Titering?

[maberi]

Anyone know what adequate/inadequate titer levels would be for parvo and distemper?

[call2arms]

From: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Conten ... &C=0&A=589

What is the Meaning of a Vaccine Titer?

A vaccine titer is a blood test that measures the antibody level a dog is carrying against a certain virus. There are two methods of measuring parvovirus antibody titer: hemagglutination inhibition and serum neutralization. The value refers to how diluted the dog’s serum (blood) must be for antibody to still be detectable. Based on work at Cornell University, the following titer levels are generally considered protective:

Hemaggluination inhibition titer of 1:80 or more

Serum neutralization titer of 1:20 or more

There is a great deal of controversy regarding whether or not a certain level of antibody can be considered tantamount to protection. Many veterinarians do not feel it is useful to run titers until this issue is resolved (i.e., there is more to protection than an antibody level; there is an entire immune system involved and there is no simple way to assess the entire immune system). Other veterinarians find it cost ineffective to recommend titers prior to vaccination (it costs a great deal more to run the titer than to simply give the vaccination. If the titer is adequate, the worst possible outcome is that the vaccine will be ineffective.) Other veterinarians question whether or not it is harmless to annually give vaccinations when there is already adequate immunity present. At this time there is no single answer to this issue and we recommend trusting your own veterinarian’s educated opinions regarding these issues.

[blabsforbullies]

Anyone know what adequate/inadequate titer levels would be for parvo and distemper?

That really depends on the lab that is running the test. We send ours out to a lab called Antech. If the response is > 1:5, then it is considered to be a immunologic response to a vaccine (in the abscence of clinical signs). Notice they say nothing about being "protective". Very few, if any, labs are going to tell you that it is protective for all the reasons that we have talked about previously.

[call2arms]

Can you imagine the court process if dogs died from parvo after a lab deemed the titers adequate? I wouldn't wet my pants in there either.

[blabsforbullies]

Can you imagine the court process if dogs died from parvo after a lab deemed the titers adequate? I wouldn't wet my pants in there either.

Uuuugghhh... that is a good point. Which is exactly why labs aren't likely to ever suggest that a rabies titer should be done to avoid vaccination or a certain level is considered protective!

[airwalk]

Which is also why no one has ever been able to get the rabies vaccination hard line changed.

[call2arms]

It's a deadly disease for everyone (well except bats I think), so I don't believe it should be changed anyway. But that's my opinion.

[KJS]

My Friend Peggy has recently had the two dogs vaccinated for Rabies and I took them for the blood drawing just this last Tuesday for the titier tests.....any idea how long it will take to get the results?

[blabsforbullies]

My Friend Peggy has recently had the two dogs vaccinated for Rabies and I took them for the blood drawing just this last Tuesday for the titier tests.....any idea how long it will take to get the results?

Is she traveling? The only reason to titer after a vaccine is given, in my opinion and professional experience, is if she were traveling to a country that required it.

At the lab we use, it takes several weeks to months (had one take 8 weeks).

[KJS]

Yes she is moving to a different country.....and the time scale is close to 11 weeks now....

[blabsforbullies]

Yes she is moving to a different country.....and the time scale is close to 11 weeks now....

I'd have the vet's office call the lab, just to be sure it is in progress.