puggy_puggy Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I have had my vet make some enquires for me about Titer testing. He said that unless you get Parvo, Distemper and Hepatitis tested then you are leaving your dog open to risks. Lots of places only test for immunity level of Parvo and Distemper. Gribbles will do a Canine Antibodies Screen (Parvo, distemper & Hep) for approx $230 My vet would be happy to do the tests if anyone is having trouble convincing their vets to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Thanks for that Puggy_Puggy. Now to convince the obedience clubs to accept a titre test Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbly Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I have had my vet make some enquires for me about Titer testing. He said that unless you get Parvo, Distemper and Hepatitis tested then you are leaving your dog open to risks. Lots of places only test for immunity level of Parvo and Distemper.Gribbles will do a Canine Antibodies Screen (Parvo, distemper & Hep) for approx $230 My vet would be happy to do the tests if anyone is having trouble convincing their vets to do so. Hey Puggy puggy I was under the impression that there hadn't been a case of Hepatitis in Australia in over 50 years, but don't remember where I read it. Had your vet ever seen a case? That'd be pretty scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavandra Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 That seems exorbitant........Check how much it costs to send it to USA to Jean Dodds, probably cheaper than that! Your vet has no right to say you are leaving your dog "open".......it only shows he doesnt understand how Vaccines work Us humans dont go around being tested for our levels of Hepatitis & measles......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 (edited) It's the Hep testing that bumps the price up as that gets sent overseas to Glasgow, Scotland. The others are done in the lab here. Edited July 28, 2008 by puggy_puggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daggles Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Ah that is what I was quoted $200 to $250 when my vet rang Gribbles. I must organise to get it donw......after I explain it all to hubby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormie Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Is it possible that Gribbles forward the blood into VetPath - hence the higher cost? Those prices look similar to the labs we use, who send the blood to VetPath in WA, but just ad their own handling/transfer fee onto the cost. Maybe see if your vet can find out where the actual tests are done, because it might work out cheaper if the vet opens an account with VetPath and sends the blood directly there. I think people need to give vets a bit of a break when it comes to the vaccine issue. They are just following the dosage instructions recommended by the manufacturers, otherwise they are leaving themselves wide open to be hauled before the board. It's the drug companies who need to change their recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J... Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Gribbles don't test it, they handle the samples and forward where they need to go. Parvo and distemper to Vetpath WA and Hep to the UK. I had them done a month ago, I have the fax sheet of results from Gribbles which clearly states that the tests were performed at Vetpath WA. I was quoted about $160 to $170, I haven't received the bill yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 (edited) That seems exorbitant........Check how much it costs to send it to USA to Jean Dodds, probably cheaper than that! Does anyone actually know how much it costs to send the sample to her or how one would go about it? My club have been saying for ages that they will do a big batch day where everyone can be tested at once and send it to her but I have no idea when (or if) that will actually go ahead. I'm getting impatient and need it done soon. Hepatitis is basically non-existant here and hasn't been seen for a long time, not much point testing for it which is why most vets don't bother. Edited July 28, 2008 by DeltaCharlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbly Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Hepatitis is basically non-existant here and hasn't been seen for a long time, not much point testing for it which is why most vets don't bother. Thats what I thought. Now I'm curious; I'm going to have to try and find the stats on reported cases in Oz... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormie Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 That seems exorbitant........Check how much it costs to send it to USA to Jean Dodds, probably cheaper than that! Does anyone actually know how much it costs to send the sample to her or how one would go about it? My club have been saying for ages that they will do a big batch day where everyone can be tested at once and send it to her but I have no idea when (or if) that will actually go ahead. I'm getting impatient and need it done soon. Hepatitis is basically non-existant here and hasn't been seen for a long time, not much point testing for it which is why most vets don't bother. Hey DC, I emailed Jean and she sent me all the forms for sending blood and the details on how to ship it etc. You need to get the info sheet on how to send blood from an international destination. Her website has her contact details and she was really quick in replying to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 christ almighty why not just vaccinate. So much fiddling are we now starting a 'titre testing' fashion ... yes I think I would be a bit miffed if my OH decided he wanted to blow $230 a dog on titre testing when 3 dogs can get vaccinated with C5 for the same price. If the titres are low (meaning your dog has not been exposed to the disease lately) it will need to be revaccinated. Now this does not mean that the dog does not have immune memory it just doesnt have antibodies floating around, so technically you may still be what many people deem 'over vaccinating'. Yes we rarely see a disease and now we shouldn't bother testing or vaccinating for it ... OK how do you think it GOT that status? Majority of at risk dog for Canine Hep are under 2 years of age... that means you could be walking a carrier dog on the