Titre Testing

[oakway]

I read somewhere in the last week that an in house test is now available to vets for titre testing.

Results available immediately.

The only place I could have read it was on DOL or Face Book.

Maybe a ring around some vets may get some results as to whom has the test kits or if it is figment of some ones imagination.

[Dr Bruce Syme]

I read somewhere in the last week that an in house test is now available to vets for titre testing.

Results available immediately.

The only place I could have read it was on DOL or Face Book.

Maybe a ring around some vets may get some results as to whom has the test kits or if it is figment of some ones imagination.

You are correct - there is a test kit called 'vacci-check', in house test kit - it does take about 30 mins to run the test though, and it does not give an antibody number, just a colour change comparison to say yes or no to adequate cover.

[espinay2]

Thanks Erny :) The paperwork says Parvo and Distemper IFA serology titre both < 1:5 which equates to 'suboptimal protection'. Also "A titre of 1:5 is considered the lowest detectable antibody level. Note that it is possible that lower titres are still protective and the influence of cell mediated response cannot be reliably assessed in this manner"

He hasn't had a titre test before, so no comparison unfortunately. I wouldn't be willing to risk revaccination as all I have read says it is an absolute 'no no' for IMHA dogs.

I think you're right, time to contact Dr Jean Dodds. She is also an IMHA expert so should certainly be able to offer some expert and experienced advice.

So bloody typical, he is so well in himself now and I have just started taking him out on early morning walks and was due to start a short training course on Sunday. I really don't know if I can risk taking him out of the house now

eta - Did you contact Dr Dodds yourself, or did your vet liaise with her?

Good idea to contact Dr Dodds. She is very approachable and helpful. You can contact her yourself.

[oakway]

I read somewhere in the last week that an in house test is now available to vets for titre testing.

Results available immediately.

The only place I could have read it was on DOL or Face Book.

Maybe a ring around some vets may get some results as to whom has the test kits or if it is figment of some ones imagination.

You are correct - there is a test kit called 'vacci-check', in house test kit - it does take about 30 mins to run the test though, and it does not give an antibody number, just a colour change comparison to say yes or no to adequate cover.

Thank you for confirming that.

[cavNrott]

I've just printed out the info about Vacci-check and will be taking it to my vet when I go there in 10 days. It will be interesting because this is principle(owner)of the vet practice who told me 18 months ago that I was 'uneducated and placing my dogs at risk' when I told him that I would not be vaccinating them again.

They had the full course of puppy vaccs plus the booster 12 months later. This vet was adamant that annual vaccinations were necessary and we had quite a spirited discussion on the subject. He was not interested in titre testing and gave me an estimate of approx $350 for each dog if I insisted on having titres done.

I will be seeing his partner so it will be interesting to see what transpires.

[CrazyCresties]

Well I contacted Hemopet and received a prompt reply. Basically Dr Dodds finds it very hard to believe the results so I am sending a serum sample to her to be tested. The initial report states the below:

1) It would be quite unusual for a well-vaccinated adult dog to have low vaccine titers to both distemper and parvo virus.

2) The immune suppression from his therapy for IMHA and the disease itself should not have affected his immune memory cell immunity or his serum vaccine titer levels;

3) Louis cannot safely receive any more vaccines, as you realize;

5) Basically, as most healthy dogs have been well-vaccinated for distemper and parvovirus, Louis should be a minimal-- if any-- risk as an adult dog for contracting either virus while out for walks in an urban area (just stay away from woods and wildlife, and dog exercise runs).

I'm in two minds about taking him back out at the moment. I may wait until I get the titre results back from Hemopet.

Interestingly though my vet did the new 'in house' test first and received a negative result both times she tried. They suspected it was the test as it is new to them, so also sent it to VetPath. My vet spoke to the head haematologist there last night who was absolutely certain he has no immunity. The tests were batch run with control samples, and other samples which returned positive results, it was just Louis's that showed no detectable antibodies

It will be interesting to see the result from Hemopet.

