Titer Testing vs. Vaccinations

Having a dog with an immune mediated condition has caused me to look into every thing that she comes into contact with.  From her food, to her monthly medications, to her vaccines and everything we keep in the house.  I was warned by the vets that because of her condition she would no longer be able to get her shots annually.  As I looked into this further I realized how many different types of reactions any dog can have to vaccines.  This can range from skin irritations, swelling around the injection site, mild fever, and in rare cases anaphylaxis.  My dog had only her puppy shots before she became ill, so I wasnt sure what her titer test would show.  A titer test checks for the levels of antibodies to different viruses in the blood.  My pup ended up being positive for a sufficient number of antibodies to the parvo and distemper viruses which is what we were testing for.  Our trainer, groomer and vet all accept these as substitutes for the annual vaccine.  The only thing we do not titer for is rabies.  This has a very high cost and in many areas they do not accept a titer as a replacement to the rabies vaccine.  These can be done in 3 year increments which definitely helps reduce the chance of vaccinosis.  Talk with your vet regarding titering and if they do not offer it then seek a holistic vet in the area that does.  There is no need to risk a pet getting ill and having a reaction to a vaccine that most likely isnt even necessary.

Dr. Jean Dodd’s article on titering