dentistry, grooming, boarding, supplies and things like that along with routine vet care. So, even though I like the vet I found here first, I may be trying the second one too...and it's about 8 miles closer to home...16 miles round trip, a vet who offers more options...hmmm...that's a no brainer. Hopefully they carry a line of holistic foods too...I currently drive 80 miles round trip for the Fromm's food we feed...it would be nice if I could get it a little closer to home sometimes.

If she is having issues, you should hold off on all vaccines... you never want to vaccinate a sick dog, you should consider looking into getting a Rabies Exemption for her and hold off on other vaccines until she is healthy.

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by kalina82

i don't do vaccines or titers. i don't feel the titers are accurate enough and i feel like vaccines just aren't needed after she got her puppy vax and 1 year vax.

This is what we do but I am not comfortable with just a one year booster. I'm more comfortable with a one year, another three years later, and then consider stopping. No reason why except that it feels right. lol.

This applies to modified live virus vaccines for us and not killed (rabies) or bacteria (lepto, bordatella). Ellie doesn't get the bacterial vaccines anyway. These do not last much more than a year and if protection is needed, then have to be given more.

Ellie was ten feed away from a dog with probable distemper today (wall separating...it was in isolation) and I'm not at all concerned.

Titers may work for some, but just remember that they do not show the whole picture and they are going to drop over time (they're supposed to). They go higher after a vaccine b/c the immune system is responding to it and dealing with that vaccine. After the "problem" is over, they are supposed to fall from my understanding. That doens't mean the dog is unprotected. It means that the antibiotic level isn't high, but there is still cellular immunity.

But I do not recommend the current protocol/research (stopping after a certain age) b/c if something went wrong, I'd feel responsible. It's between you and your vet.

[my2boyz]

Originally Posted by ArmaniMan

If she is having issues, you should hold off on all vaccines... you never want to vaccinate a sick dog, you should consider looking into getting a Rabies Exemption for her and hold off on other vaccines until she is healthy.

Megan is healthy...she started showing some allergy issues shortly after her last set of puppy shots so I don't know if they are vaccine related or food related. We will be doing allergy testing to try to find the cause and she isn't due for any more vaccines for another 2 years so we do have time. She has never had a reaction to vaccines like pain, lethargy or anything like that but these allergies did show up a few weeks after her last puppy shots so I am suspicious.

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

This is what we do but I am not comfortable with just a one year booster. I'm more comfortable with a one year, another three years later, and then consider stopping. No reason why except that it feels right. lol.

This applies to modified live virus vaccines for us and not killed (rabies) or bacteria (lepto, bordatella). Ellie doesn't get the bacterial vaccines anyway. These do not last much more than a year and if protection is needed, then have to be given more.

Ellie was ten feed away from a dog with probable distemper today (wall separating...it was in isolation) and I'm not at all concerned.

Titers may work for some, but just remember that they do not show the whole picture and they are going to drop over time (they're supposed to). They go higher after a vaccine b/c the immune system is responding to it and dealing with that vaccine. After the "problem" is over, they are supposed to fall from my understanding. That doens't mean the dog is unprotected. It means that the antibiotic level isn't high, but there is still cellular immunity.

But I do not recommend the current protocol/research (stopping after a certain age) b/c if something went wrong, I'd feel responsible. It's between you and your vet.

Oh goodness.
Antibody, not antibiotic
and feet, not feed.

[my2boyz]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

Oh goodness.
Antibody, not antibiotic
and feet, not feed.

That's o.k...just pretend it's Monday!

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

Megan is healthy...she started showing some allergy issues shortly after her last set of puppy shots so I don't know if they are vaccine related or food related. We will be doing allergy testing to try to find the cause and she isn't due for any more vaccines for another 2 years so we do have time. She has never had a reaction to vaccines like pain, lethargy or anything like that but these allergies did show up a few weeks after her last puppy shots so I am suspicious.

Vaccines can trigger autoimmune disease in dogs and why some dogs get allergies after vaccinations. So the fact that your dog has allergies means she is not 100% healthy. She has an autoimmune disease as healthy dogs do not have allergies. My dd started right after all her puppy shots itching like crazy and has never stopped since and she will be 6 next month. I guarantee you that your gut instinct is right on. I have titered her since she was 6 mos and a plumber came in my home twice in one week that had a parvo puppy so I think the puppy shots work but one year booster in a HEALTHY dog is a good thing to do before titering. I called a bunch of vets and internal medicine and all said she will be fine as she had her puppy shots and her titers are high and she was fine. Not one of these professionals said you need to bring your dogs in for a parvo vaccine so that said it all for me as they know puppy shots protect our dogs and the one year is just added protection for a HEALTHY dog. I am not confident I did the right thing with dee dee and dd is on steroids so she has further immune compromised body as well. I do not take dd out with other dogs etc as I am very protective of her due to her immune system as well.

Do not be surprised if your dog ends up with hypothyroid as well as many allergy dogs have hypothyroid so make sure when doing blood work you have thyroid tested as well as an add on.

The only reason to do allergy testing is if you are going to do hyposensitization shots as otherwise a waste of money. It is appx $400 and it is not accurate for food as food elimination diet is the only thing to determine food allergy. The best labs if you are going to do this are VARL, GREER, HESKA. My derm uses VARL. I had two done spending $800 from two different labs biomedical and full spectrum and she said they were worthless Of course two separate vets did these before going to derm. I did one at 8 mos old while dd was under for spay and one at 1 year old to compare two labs and she is highly environmentally allergic to a lot of things and cali is blooming all year round so not much I can do but try hyposensitization shots as tried everything else

[Wylie's Mom]

The prices sound about right in the ballpark. I don't think I'd get rabies titer, bc the rabies schedule is determined by state law (unless you have an exemption), so the titer wouldn't really be meaningful.

I don't do titers on parvo/dist bc it doesn't really show the whole immunity picture anyway and I choose to believe the DOI research (Duration Of Immunity).

I compare it to my tetanus shot, as a bit of an analogy. I mean, the CDC says to booster every 10 years. So, do I trust that -or- do I have my doc titer me every so often? I trust the research and that's what I choose for my dogs at this point as well.

It really depends upon what you're comfortable with .