Titers instead of vaccines?
Submitted by tiffscooper on July 27, 2011 - 9:21amCooper had his annual check up and it went well. I asked about the blood titer instead of the distemper vaccine and my vet said that was an option ( he is 2 years old) and another option was they are now giving 3 year distemper vaccines? Wouldn't that mean a pretty strong vaccine? I opted for the titer but felt bad when they had trouble getting his blood...they had to stick him twice she said bulldogs veins are tricky ! Ouch! My question is She also told me the titer has to be done every year! I'm wondering if I should have done the 3 year vaccine and would love anyone's thought on this... Thanks
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wilson has not had a vaccine in 4 years
except for rabies which is the law.....i did a titer sinc..e it had been 4 yrs and guess what he is fine.....i wont do another one now...since i know his immune system is in order.....i do feed raw...i have never given a hw pill or put flea posion on him either....and as bet with my vet we drew a hw guess what neg!!!
i think you need to decide whats best for your pet...what you feel comfortable with......Henery had to go to get a cherry eye fixed .....and guess what came home with kennel cough.....i was ripped as they need all their vacines before they can go to surgery,,,i did the vaccines a month early...including his kc vaccine....
pissed is to put it lightly...my phone call to the vet clinic was not nice....all five of my bulls had kc....but they blew it off in 3 days.....but it just proves my point why bother...he still got it.....from a vet clinic....
so i think vaccines are a personal decision.....
vaccines vs. titers
I have not vaccinated my boy since he got his first boosters . He had a terrible reaction to them and I don;t know from which one because the stupid vet gave him all of them at once! I did titers for about 4 years after that and each time they came back fine, Very expensive test! Well, I am happy to say my boy will be 12 years old in 3 months and in all that time he has gotten kennel cough one time! You do what you think is best for your dog. I am very pleased with my decision.
what are titers?????
nm
Answer to your question
This is a blood test that measures the antibody levels to posssibly let you know if your dog has sufficient protection from parvo and distemper. They are not foolproof, but nevertheless I do not vaccinate anymore. The test cost about $200 in Los Angeles!
we don't give booster vacs either
I did titers the first year but won't do them again. Titers are a good thing, but they do not give 100% certainty that the dog does NOT have immunity.
The titers show the things that fight certain diseases, and when there is no exposure to those diseases the fighter 'things' basically go dormant. A titer test may show a 0 for immunuty and in reality the dog IS immune but has not had any exposure to 'wake up' those fighters.
sorry, don't mean to be so elementary-simplistic but I can't remember what those fighters are called!
Your dog can NOT be made more immune to something by repeated vaccines. The vaccine either worked and gave your dog the antibodies(I think my brain void just spewed me an accurate word!) or it did not work, and aint gonna.
The one year vaccine is the same vaccine as the three year. There is no difference in the strength, only in the frequency it's given. The AVA knows the vaccines last for a minimum of 5 years, most last longer, but they recommend re-vaccinating because it is a very large portion of their income and it gets the animals into their office for a checkup.
Cathy and Audrey
Tractor Supply Store
My groomer gets all of her vaccines and dewormers from the Tractor Supply Stores. We are looking at getting a new bullie which an adult 1.5 yrs old and they also do the same. Anyone else to this?
just me but your playing with fire
first i doubt your vet will reconize doing your own vaccines...so in an emergency they will double up...becasue the vet wants the money to do them...my vet does not argue with me about vaccines but i know if i have an emergency..and he has already told me...they will do vaccines...
so if your going to do vaccines go to the vet and have a record....
vaccines...
That's not right about your vet saying he'd do the vaccines in an emergency. That's the-worst time for them to be stressed with vaccines! The only vaccine that is legally requried is the rabies, as far as I know--and I believe it's a legal requirement that it be given by or under supervision of veterinarian. If it's your vet's policy that they be current for certain other vaccines before surgeries, then having your receipts and/or stickers from the vaccinations should be enough proof that they were vaccinated from the vaccines you give on your own. The vet has no right to double up because he didn't administer them himself.
they do have the right and they will do it....
and as a ex 20 year vet tech...the vets do not have to take your word for it nor do they have to take the stickers from your bottles....i myself do not do vaccines except rabies.....like henry had to be up todate on all his vacc before cherry eye surgery...i did it a month ahead to surgery....policy is policy..and i would find out what your vet does before an emergency happens..... my vet does over look lack of vaccines in an emergeny for me..one becasue my dogs have yearly check ups...i have been a client for over 10 years.... but if i were you i would check the er clinic of yours becasue i think you might be surprised to see what their policy is...
......rights re: vaccines
Judy, I know they have the right to set whatever policy they want regarding required vaccines in their own practice, but I think it's wrong if you provide evidence of giving your own vaccines that they wouldn't accept that. I have been requested to provide rabies certificate for girl who had a cruciate surgery by orthopedic vet. Besides scheduled c-sections, several girls have had spays without requirement of the parvo/distemper vaccines. My local vet, the reproductive vet and Bulldog vet all know I don't do the parvo/distemper after 14 mo. booster, but they often ask if I want them when we're there for something else. Once I had a girl in fhe 24 hr. hospital (wouldn't go to emergency clinic) overnight due to obstruction that luckily did not need surgery, and I don't remember them asking about the vaccines, and it definitely was not on the estimate I was given in case of surgery. I live outside of Middletown, NY and some of these vets are 2 hrs. away in opposite directions--not just right here where I live. So, I was surprised to read about your vet's policy,
Micki