end of your lead that sheds virus at the dog park, dog club, show etc. Yours may be OK but young dogs are not. I think some people have more money then sense these days I really do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 christ almighty why not just vaccinate. So much fiddling are we now starting a 'titre testing' fashion ... yes I think I would be a bit miffed if my OH decided he wanted to blow $230 a dog on titre testing when 3 dogs can get vaccinated with C5 for the same price. Once you have seen enough side effects from C5s you might understand why some prefer not to keep doing boosters Of the five dogs I know of with kennel cough in the last week, every single one of them has had a C5, two of them in the last month. So why risk side effects when it doesn't even work? Personally I would only do titre tests to avoid annual boosters if a kennel or club demanded it, otherwise why bother? Once dogs have had their puppy shots they really don't need any more. Oh, and my dogs have been exposed to KC lately, never had a C5 in their lives, no shots at all since puppyhood, and no problems. It was only the ones with C5s that caught it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted July 29, 2008 Author Share Posted July 29, 2008 It was only the ones with C5s that caught it... The C5 doesn't cover every strain of KC their is. I actually had a different experience in that I bought a rescue home that later developed KC and it was the ones that were due for their vaccinations that got sick and the other ones that aren't due for their vacs till the end of the year or next year didn't get anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 morgan the majority of dogs that HAVE to be regularly vaccinated are also probably exposed to KC sources (and not necessarily the ones they have been vaccinated for) on a regular basis. Yes I too know a vet who didnt vaccinate his dogs since puppyhood and believed thats all they needed, they were around other dogs no worries at all. Then they both got kennel cough. hmmm. His dumb luck ran out, even he admitted it. As for what we consider exposed - there is an amount required that will allow a disease to take hold. A few half dead sheddings wont make a difference but I think locked in the same pen as a hacking dog (as the proximity of most kennels) expect a bad dose of it for the unvaccinated one. As for recently vaccinated people should be more careful. The immune system is stressed after a vaccination which is why you find more recently vaccinated dogs will develop it. Sounds quite ironic but a lot of owners actually think that a vaccine is a 'medication' that will just magically keep the diseases at bay. Unfortunately few vets take the time to educate owners about vaccines and that how they shouldnt be taking their dogs willy nilly in the next couple of weeks after a vaccination, especially into kennels. We reccomended at least 3 weeks before going into a kennel environment and no earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Yes I too know a vet who didnt vaccinate his dogs since puppyhood and believed thats all they needed, they were around other dogs no worries at all.Then they both got kennel cough. hmmm. His dumb luck ran out, even he admitted it. I would rather run the risk of the occasional bout of KC than subject my dogs to the risks of the C5. As long as a dog is healthy and not stressed, with a good immune system, KC is no big deal. Can be cleared up within a few days with the right treatment. However, some of the adverse effects of C5s are permanent, especially for the occasional pup that dies. Parvo is the only thing I worry about, but my adults have never had a moment's illness despite being exposed to it on a number of occasions over the decades, even elderly ones who haven't had a vacc for ten years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I have had fully vaccinated dogs come down with Canine (Kennel) Cough. In fact the only dogs that did come down with it were vaccinated yearly because they were co owned and the other owner wanted it done. Having spent a lot of time over the years researching the whole Vaccine issue and listening to people who spend their lives working with Immunology and vaccines I decided that yearly vaccination was not the way to go. Like many other people here I have seen the results of immune systems battered by vaccines and chemicals, if you want cuss at someone cuss at the drug companies who are putting the $$ before the health of the animals they claim to be helping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I have had fully vaccinated dogs come down with Canine (Kennel) Cough. In fact the only dogs that did come down with it were vaccinated yearly because they were co owned and the other owner wanted it done. Having spent a lot of time over the years researching the whole Vaccine issue and listening to people who spend their lives working with Immunology and vaccines I decided that yearly vaccination was not the way to go. Like many other people here I have seen the results of immune systems battered by vaccines and chemicals, if you want cuss at someone cuss at the drug companies who are putting the $$ before the health of the animals they claim to be helping. May I cuss at the idiot vets as well? Like the eejit who gave an unhealthy, skinny 12yo dog a C5 11 mths after his last one, because he was going to be boarded later that week? Dog ended up with pneumonia from getting KC, so the vet made heaps more money out of that one, only 3 weeks after the jab. Poor old dog nearly didn't make it though. I have had more arguments than I can count with vets over this issue - they assure me that the adult dogs have absolutely no problems being exposed to strange dogs or environments from the day of the shot, that their immune systems are not compromised and that they are fully protected.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 morgan I agree ... that was one moronoic vet ... then again why was a skinny 12 year old dog 1) vaccinated a week before and 2) boarded at all if its health was not that good? still agree that was a VERY VERY irresponsible thing to do by a so called professional. No they are not protected fully and sorry yes they are slightly immuno comprimised after a vaccine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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