Also how the heck do you pronounce it 'teat-er' or 'tight-er' :laugh:

[trinabean]

CC is it possible that Louis is a non or low-responder to vaccination? Has he previously had titer tests done that yielded a more expected result? I vaguely recall my vet mentioning that some dogs don't develop immunity when vaccinated (probably wrong terminology, tired brain today!). He mentioned it being more prevalent in some breeds though (eg. Rottweilers). And I can't exactly remember which ones...

[CrazyCresties]

trinabean - not sure as I've not done a titre test before on him, but I was starting to wonder along those lines. Off to scare myself with google.......

For those of you that have been titre testing for years, have you had good levels of antibodies past the 3yr mark?

[trinabean]

This US study seems to show that a small percentage of dogs don't respond/ have low response to vaccination for Distemper and /or Parvo.

I could be interpreting it incorrectly, but it might be worth a read:

My link

[cavNrott]

Well I contacted Hemopet and received a prompt reply. Basically Dr Dodds finds it very hard to believe the results so I am sending a serum sample to her to be tested. The initial report states the below:

1) It would be quite unusual for a well-vaccinated adult dog to have low vaccine titers to both distemper and parvo virus.

2) The immune suppression from his therapy for IMHA and the disease itself should not have affected his immune memory cell immunity or his serum vaccine titer levels;

3) Louis cannot safely receive any more vaccines, as you realize;

5) Basically, as most healthy dogs have been well-vaccinated for distemper and parvovirus, Louis should be a minimal-- if any-- risk as an adult dog for contracting either virus while out for walks in an urban area (just stay away from woods and wildlife, and dog exercise runs).

I'm in two minds about taking him back out at the moment. I may wait until I get the titre results back from Hemopet.

Interestingly though my vet did the new 'in house' test first and received a negative result both times she tried. They suspected it was the test as it is new to them, so also sent it to VetPath. My vet spoke to the head haematologist there last night who was absolutely certain he has no immunity. The tests were batch run with control samples, and other samples which returned positive results, it was just Louis's that showed no detectable antibodies

It will be interesting to see the result from Hemopet.

Also how the heck do you pronounce it 'teat-er' or 'tight-er' :laugh:

It certainly will be interesting to see the result from Hemopet. You will post the results here won't you please?

I want to know if you pronounce it 'teet-er or tight-er' too. Can someone please put us out of our misery and tell us the correct pronunciation?

[Wundahoo]

Pronouced teeter...... same as litre.

[minimax]

Pronouced teeter...... same as litre.

Only if you pronounce litre as lighter...

[cavNrott]

Only if you pronounce litre as lighter...

Ah,you mean lighter as in Mitre which would have a totally different meaning if it was pronounced as meeter.

Edited March 7, 2014 by cavNrott

[Weasels]

I always pronounced it tie-ter (as in tie-tration) in undergrad chem, but I've heard tee-ter in relation to the dog tests too

Edited March 7, 2014 by Weasels

[denali]

I always pronounced it tie-ter (as in tie-tration) in undergrad chem, but I've heard tee-ter in relation to the dog tests too

tie-ter as in titration makes sense, but i have always read it as titter, like critter hahah

This has been a very interesting thread, and timely, as my dogs are due for their vaccs. Lots to think about and need to see if my vet titres.

[minimax]

I always pronounced it tie-ter (as in tie-tration) in undergrad chem, but I've heard tee-ter in relation to the dog tests too

Correct, it's not tee-tration, so why would it be tee-ter?

High school science class people, it wasn't all melting stuff with Bunsen burners :laugh:

[VizslaMomma]

Well I contacted Hemopet and received a prompt reply. Basically Dr Dodds finds it very hard to believe the results so I am sending a serum sample to her to be tested. The initial report states the below:

1) It would be quite unusual for a well-vaccinated adult dog to have low vaccine titers to both distemper and parvo virus.

