# Vaccines vs titer test



## bluegirldesign (Mar 19, 2015)

Wow - my first post here - there is such a wealth of knowledge on this site so I have my first question.

My 3yo GS female had a horrible reaction after she had her vaccinations this year - Rabies, Distemper, Leptospirosis and Bordetella. Around 2 weeks after the shot her lower back broke out in bumps and painful rashes (I am guessing because she had the shot in her backside). I know if was not food related because we have switched to raw lamb and duck and it has been amazing how all the itching, leg biting and redness has completely gone away. 

Now I am thinking of only getting the titer test. She had Lepto when she was a pup and got over it, it is in our area. The shot only protects again a few strains anyway. Just trying to research what to do. Anyone else had a reaction?


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Titering is the way to go. It's been proven that some vac's do not need to be repeated for years! Our dogs only had ONE parvo and ONE distemper when they were pups. They are now 7 & 8 1/2 years old and every year when tested are STILL quite high with antibodies!

Are you saying that your vet gave the Rabies at the same time with the other shots????? I hope that wasn't the case! It should be at least 3 weeks separated from any other vaccines. 

Make sure the next time she needs shots, to get a Homeopathic remedy to counter-act reactions. If you'd like more info on this, you can pm me.

Dr. Jean Dodds - Vaccination Research
The following vaccine protocol is offered for those dogs where minimal vaccinations are advisable or desirable. The schedule is one Dr. Dodds recommends and should not be interpreted to mean that other protocols recommended by a veterinarian would be less satisfactory. It’s a matter of professional judgment and choice.

9-10 Weeks Old: Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV (e.g. Merck Nobivac [Intervet Progard] Puppy DPV) 

14-16 Weeks: Same as above


20 Weeks or Older (if allowable by law): Rabies


1 Year: Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV *(optional =* titer)


1 Year after the initial dose: Rabies, killed 3-year product (*give 3-4 weeks apart from distemper/parvovirus booster*)


Perform vaccine antibody titers for distemper and parvovirus every three years thereafter, or more often, if desired. Vaccinate for rabies virus according to the law, except where circumstances indicate that a written waiver needs to be obtained from the primary care veterinarian. In that case, a rabies antibody titer can also be performed to accompany the waiver request. See the Rabies Challenge Fund website.
W. Jean Dodds, DVM
Hemopet / NutriScan
11561 Salinaz Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92843
http://drjeandoddspethealthresource...1541/dodds-vaccine-protocol-2015#.VZwtN7XK_uY 


Moms


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

The above post is word perfect!

I couldn't have typed it any better myself!

I titer!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Was that reaction confirmed by a vet?

I titer. And I will always titer. Titer for Parvo/Distemper. I'm not anti-vaccine. I'm pro minimal vaccination.

Jax had her puppy series and 1 yr. Titered at 4 yrs. All her levels were very good. She'll be 8 this year. Based on the AAHA guidelines, the vaccines are good for 5 and 7 years. Most likely I will vaccinate her this year for core vaccines and then never again.

Seger had his puppy series. Titered at 1yr. Distemper level was great. Parvo level was so low it looked like he had never been vaccinated for it. We suspect something happened to the vaccine in route to my house or from my house to the vet. Very lucky he didn't get sick with Parvo!!! So he was vaccinated with the 1 yr booster.

If you are not going to vaccinate, I strongly urge you to titer. 

I don't know what to say about Lepto. It's not high risk in our area. I vaccinate for Lyme because we are in the middle of the hot spot. I think you need to weigh your risks and talk to your vet on that.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Yes I agree less is more with vaccines. In the past we vaccinated our chihuahua every few years. I didn't feel comfortable doing it because he was so small and was most outings were not near any dogs we didn't know. Now with our German shepherd pup we are out and about parks, beaches, take pup to training class, long walks, pet stores. So we took our chihuahua to be updated on his vaccines. He had reaction which he never had before. His body was sore for about a week. It's a lot safer to do titers in the future then to skip a few years with our chihuahua especially now he is more exposed. Will also do titers also on Max after his annual booster. We vaccinated for lymes and lepto for Max which both concern in our area. Heard not good things about lepto vaccine don't think I will vaccinate him again for it. If there has been a lot of recent lepto cases in our area, I will let that be the deciding factor.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

She had her vaccines @ 3 yo, and those should provide long term protection, possibly lifetime, for the viral diseases. I wouldn't even bother titering, unless you do it after a vaccine to make sure it "took". They don't titer for bacterial diseases.

However, since rabies is dictated by law, titering is pretty useless for that most places, and you're stuck with that, generally.

Lyme vaccine can create an inflammatory reaction in the body and LOTS of dogs that have been vaccinated will still get lyme. It's not a great vaccine. You can run the Antech heartworm test and it will give a level to see how high the reaction remains on the lyme vaccine, though generally they don't use it for that purpose, but if that OspA is high on the Antech test (name escapes me right now), you don't want to revax.


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