Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2016 10:52:19 GMT -8
I'm often asked about: 'what's safe for my rescue mutt when I don't know what/if any vaccinations they may or may not ever have had'...
And the vets have been working on a way to tell by doing a full spectrum blood panel - just like we humans can have. While it is pretty costly it is well worth the fee to 'KNOW'. To know what your lovely furry family member may be needing and what they have that won't respond well to another vaccination!
Q. WHAT EXACTLY ARE TITER TESTS?
Vaccine titer tests are simple blood tests that measure your animal’s antibodies to certain diseases. In most practices, these diseases include distemper, parvo and hepatitis virus for dogs, and rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia virus for cats. The titer is a number derived from testing your animal’s blood for antibodies against these diseases. A positive titer means your dog or cat has antibodies against a specific disease (the titer usually results from prior vaccination to the disease, or exposure to the disease). It indicates he is protected from the illness caused by that particular virus. For example, a positive titer to distemper virus indicates your dog is protected from distemper.
Q. WHEN SHOULD TITER TESTING BE DONE?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Most holistic veterinarians do limited vaccinations for their puppy and kitten patients, using a series of immunizations to ensure adequate protective immunity without “overdoing it” like traditional doctors do. A limited booster series may be done one year following the final puppy or kitten vaccine visit, when the animals are approximately 18 months of age. Titer testing is then done the following year and continues annually for the life of the animal. Vaccines are given only when titer testing shows a need for them based on the dog or cat’s immunity.
Titer testing can also be done for stray or rescue/adopted animals with an unknown vaccination history. These animals can be immunized if needed, based upon their titer testing results.