Is your dog already Immune?
Get a Titre test so you don’t over vaccinate
Titre Testing
What is a titre test?
The Titre test ( Vaccicheck antibdy titre test) is a simple blood test to measure the immunity your dog has to core diseases.
You can test titres (antibody) levels to determine if your dog is already immune to particular diseases. If antibodies from the original virus can be detected, there is potentially no need to revaccinate your dog for another year.
This test usually covers: Distemper, Parvovirus & Hepatitis.
There is no blood test for leptospirosis.
Dr Ronald Schultz
Veterinary immunologist expert, Dr Ronald Schultz has been studying the effectiveness of canine vaccines since the 1970s; he’s learned that immunity can last as long as a dog’s lifetime, which suggests that our “best friends” are being over-vaccinated.”
” it’s important for veterinarians to recognize an individual dog’s risk for developing a particular disease when considering the benefits of a vaccine. “Vaccines have many exceptional benefits, but, like any drug, they also have the potential to cause significant harm.” Giving a vaccine that’s not needed, he explains, creates an unnecessary risk to the animal.”
Don't over vaccinate
It is worthwhile giving your dog a titre test to check its immunity before you revaccinate. You can do this every 3 years to avoid over vaccinating your dog uneccessarily.
These tests can sometimes be difficult to interpret. A negative titre is not the same thing as a zero titre, which means the dog is not necessarily unprotected. It is also quite possible that with a low titre a dog is still protected upon exposure.
If the vet does determine that your dog requires vaccination, it wont be possible to vaccinate against just one of the diseases. (Distemper, Parvovirus & Hepatitis) This is due to the mixture of viral components that make up the vaccine. Leptospirosis however is a separate vaccine.
Where To Go For A Titre Test
Not all vets offer a titre test or are in favour of them, so this is something you may have to hunt about for.
Vaccicheck Titre testing prices vary greatly, so do call around to find a competitive one.
The best price we found locally ( at time of writing – please double check current price) was £39.98 with a £44 consultation fee at:
Medivet Richmond
Address: 171 Lower Richmond Rd, Mortlake, London
SW14 7HX
Tel: 0208 878 6080
Other Medivets should be around the same price.
