Titre Testing Or 1st Year Booster Vacc ?

[Lindainfa]

Arnie is due for his 1st Booster Vaccination. I don't want to vaccinate if I dont have too, if he is still immune.

I'm just wondering how many people have done titre testing when the 1st booster was due, do most dogs come back still immune and not needing the booster?

Are there dogs that needed to get the booster anyway?

Look forward to hearing about your experiences.

[Staranais]

Is that the one year booster after the puppy vacc? That's actually part of the initial puppy vaccination set that you have to do to ensure immunity. Even if you choose to never vaccinate your dog again after that, it's important to complete the entire first set of vaccinations for C3.

After my girl's one year booster, I'll be boosting C3 only every 3 years, or titering only after 3 years, without a good reason to do otherwise. Will do KC yearly if I require it for kennels.

[Lindainfa]

Yeah thats the one Staranais. Ok didn't realise its part of the initial puppy vacc. thanks for that!

[Guest Tess32]

Yep I would still vaccinate this time, so that the dog has been vaccinated on an adult immune system. After that, titer test if you need to

[Agility Dogs]

Another POV here. We've talked it through with our vet and did two puppy Vaccs (as per breeder recommendation, but against the vet's usually schedule), then did a TT in place of the third. We will then TT in 6 months, then 12 months in sync with the other dogs.

Lots of testing, but they are cheapish any way and we start to understand what actually happens after the needle instead of vaccinating because we 'should'.

Not for everyone and I'm not saying it is the best way, but it is another option if you don't like vaccinating.

[pixie_meg]

We didn't do the 1 yr vax and instead did the titre. I don't understand this vaccine protocol thing as if the titre comes back as covered then they're covered. We had a vax reaction at the 12 week so thought it was important to titre.

if someone could explain how a titre is different at 1yr without the full protocol compared to later i'd really like to know.

[Mason_Gibbs]

We didn't do the 1 yr vax and instead did the titre. I don't understand this vaccine protocol thing as if the titre comes back as covered then they're covered. We had a vax reaction at the 12 week so thought it was important to titre.

if someone could explain how a titre is different at 1yr without the full protocol compared to later i'd really like to know.

My dog was due for his 1 year booster vacs, my dermatologist said to titre, it came back that he is covered and so I did not vaccinate this year. If they are covered they are covered, thats my opinion.

[Lindainfa]

So Agility Dogs and pixie meg - When you did the Titre test inplace of 1st booster, they had sufficient immunity and thus did not require the booster??

[Lindainfa]

Mason - Yes thanks for that reply, this is what I am wondering, its seems like all dogs have had sufficient immunity BEFORE the 1st booster vacc.

[juice]

does the tt give a level of cover?

as in, what if it comes back as covered ,but say a week later its run out, so you would go for almost a year not realising your not covered.

or does it show the level so you know it will last another year?

[Staranais]

The way they explained it to me was as follows:

There are several challenge studies that show that the vast majority of dogs are immune for C3 for at least 3 years after puppy vaccinations + a one year booster, but no challenge studies that show that vaccinating a puppy set alone is as protective. (Challenge studies are the studies that actually challenge the dog with the virus and see if the dog is protected, as opposed to serology studies that just titre test). Vaccinating with only the baby shots may work just as well as giving the baby shots and the 1 year booster, but we don't know - it hasn't been tested.

Some reasons that giving the baby shots alone may not work as well are:

1. Some people think that a puppy has an immature immune system, that might not function as well or quite the same as the immune system on a mature dog.

2. Current immunological thinking suggests exposing the animal twice to the vaccine is better than just once. Immunity isn't a binary thing, it's not that you're either totally immune or not immune at all. Repeated exposures to the virus can create a better B cell response towards the antigen (somatic hypermutation is the fancy term). So there is a theoretical reason why exposing the pup to the vaccine twice might work better than just once. For some animals, that might be achieved via two puppy vaccinations. For other puppies with longer lasting maternal titre, they'll need the one year booster to get that second exposure.

The WSAVA has therefore recommended a complete initial set of vaccinations (2 or 3 baby vaccinations, and a vaccination at one year after). Any vet that chooses to only do the baby vaccinations and skip the one year booster could get in the sh*t should their protocol not work and a client complain, since they're going against the recommendations of the WSAVA experts (and they're even ignoring the advice of minimalist vaccine promoters like Dr Jean Dodds).

I think it's quite possible in future they'll find out that for C3, puppy shots alone are just as good as the puppy shots and the one year booster. And then I guess we'll get away with recommending only the initial baby set of shots. But for now, we can't.

Edited November 7, 2010 by Staranais

[Mason_Gibbs]

does the tt give a level of cover?

as in, what if it comes back as covered ,but say a week later its run out, so you would go for almost a year not realising your not covered.

or does it show the level so you know it will last another year?

It gives level of cover and underneath it gives a definition of what each level means, there are some levels that recommend retesting sooner or vaccinating but our levels came back to only re-check a year later.

[Kustali]

It wont hurt to Titre first and if the level is low then vaccinate if you have to :D

[pixie_meg]

does the tt give a level of cover?

as in, what if it comes back as covered ,but say a week later its run out, so you would go for almost a year not realising your not covered.

or does it show the level so you know it will last another year?

It gives level of cover and underneath it gives a definition of what each level means, there are some levels that recommend retesting sooner or vaccinating but our levels came back to only re-check a year later.

that was the recommendation for us too.

As for not knowing you're covered, sometimes the vax doesn't work anyway. there are failure rates.

I know our titre came out as covered but my results piece of paper didn't tell me much. i'll have to follow that up with the vet.

[juice]

I spoke to my vet today, my two are just comming upto 2 years since they were done.

He thinks they should be vaccinated every 2 years.

The tt is $130, so its alot to spend if they then do need vaccs.

[Fleuri]

My dog is due for his yearly vaccinations, I have always vaccinated my dog yearly with C5 and Pro- heart injections. He will be 9 years old soon. I would prefer to vaccinate every 3 years if it's better for him. Would it be nessasary to do the tt test first just to double check that he has immunity ? what do you think?

I'm not sure how to approch my vet about this.

[Erny]

I would suggest that after all this time and after all his life of vaccinations, if your dog does not have immunity now he never has and never will.

I wouldn't worry about vaccinations.

If you're in an area where there is Heart Worm, I'd use the Heartworm Chewables. They call them "monthly's" but that's only so people will remember more easily to give them. They actually cover the dog for 45 days so you don't need to give them any more often than that. I would not use the 1 year Heart Worm injection.

That's me.

Edited December 2, 2010 by Erny

[Fleuri]

I just joind this site in April didn't know about this 3 yearly vaccine. My dog use to take the chewables for the first 3 or so years of his life then about 6 or so year years ago he started on the vaccine for heart worm. This area that we live in has a river very close by just stepping outside in the summer is scary with all the mozzies ready to attack.

[Erny]

If you read the AVA site you'll see their recommendation for vaccinations no more frequently than once every three years. More particularly I think they say that to vaccinate more frequently than once every three years is over-vaccinating. I'm not talking about Heart Worm - that's a different kettle of fish. I'm talking about the vaccine for the core diseases. C3.

[Beth.]

I'm getting Lotties 1st year vacc next week - but after that I'll be TT. I also don't do the heartworm injection but use chewables.