[weezerweeks]

I am having my dog titer tested in a few months because it’s been 3 years since vaccines. If he needs them how do I get just the single vaccines? My vet has a combo and I don’t want the lepto. I really just want the distemper and parvovirus. What do you people give? I also have to have the rabies(law). Is there anything I can give him for side effects. I dread these soo bad. Please give me some advice. Thanks Oh my vet says they don’t make single vaccines.

[Cyndi]

Good questions! I will be having my Bailey titer tested next spring and I am curious to know the answer to these questions as well….

[InkedMarie]

I’m pretty certain they make single vaccines, ask your vet to order it. I doubt you’ll need to worry about it, I bet the titers come back just fine.

[weezerweeks]

BCNut or HDM can u give me advice on where to send the titers. The Whole Dog Journal listed the following: Antech Diagnostics $75-&150 hemopet $52, index labs $75-$150′ and dr Schultz lab $25. Dr. Schultz was the cheapest but it takes longer. My vet usually uses antec but I want to try another one. He also said they don’t make single vaccines anywhere except for parvovirus.any suggestions?

[InkedMarie]

Your vet should send them wherever you want for you. My holistic vet sends it to Cornell.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by InkedMarie.

[weezerweeks]

InkedMarie my vet is going to send them but I don’t know which place I want him to send them. I love hemopet but Dr. Schultz is amazing!

[Christine W]

I am curious how many of you have dogs over the age of 7 and did not have to have another DHPP.I have a vet i adore,i also have a 8 year old dog who has severe reactions,it scares me to death! He told me he felt strongly she didn’t need the distemper,he told me save $ on a titer as well,he is certain she is fine without it.I read it was airborne,he is very good,and not one of the vets i’ve had in past years out for $,but the thought of not getting the shot,and her getting sick? kills me.She is not due for rabies until next year,and i dread it,that one was the worst.He said next year he would keep her all day,to be sure she is fine.Thank you for any opinions 🙂

[anonymous]

I choose not to do any vaccines except for rabies (as required by law) after puppy shots.
So, I would go by your vet’s recommendations. If your dog had a severe reaction to any vaccine, including rabies, I would ask your vet to complete a medical waiver, a lot of states allow them and I would do a rabies titer to show that the dog is still protected.
However, it depends on the level of risk, lifestyle and such. A lot of groomers and kennels require proof of all kinds of vaccinations and may not accept a titer.

Some good guidelines here:

Routine Vaccinations for Dogs & Cats: Trying to Make Evidence-based Decisions

[anonymous]

http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/latest/states-with-medical-exemptions-in-lieu-of-rabies-vaccination

Below is an excerpt from:https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Annual-Rabies-Vaccination-Waiver.aspx

To ensure that the risk to both the individual animal and to public health is considered, a waiver of rabies vaccination should only be issued when a licensed veterinarian with a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship with the animal and the appropriate public health authorities concur that the waiver should be issued. The client must be informed that, even if a waiver is issued, the waiver only serves to allow the animal to be properly licensed in compliance with animal control regulations. In the event that the animal is involved in a potential rabies exposure incident, the animal should be considered unvaccinated against rabies for the purpose of appropriate public health regulations or when following the recommendations of the NASPHV Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control. All rabies vaccination waivers should be reconsidered at least yearly and, if appropriate, may be renewed on an annual basis following a reassessment of the animal’s condition.
Although the AVMA supports the existence of a process for issuing waivers of rabies vaccination requirements in every jurisdiction, this policy should not be construed as justification for failing to vaccinate animals for rabies in jurisdictions where such vaccination is required by law and no waiver or delay process exists.

[InkedMarie]

My two oldest are 6.5yrs and 11yrs of age….neither get anything other than rabies and i don’t titer them anymore either. My puppy is 18mos old; he was titered in January and I will in a few years. He also will only get rabies.

