Pet Info Place

Ever since grade school health class people have known that vaccines containing weakened strains of par- ticular diseases (called antigens) are injected into the body. The purpose of the antigens, of course, is to cause a reaction within our bodies’ immune systems (within 5 days of getting the shots) so that antibodies are produced. The antibodies fight off the foreign antigens and cause an overall strengthening of the immune system by producing a surplus of antibodies to be ready for the next ‟foreign invasion.”

With a few minor differences, this is exactly what happens in the immune systems of our pets when they are vaccinated for rabies, parvo, distemper, and so on. But, if the animals’ immune systems are otherwise healthy after the initial vaccines are given, there should still be a surplus of antibodies at levels sufficiently high to offer immunity protection for extended periods (just as with humans . . . who certainly don’t require bi- or tri-annual booster shots). Depending upon the vaccine and the pet, these periods have been as long as seven years.

Optional Shots: Concern About Frequency
We’ve learned that there may not be a need to vaccinate our pets every couple of years. Of course, there is nothing anyone can do (at least for now) about the government-mandated requirement for rabies shots, but there is a growing body of thought that says the need for the optional (i.e., Non-core) shots is much less. Many pet health professionals are convinced that our pets may not require the booster shots that are regularly administered every two or three years.

So, How Do We Know If Our Pets are Sufficiently Protected?
There is an easy way to determine if our pets are still sufficiently immune from their previous shots. It’s called a titer test (pronounced ‟tighter”) and it checks the immune levels for the diseases we’re concerned about for our pets.

The Titer Test
The titer is a blood test to show how strong your pets’ levels of immunity are. Blood is drawn and sent to a competent lab where it is repeatedly diluted in successive steps. The way we understand the test is that the pet’s blood sample is continually re-diluted until the immune antibodies are no longer evident. At each step, the blood is tested and if there are still antibodies present, the lab continues the dilutions until they can no longer find any antibodies. So, if it took 200 dilutions before the antibodies were no longer detectable, the ratio would be 1:200, which is pretty good. If it only took the lab four dilutions before the antibodies were absent (1:4) that would not be a high level of immunity. The higher the second number in the ratio, the better.

Some people believe the titer should be done yearly, which would increase your vet bills on the order of about $100-$120 annually. If you don’t mind the effort and inconvenience, it would be cheaper if you could draw your own blood then mail the sample to the lab (in a cold pack or dry ice container) yourself.

Pet Owners Call the Shots (no pun intended)
Don’t let any vet, kennel owner or groomer intimidate you into giving your dog or cat unnecessary shots. If they will not take documented results of a titer test for parvovirus or distemper, go elsewhere. Require written proof from experts that your dog needs any shot. Your dog’s lifelong health is at stake.

Thanks and an appreciative shout-out to Jan Rasmusen, author of Scared Poopless: The Straight Scoop on Dog Care, www.Dogs4Dogs.com.





The originators of YourPetHealthInfo.com are dog lovers, not breeders or veterinarians. The content on these pages is for general informational purposes only. Any information provided is not veterinary advice and should not be substituted for a regular consultation with a veterinary professional. If you have any concerns about your dog’s health, please contact your veterinarian or other qualified professional immediately. All dogs are different. Reported remedies or anecdotal suggestions that may have proved successful (or otherwise) for some dogs, may not necessarily be appropriate for any other dogs. Always consult a veterinary professional before administering any dietary or medicinal products to your pet. For the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline go to the PIP Store page.