Vaccines or Titers?

Vaccinations are critical to the well-being of dogs and they protect dogs from potentially deadly, infectious diseases such as distemper and parvovirus. However, vaccination is not without possible side effects—some of which can be life-threatening—so it is imperative to avoid over-vaccination. There is a simple test which may help determine if your dog needs a booster vaccine: a Titer Test

Many veterinarians now offer a blood test—called a vaccine titer—to determine whether a dog is protected against these common viruses. Vaccine titers are performed by obtaining a blood sample at a dog’s annual examination and checking it for the presence of antibodies against these diseases.

If your dog still has antibodies three years after their most recent vaccine, a booster vaccine is usually not recommended. If a dog has a negative vaccine titer—meaning there are no measurable antibodies circulating in the blood stream—re-vaccination should be considered.

On September 6, 2014 I held a free Vaccine Titer Clinic sponsored by Spectrum Labs, the creators of VacciCheck Antibody Test Kit! Spectrum Labs donated the test kits to help me spread the word about this healthy vaccination alternative!

Check out our exciting results!

• 60 dogs were tested. All of these dogs were due for their annual checkup and 3 year vaccination. In other words, these dogs would have all been vaccinated at their next checkup.
• 54 dogs (90%) had protective levels of antibody for all viruses tested and did not require a vaccine this year!

This is just one excellent example of how using vaccine antibody titers can help us prevent over-vaccination. Ask your vet about it at your dog’s next checkup!

SOURCE:  Dr. Donna Spector