I recently received this very good question from Amanda:
Good morning Tracie- I have caught up on the available podcasts, and checked out your website, but saw just a brief mention in the blog about using titers to plan your dog’s immunizations (those not mandated by law). Titering was recommended to me by my dog’s breeder. I was wondering if you could at some point address this issue. What do I ask for? What is the vet looking for? Do they actually know what they are looking for? How reliable are the results? I am wary of over-vaccination, but also want the dog to be safe. Thank you for considering this topic.
Amanda
I am so glad you asked for clarification since over-vaccination is causing tremendous health problems in many dogs. I don’t know what breed your dog is, but hurray for the breeder for sounding a cautionary note. Some of the more sensitive breeds (like the Weimaraners I rescue) can have serious bad reactions that compromise their health for life from getting multiple vaccinations together, or any at all. As you noticed, rabies is required by law and while many health professionals and educated owners are rebelling against the absurdity of yearly rabies vaccines that are required in some states, certainly this deadly disease is out there and the every-three-years requirement is reasonable (Dr. Jean Dodd is conducting a study to show that every 5 – or even every 7 – years is frequent enough to revaccinate for rabies, and more frequent causes health problems, but those results are not yet out). Any vet will understand the request to check blood levels rather than just vaccinate – and the lab results will be returned with a clear indication of whether those levels are sufficient. And this is what a blood titer level will show: that the immunization your dog received as a puppy has created an immunity to that disease – just as your rubella or smallpox vaccination as a child will keep you from ever getting mumps. Similarly with people we know that a tetanus shot create immunity for at least 10 years and then needs to be repeated. With a dog, such blood tests show the level of immunity in her blood (the titer level) and demonstrate that her immune system is ready to fight off that disease. If, on the other hand, the vaccination(s) she received as a puppy have not maintained the right level in her blood, then there is an actual reason for revaccination to that illness only. Some vaccinations like that for Lyme’s disease have been discredited because they can cause this permanent disease (not just immunity to it) in a dog – and the bordatella vaccine has caveats also, since it covers only one of several causes of what is also known as “kennel cough.” Your dog never needs it if she isn’t going to be boarded or spend time in close proximity with many dogs, but also if a kennel requires it you should know that your dog and any dog recently given the vaccine (often nasally) will shed those cells for days and pass the illness along to other dogs it contacts. THE DOG BIBLE explains a great deal of this.
Tracie