[Christine W]

Thank you!! i lost one of my dogs last year,and i am so deathly afraid to have my Pug now,have anything happen.I’m still not over my other one 🙁 I am going back & forth with this in my head & heart.I live in the country,i have many animals on my property,foxes etc,which i read carry distemper.I don’t know a whole lot about it,but i do walk her outside of my fenced area for exercise,because the mountain i live on is too much for both of us to walk up & down.
My one vet who is a hour from where i moved,i adore,i still go there,he said he would keep her if i wanted to watch her.The rabies was the worst,her face blew up 2 years ago.
I’m so torn over what to do,i would die if she got anything,knowing it could have been prevented.She doesn’t need a rabies until next year.
The vet that;s close to me told me the day they take the titer just shows antibodies that day.

[Christine W]

And thank you for the links!!!

[anonymous]

You’re welcome. Veterinarians and vet techs are required (may differ from state to state) to get the rabies vaccine themselves. But, they can skip it, if they have an adequate titer.
Interesting.
https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/specific_groups/veterinarians/staff.html (excerpt below)
Should my staff and I be vaccinated?
Preexposure vaccination should be offered to persons in high-risk groups, such as veterinarians, animal handlers, and certain laboratory workers. Pre-exposure vaccination does not eliminate the need for additional therapy after a rabies exposure, but it simplifies therapy by eliminating the need for RIG and decreasing the number of doses of vaccine needed.
Preexposure prophylaxis might protect persons whose postexposure therapy is delayed and might provide protection to persons at risk for unapparent exposures to rabies. Preexposure vaccination can be given intramuscularly and consists of three injections, one injection per day on days 0, 7, and 21 or 28.
Veterinarians and their staff are classified in either the frequent or infrequent risk categories based on whether they are in rabies enzootic areas. Persons in the rabies enzootic areas are considered to be in the frequent-risk category and should have a serum sample tested for rabies antibody every 2 years; if the titer is less than complete neutralization at a 1:5 serum dilution by the RFFIT, the person also should receive a single booster dose of vaccine. Veterinarians, veterinary students, and animal-control and wildlife officers working in areas with low rabies rates (infrequent exposure group) do not require routine preexposure booster doses of vaccine after completion of primary preexposure vaccination.

[Christine W]

I amazed you posted that! my vet told me he was vaccinated,and tested himself 5 years later,and was still protected! with no booster.

[Christine W]

Can someone tell me if this is true.My vet here,where i now live wrote that the titer is only good for the day of blood drawn??? she is due for the dhpp,she is good on the rabies for now, i can’t seem to get a straight answer on it.What she wrote i am posting below:::::

There are two tests that can be done – one is just to detect antibodies ( which is a snap test – much cheaper ) and basically says you have antibodies. Yes or no answer. We don’t recommend it.
The other is a quantitative test that measures the amount of antibodies present. This is more specific and is a true measure of coverage. This is the test we send out as it is more accurate. It also can trend if the antibodies are dropping. So in the future if you test again we can see how and if the antibody coverage is changing.
Realize though that titers only measure the antibodies present the day we draw the sample. It does not tell you the value tomorrow or in a week or month etc..
You are not to assume antibody coverage beyond the day the test is done. You can show coverage based on measured amounts over time

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Christine W.

[anonymous]

Antibody Titer Testing as a Guide for Vaccination in Dogs and Cats

I think the above blog will answer your questions Let us know if it was helpful.

[anonymous]

Specific Titer Tests
You may wonder how we know whether or not a certain level of antibodies measured in the blood mean that individual is protected against that disease. The answer is that the only way to know is through challenge testing. This means that we have to measure antibody levels in a number of individuals with a variety of different titers, then try to infect them with the specific disease we are studying and see which ones get sick and which don’t. This is how cutoff levels for antibody titers have been determined for CDV, CPV, Rabies, and other canine and feline vaccine-preventable disease.

This kind of challenge testing may only be accurate for a specific titer testing method. So if two different laboratories use two different types of titer test, the titer level that is protective will be different, and both would need to do challenge testing to figure out what titer level is protective for the specific test method they each use.

Above is an excerpt from. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2014/12/antibody-titer-testing-as-a-guide-for-vaccination-in-dogs-and-cats/ click on link for full article .

[Christine W]

Wowi read that article last night! i honestly don’t know what to do,and it’s making me nuts.She has a appt Monday for the DHPP.

