Antibody blood testing for Roxy

Due to the fright Roxy gave us in February, I've made the decision to book her in for blood testing to determine the levels of antibodies in her blood before she is due to be vaccinated at the beginning of September.

She's got an appointment for next Tuesday and the bloods will be sent to the Glasgow Vet School for analysis.

If she needs vaccinating against anything, she will be, if she doesn't, she won't.

Will let you know how it goes.

Hope she doesn't need anything but having the blood tests done is always a good move. Keep us posted on the results please.

Its something I always do before vaccinating. I wouldn't be surprised if you find she doesn't need her vaccinations, but will be intersted to hear the results.

It doesnt work!! Titre testing is NOT a reliable way to measure a dogs immunity before vaccination. PLEASE do a search on here at least, its NOT reliable. That came from the university that does it!

I still beg to differ, Glasgow told me it is reliable otherwise it wouldn't be done. A vaccine manufacturer told someone on another forum that in an ideal world everyone would titre test before having vaccines and vets would not be doing it at all if it didn't work. I also believe with vaccination shots for pet passports they have to have a titre test to make sure they are covered too. (I am not 100% sure on that though as I have never got a pet passport) Why would they do that if it didn't work.
I have also just had it done myself for a course of vaccine I had to have and it showed they hadn't taken in me so I have got to go back for a booster this week and then a few weeks later another blood test to check its worked this time.

I have done some research. It's not a decision I've taken lightly, believe me.

I've also spoken with my own vet, various people at the Glasgow Vet School, indluding Roxy's consultant, and vet Joe Inglis and I'm happy with the decision I have made.

My vet told me not to worry and it's something many people choose to do. But it does worry me. Both vaccinating Roxy and not vaccinating her would both worry me.

There is, perhaps, a risk in vaccinating without these tests, there might not be. There might be a risk in not vaccinating after I get the results of these tests. Most things like this carry some sort of risk and it's one I feel I have to take with Roxy.

I'm also aware I'll have to forward on the paperwork to my insurance company should I not have Roxy vaccinated.

I just want to try and do my best for Roxy after all she has been through especially.

You are free to beg to differ, but you are incorrect. PLEASE check links on other areas of this site at least. I have been there and done it and spoke to the University myself.

Briefly.
Titre tests are EXACTLY for things like pet passports where titres are counted within a SHORT space of time, the immune system is responding to the attack on it because its being bombarded with disease! When we talk of a longer time, you will not get true reading. It will vary if the dog has been exposed to disease or not. You CANNOT measure memory cells. memory cells are responsible for immune response, NOT titres.

Dawn, if I remember correctly isnt it a case that you only get a positive titer if your dogs immune system has been in contact with the desease recently
So if you get a positive then its fine and your dog is still immune
But if your dog has not been exposed to the desease then they could give a negative result but still have the memory cells there? So there is no real danger - just that some dogs would be vaccinated who dont need it - but its still better than ALL dogs being vaccinated whether they need it or not

Pretty much yes.
The dogs "memory cells" trigger an immune response. The memory cells ARE the immunity but they CANNOT be measured. Titres are circulating antibodies released when the memory cells trigger the response. My bitch was low parvo and distemper 13 months after her booster, but 3 months later tested massive HIGH titres without a booster! Lepto does not illicit titres so this is why we still vaccinate each year for it.

Over vaccination kills dogs, under vaccinating does too! You take your chance.

After much discussion with my vet (over 50 minutes), Roxy has had the vaccinations she was due this year.

There is, at present, no evidence to suggest that vaccinations cause Mast Cell Tumours in dogs. It is probably through genetics Roxy got hers rather than anything else, but we will never know for certain with her being a rescue at 5 y/o.

I did ask about the accuracy of titre testing and, as has been said, it depends on when you test and what she has been in contact with that determines the results - they could be different each time and some might be indeterminate. They are hoping for better testing in a few years apparently.

The very small amount of dogs they titre test (2, I think she said) are blood tested because of a reaction and one through choice and even then the owners know that the accuracy of the results is dubious at times.

It's possibly a risk vaccinating, but it's also a risk not vaccinating and I had to take one of those risks and that was to choose to vaccinate Roxy. Neither have ever had any reaction to any vaccinations over the years and I hope I have done my best for Roxy.

Dawn, please don't say 'I told you so'.