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Questions for Dr. Shawn - Vaccines, Titers, Blood Testing
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"Dear Dr. Shawn:
"What do you currently recommend regarding vaccination of pets? I prefer not to give my dog and cat all those shots every year. One of my email groups said that vaccine recommendations have recently changed anyway, so annual shots might not even be needed. What do you think? I’m more than a little confused."
Answer:
”Excellent question. We now know that vaccines are not needed by most pets each year. Immunity from immunizations last more than 12 months, and in my practice many pets have immunity that lasts several years. I agree that annual shots should become a thing of the past, but certainly annual exams and diagnostic blood testing is essential in order to diagnose and treat diseases early before they become serious.
In my practice, I use a blood antibody test called a titer test to help me determine which vaccines a pet might require. This is a simple and inexpensive approach, but is not used by many doctors. A recent survey by the American Animal Hospital Association revealed that only 10% of doctors surveyed use vaccine titers in their practices. This is quite disappointing, but also encourages me to the extent that more doctors are starting to investigate a holistic approach to immunizations.
There is never any guarantee of protection, whether we use titers or immunize the pet. What is known is that unless the titer is low or non-existent, giving an extra vaccine to an adequately immunized pet is of no value, a waste of money, and possibly harmful. Vaccines are currently being investigated for links to a whole host of serious diseases, including thyroid disease, autoimmune disease, and cancers in pets. The less we immunize the pets the better for their health!
Finally, keep in mind that if the titer is low, I recommend trying to only immunize against the specific disease indicated by the low titer, rather than giving your pet a vaccine that contains everything. Finally, never vaccinate a sick pet. When needed, vaccines are only meant to be given to healthy pets.”
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"Dear Dr. Shawn:
"My husband and I have an 11 year old collie, Buddy. We have been taking him in once a year for shots. I know you’ve talked about other things that can be done such as blood testing. How often do you recommend doing this for a dog Buddy’s age?"
Answer:
”In general, I think most younger pets do well with an annual visit. For pets 5 years of age and older, I prefer seeing them at least twice a year. As pets age, the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases like heart disease, arthritis, cognitive disorder, kidney disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, and cancer greatly increase. Seeing the pet, and running tests including blood and urine testing, and X-rays and an EKG (when needed) allow us to detect diseases BEFORE pets like Buddy actually show any illness. Early diagnosis increases the likelihood of a cure or at least a successful treatment, and usually decreases medical bills. I would also suggest that you stop vaccinating Buddy and instead consider using blood titer testing to determine if and when he needs any more “shots.” Due to his age, my guess is that he will probably never need another vaccine. Finally, keep in mind that an important part of disease prevention includes regular, usually annual, dental cleanings to remove infectious tartar from the mouth. Even older pets like Buddy can be safely anesthetized and benefit from dental cleanings.”
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"Dear Dr. Shawn:
"You’ve mentioned using blood tests to see if we need to vaccinate our dog and cat. When we asked our veterinarian about this, he said that our pets would have to be vaccinated if we needed to use his facility for boarding them. Since we board them several times a year, we’re in a bind as we really hate to do the vaccines if the pets don’t’ need them. What do you suggest we do about this?"
Answer:
"I’m always amazed when a new client tells me that her prior veterinarian is opposed to using blood antibody testing (titer testing) to determine if vaccines are needed. Veterinarians and medical doctors use titer testing all the time in trying to diagnose diseases. Tests such as heartworm testing, feline leukemia and AIDS testing, FIP testing, tick disease testing, and even testing for infectious diseases like leptospirosis involve testing blood levels for antigens or antibodies. Vaccine manufacturers use titer testing when evaluating their products. If doctors can use titer testing in their practices for all of these reasons, why can’t they use titer testing in their practices to determine if their patients need vaccinations (even medical doctors do this!)
Some doctors are now using a 3-year vaccination protocol, giving pets vaccines every 3 years rather than annually. Interestingly, this recommendation (with which I disagree) came about as a result of titer testing!
Sadly, there’s not much you can do in your situation. Here are your choices. Still use your veterinarian for your pet’s medical needs but find another boarding facility which will recognize titer testing. Second, consider having a pet sitter watch your pet so that boarding is not even needed. Finally, you may consider switching to another veterinarian who will board your pet relying on titers. In my practice, pets are boarded if they are current on vaccinations or titer testing. Using the titer approach allows us to only use vaccines when needed. This individualized, holistic approach is best for the pet, as we only do what is necessary for the pet’s health. Since some vaccines can produce immunity that lasts longer than 12 months, annual vaccination is not needed for most pets."
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"Dear Dr. Shawn:
"My cat has had reactions to multiple vaccinations in the past. Should I have her vaccinated again? I don’t want to risk her life, but I just got her reminder card in the mail. What should I do?"
Answer:
"As I recently wrote in this column, I’m not a big fan of doing things to pets (or people) that don’t need to be done. While I have absolutely no problem with vaccines per se, (when they are used correctly,) I have a big problem with vaccinating pets that don’t need to be vaccinated. Current research shows that most dogs and cats do NOT need vaccines every year for every possible disease they might encounter. The immune system of pets is such that, with the great vaccines we have available, most can mount an immune response and be protected against infections for many years. The problem we have is not knowing what YOUR pet needs each year. The only inexpensive, reliable, easy-to-use test we have is a serum antibody (titer) test.
In my practice, use of this test allows me to tell each owner what shots, if any, her pet needs this year. While not perfect, it is the best alternative I can use to avoid unnecessary vaccinations. For pets such as yours, titer testing is a perfect alternative to repeated vaccinations. If your cat needs vaccines based upon titer testing, the fewest necessary vaccines should be given at a time to minimize any chance of reaction. Alternatively, the use of antihistamines or even low doses of prednisone could be given prior to vaccination if her past reactions have been severe. In my opinion though, if she’s had severe reactions in the past it would probably be best to never vaccinate her again, as vaccine reactions can be fatal.
For most pets, however, vaccines can be safely administered when needed. Various supplements can be used before and after immunization in an attempt to minimize reactions and boost the immune response to the vaccination."
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