[anonymous]

Did you read the comments? I find that site very helpful. You can ask skeptvet a question, sometimes he answers. Of course, he can’t give advice specific to your dog….as he has not examined her.

[Christine W]

Yes thank you!! i thought it was great! but the same ? i have i don’t see an answer to,the vet is telling me the blood drawn on the one day,may not be really telling if she is immune,say in a month.I find that hard to believe.

[Christine W]

I got this today! i couldn’t be MORE pleased! i hope everyone reads this!

Dear Chrissy: Hi ! Your original veterinarian is correct. The new veterinarian seems to be confused. Vaccine serum antibody titers last a long time, even life-long, and do provide an indication of protection. The published guidelines of our national veterinary associations (AVMA and AAHA) clearly support vaccine antibody titer testing as well. Your dog has apparently been well immunized and so should not need any more booster vaccinations, unless required by law. Best wishes, Jean [W. Jean Dodds, DVM]

[anonymous]

You are seeking opinions from homeopathic veterinarians, they have very different views than traditional vets, so you are going to get conflicting opinions.
I don’t understand how a vet that has not examined your dog offer you specific treatment advice.

I would work with the vet you have, or find another vet that you trust.

Some comments per the search engine here on Dr Dodds /forums/topic/review-of-dr-jean-dodds-book-canine-nutrigenomics/

The thing I would take most into consideration is that you said your dog has had a severe reaction to a vaccine in the past. So, I would talk to the vet about the risks involved and see what he recommends.
The rabies vaccine is the only one that is required by law.

[Christine W]

Thank you! i am hoping SkeptVet answers me.I am going to speak to the vet tomorrow.I don’t think i would be this crazy,LOL if i didn’t lose a dog last year 🙁

[anonymous]

Did you leave a comment for skeptvet on one of his blogs? Maybe the one on titers, however, if you read the blog slowly and carefully I think you may find your answers.
The impression I got was that the amount of protection a dog gets from any vaccine may differ from dog to dog. Most dogs are good for at least 3 years, maybe longer, but then, some are not. The titer tests aren’t 100% accurate, there are two types of tests and one is more precise.
There are no guarantees with anything…..
PS: He has a Facebook page too https://www.facebook.com/SkeptVet

[anonymous]

Bump
Thought I would revive this thread as vaccines are being discussed in another thread.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2014/08/routine-vaccinations-for-dogs-cats-trying-to-make-evidence-based-decisions/ Excerpt below.

“Duration of protection is at least 3 years for most licensed canine rabies vaccines, and they are legally required in most places every three years for life. From a medical point of view, a reasonable argument can be made for less frequent rabies vaccination or for alternatives, such as monitoring antibody titers. But in most cases these alternatives are not legally permitted. This is a function of the fact that rabies is widely present in wildlife and nearly 100% fatal for humans (and all other mammals) who catch it, so the public health authorities choose to err on the side of caution when using vaccines to prevent transmission from dogs to humans.”

[anonymous]

If you have a dog that has an unknown vaccination history, or there is a concern that the dog may have a reaction to the rabies vaccine for whatever reason.
Talk to your vet, my vet gives my dog a shot of prednisone every three years just prior to receiving the mandatory rabies vaccine. This will block any acute reaction to the vaccine for 24 hours. One shot of prednisone should not hurt an otherwise healthy dog.
Not sure if all vets will recommend this, but mine did. I have noted no adverse reactions (short term or long term).

[Christine W]

Yes i was told this is what we’ll do,plus a Benadryl tab an hour before at home.She didn’t start having reactions until she was 7.Now i know better.My old vet? didn’t wait the full hour before giving the rabies & i know now that’s where the problem was.I still dread it.

[amy r]

Along with benadryl I would also ask your vet who manufactured your last rabies vaccine and ask for a different manufacturer Pfizer might cause an issue but Merck will not as the can be preserved differently and it is often the preservative that causes an immediate reaction. Good luck!

[Christine W]

Amy,thank you SO very much for that info! i found it odd she was always fine,and years later starting having these nasty reactions,that scared me to death.Thank you!!

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