# Titers



## Little Brown Jug (Dec 7, 2010)

There's a new vet cinic in town I asked if they do titer testing. This was the answer: "Yes we can, they get sent to an external lab. What exactly were you looking to have the titer testing for? We can get the price and get back to you. It is generally cheaper to just re-vaccinate but let us know and we will get back to you with costs". I'm a little confused do they want to know what I want tested or why I want to? I assume I'd just get rabies and distemper/parvo tested for. What do you usually test for?


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## Tracy (Aug 11, 2012)

I'm in the UK, so rabies is not an issue for me, but I've had recent titers done for distemper and parvo. 
My vet said the same thing to me about vacine being cheaper than titers. I got my dogs referred to a holistic vet for their titer tests, and took in printed copies of vacine research to my local vet, and gave them this for my reason for chosing titers above a booster shot. 
I decided not to give them my money for titers and give it to a vet who supported limited vacine. I figured losing money is the only thing that will make them listen, so that's what I did. My sweet revenge.:whoo:


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Little Brown Jug said:


> There's a new vet cinic in town I asked if they do titer testing. This was the answer: "Yes we can, they get sent to an external lab. What exactly were you looking to have the titer testing for? We can get the price and get back to you. It is generally cheaper to just re-vaccinate but let us know and we will get back to you with costs". I'm a little confused do they want to know what I want tested or why I want to? I assume I'd just get rabies and distemper/parvo tested for. What do you usually test for?


I'm hoping that Dr. Tim or someone similar can chime in on this thread because I'm confused about the whole titers issue. 

For example, I believe that titers shows that the dog has antibodies (immunity) to certain diseases. But would that be a lifelong immunity or one that has to be periodically re-checked? And if it fell below a certain level, would that indicate that a booster was needed?

Also, is titers useful for ALL diseases, or only rabies?

I too have made inquires about titers and was told that the test was more expensive than the booster. So at the time we elected to give Zio boosters. But I would very much like some kind of real answer in layman's terms about this whole issue.

Rant over now,


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

The test is way more expensive than the booster itself, I just had both my dogs titres done the end of Sept. checking for distemper and parvo as i do give the rabies vaccine every 3 years. The levels were great for my female but the distemper was a little low on my male but good enough for the kennel i wanted to board them at...It was good to see where they were at, the levels can change even without giving a booster if they were exposed to the virus in some form. Spent all that money and they ended up staying at home with my niece....LOl


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I've read a lot about titers and they still confuse me. My understanding is that you can only titer for rabies, distemper, and parvo. The part that confuses me is how they can show as below level, but that doesn't necessarily mean your dog isn't protected. And I've also heard as far as the number being above the magic number, but still low....that doesn't really mean anything either. It's either above or below and that's that. I had my dogs titered last year, but probably will not titer again for a couple years. I've heard it's a waste of money to do the titers every single year. I have no doubt that my dogs are protected from the vaccines they have previously had, and I definitely won't be vaccinating again. 

Tux has an appointment to see the holistic vet in November, maybe I will ask her to explain it all to me and maybe I will finally understand the science of it, lol


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I think Liz does a pretty good job of explaining it here Understanding titres


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## Tracy (Aug 11, 2012)

This is what I got with my titer test results.

Does the dog need a vacine booster?

PARVO (CPV)

<4 no significant antibody to CDV Booster required
4 - 64 Low anitbody titer to CDV Booster required
>128 High titer, immune dog No booster required



DISTEMPER (CDV)

<4 No significant antibody to CDV Booster required
4 - 64 Low antibody titer to CDV Booster required
>128 High titer, immune dog No booster required

The price I paid for titer tests was £50 per dog, which I thought was a really good price. I may get Demi checked again in 2 years, just to see what that distemper level is at, as she is at 92, so for the moment does not need a booster. Will be interesting to see what it does.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

You can titer test dogs all you want but there is no evidence that titers actually measure immunity, rather they measure exposure which is entirely different. Low titers don't seem to be a reason to vaccinate IMO because low titers don't mean low immunity, rather a lack of exposure. 

Every time your dog goes to a park or the vet's office they are exposed to pretty much everything in the vaccine, so you can argue once the one year booster is done, they "re-booster" themselves naturally.

Dr. Ronald Schultz from University of Wisconsin is the expert on this.

I find limited value in titering dogs, because generally you find out what you already know. That is, they have been exposed and there is anti-body protection working and the dog is asymptomatic.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

monster'sdad said:


> You can titer test dogs all you want but there is no evidence that titers actually measure immunity, rather they measure exposure which is entirely different. Low titers don't seem to be a reason to vaccinate IMO because low titers don't mean low immunity, rather a lack of exposure.
> 
> Every time your dog goes to a park or the vet's office they are exposed to pretty much everything in the vaccine, so you can argue once the one year booster is done, they "re-booster" themselves naturally.
> 
> ...


Except that when you want to board a dog in a kennel it is required to have a recent titre or re vaccinate your dog, I rather do a titre than vaccinate anyday.............


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## Little Brown Jug (Dec 7, 2010)

While I knew they were going to be more expensive then vaccs I didn't think it would be quite so much. Wow. I'm surprised. I have no need to get it done, I don't/won't board my dogs and there is no law about them here, not even rabies. But holy smokes. Regular vaccs are usually under $200, the titer for parv, distemper and rabies including blood draw, and sending them out comes to over $500. And that's before taxes.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Little Brown Jug said:


> While I knew they were going to be more expensive then vaccs I didn't think it would be quite so much. Wow. I'm surprised. I have no need to get it done, I don't/won't board my dogs and there is no law about them here, not even rabies. But holy smokes. Regular vaccs are usually under $200, the titer for parv, distemper and rabies including blood draw, and sending them out comes to over $500. And that's before taxes.


That's a lot...They must have to send the blood draw overseas? Both my dogs titres for parvo and distemper came to about 200.00 total


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