2) The immune suppression from his therapy for IMHA and the disease itself should not have affected his immune memory cell immunity or his serum vaccine titer levels;

3) Louis cannot safely receive any more vaccines, as you realize;

5) Basically, as most healthy dogs have been well-vaccinated for distemper and parvovirus, Louis should be a minimal-- if any-- risk as an adult dog for contracting either virus while out for walks in an urban area (just stay away from woods and wildlife, and dog exercise runs).

I'm in two minds about taking him back out at the moment. I may wait until I get the titre results back from Hemopet.

Interestingly though my vet did the new 'in house' test first and received a negative result both times she tried. They suspected it was the test as it is new to them, so also sent it to VetPath. My vet spoke to the head haematologist there last night who was absolutely certain he has no immunity. The tests were batch run with control samples, and other samples which returned positive results, it was just Louis's that showed no detectable antibodies

It will be interesting to see the result from Hemopet.

Also how the heck do you pronounce it 'teat-er' or 'tight-er' :laugh:

It certainly will be interesting to see the result from Hemopet. You will post the results here won't you please?

I want to know if you pronounce it 'teet-er or tight-er' too. Can someone please put us out of our misery and tell us the correct pronunciation?

Teeter to match litre.

BTW, push those Vets to listen to YOU.

[Erny]

Well I contacted Hemopet and received a prompt reply. Basically Dr Dodds finds it very hard to believe the results so I am sending a serum sample to her to be tested. The initial report states the below:

1) It would be quite unusual for a well-vaccinated adult dog to have low vaccine titers to both distemper and parvo virus.

2) The immune suppression from his therapy for IMHA and the disease itself should not have affected his immune memory cell immunity or his serum vaccine titer levels;

3) Louis cannot safely receive any more vaccines, as you realize;

5) Basically, as most healthy dogs have been well-vaccinated for distemper and parvovirus, Louis should be a minimal-- if any-- risk as an adult dog for contracting either virus while out for walks in an urban area (just stay away from woods and wildlife, and dog exercise runs).

I'm in two minds about taking him back out at the moment. I may wait until I get the titre results back from Hemopet.

Interestingly though my vet did the new 'in house' test first and received a negative result both times she tried. They suspected it was the test as it is new to them, so also sent it to VetPath. My vet spoke to the head haematologist there last night who was absolutely certain he has no immunity. The tests were batch run with control samples, and other samples which returned positive results, it was just Louis's that showed no detectable antibodies

It will be interesting to see the result from Hemopet.

Also how the heck do you pronounce it 'teat-er' or 'tight-er' :laugh:

I would definitely repeat the test via Dr Jean Dodds. Perhaps this is a rare instance where it proves to throwing good money after bad, however given the results you've so far received are particularly unusual, I would like to reassure myself by having Dr Jean's back-up to be thoroughly convinced.

And as another poster has said - your Vets should listen to YOU. I wouldn't re-vaccinate, if it were me. Risk? Maybe - but Dr Jean's tests would rule that in or rule that out. But the higher risk seems to be if you do vaccinate.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Erny

[espinay2]

Dr Ronald Shultz pronounces it 'tie-ter' so I will trust his pronunciation ;-)

I note too that Dr Shultz has mentioned that it is uncommon for a dog to be a non responder to both parvo and distemper. Usually if they are a non responder to one, they are high for the other.

A good idea to have Dr Dodds run another test - will be interested in the results!

[Wundahoo]

Dr Ronald Shultz pronounces it 'tie-ter' so I will trust his pronunciation ;-)

I note too that Dr Shultz has mentioned that it is uncommon for a dog to be a non responder to both parvo and distemper. Usually if they are a non responder to one, they are high for the other.

A good idea to have Dr Dodds run another test - will be interested in the results!

AAaah but Prof Michael Day (Chair of the WSAVA Vaccine Guidelines Group) pronounces it Tee-ter..... enough for me !!

It can be pronounced either way, but I believe that Tie-ter is the US version while Tee-ter is the UK preference.

I guess that we are looking at tom-ay-to and tom-ah-to !