Titer Tests for Pet Vaccines

Canine Titer Tests

• According to Christie Keith's article, "Titers and Canine Vaccination Decisions," on the Caber Feidh website, titer tests usually are done to determine a dog's antibody levels for parvovirus and distemper. Dr. Shawn Messonnier states that the tests for heartworm and tick-borne diseases are also titer tests, though they are used to determine whether a dog has been exposed to a disease, rather than whether it should be vaccinated. Messonnier says that although there is a titer test for rabies, state rabies laws specify how often a dog must be vaccinated regardless of what the dog's antibody resistance to rabies may be.

Feline Titer Tests

• Feline titer tests are available to determine a cat's antibody levels for feline panleukopenia, calicivirus and rhinotracheitis according to Keith. As in the case of dogs, there is a feline titer test for rabies. Titer tests also are available for feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus and feline infectious peritonitis, though these tests generally are performed to determine if a cat is infected with the disease, rather than to determine if a vaccination is necessary.

Equine Titer Tests

• In the article "Titer Testing in Horses," published in "Natural Horse Magazine," Volume 11, Issue 2, Dr. W. Jean Dodds, DVM, states that titer tests are available for a number of equine diseases, including equine arteritis virus, equine herpes virus, equine encephalitis virus, equine influenza virus, potomac horse fever virus, rabies virus and west nile virus. Dodds says that because the immunity provided to horses by vaccinations for equine herpes virus and equine influenza virus are so short-lived, titer testing is of little value to determine if a horse should be vaccinated.