Vaccinations are very important to protect pets against fatal diseases. Via Vaccination, we introduce foreign agents that resemble a disease to the body. The body then responds to these foreign agents by mounting an immune response. We call these foreign agents, pathogens and the immune response to these pathogens is referred to as an antibody.
Titer testing, is a measurement of the concentration of antibodies in the blood to a specific pathogen. The presence of active antibody response to these pathogens is a clear indication of disease protection. Titer testing is recommended for pets that have a history of weak or over-active immune system, immune mediated diseases, or a history of an allergic or adverse reaction to a vaccine. We can use titer testing to know whether or not an animal needs to be revaccinated, and therefore avoid unnecessary booster vaccines. Titer testing is the only method to be certain if the animal is protected against the fatal diseases or not.
There are two types of titer testing that can be done. The first is a qualitative measurement- this measurement dilutes the animal’s blood only to a certain value and is recorded as either protected or not protected from the specific antigen. To more accurately investigate the protection of an animal against certain diseases, an endpoint titer is done. End point titer results provides us with a quantitative value of exactly how much of an immune response (antibodies) the animal has.
If you are concerned about adverse vaccine reactions or you have an immunocompromised pet, call us at Legacy Veterinary Clinic to learn about our Titer Testing services!
