# How to interpret titer results



## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

What?? The vet didn't know how to interpret them?? We have Cody titered, and ALWAYS ( with any lab result) have them fax us a copy of the result. Your friend should have this explained by her vet and if he isn't able to do so, I'd be looking for a new vet.


OK... with looking at the titer report on Cody.... It is reported that his result is "Greater than 1:5" with the explanation as follows "A titer of 1:5 or greater, with no clinical signs, indicates immunologic response to vaccination. A titer of less than 1:5 indicates poor immunologic response to vaccination" This is done on both the Parvovirus Vaccine Titer (IFA), Parvovirus (IgG) and Distemper Vaccine Titer (IFA) Distemper (IgG)


----------



## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

The vet seems to be acting passive aggressively( maybe doesn't like the titering?). Because any time my vet is unsure about lab results (tick related), she picks up the phone and calls Idexx, UMichigan, Cornell, UNC,or Tufts. Vets know perfectly well how to find out what the titers mean even if they don't know off hand.


----------



## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Many vets balk at doing titers because they'd like to make the money giving your dog annual vaccines instead. When I asked mine about them (and this is a self-proclaimed holistic vet) she kind of gave me the run around until I basically told her I would not be vaccinating yearly and if she didn't want to run a titer, I would do it elsewhere.


----------



## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

The financial side doesn't make sense to me since the titers run about what the vax cost.... of course I don't know how the lab fees stack up against the vaccine costs... but at least for pediatricians the cost of stocking vaccines is HUGE. Perhaps they balk to at some preceived liability issue.... a dog coming down with parvo after the vet says the titer is adequate??? Just a possibility.


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I agree with you 100% or more. In this area, titers cost much more than the vaccinations do, so it's not a financial issue.
A problem a lot of vets here have with titers is that they indicate exposure to the antigen, nothing more. Several challenge studies have shown that the titer level, especially for parvo, dont have much relationship to whether or not the dog is protected, which is why vets don't necessarily know how to interpret the results. A lot of dogs with low titers don't come down with the disease in challenge studies, whereas a handful with high titers do.
So, if your vet says the dog is protected because the titer is "high enough" and the dog comes down with the disease a few weeks later, I can see there might be a liability issue.




Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> The financial side doesn't make sense to me since the titers run about what the vax cost.... of course I don't know how the lab fees stack up against the vaccine costs... but at least for pediatricians the cost of stocking vaccines is HUGE. Perhaps they balk to at some preceived liability issue.... a dog coming down with parvo after the vet says the titer is adequate??? Just a possibility.


----------



## pb1221 (Nov 21, 2006)

Hi everyone...I was unable to get on the internet until today-so thanks for your responses. I found it odd that the vet did not know how to interpret and also a little scary. My results were greater than 1:5 so I guess my girl is ok. My report just said > 1:5 with no explanation. Not sure what lab it went to.

I agree, it could be a liability issue with alot of vets

pb


----------



## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Oooppss. Double posted.


----------



## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Just be sure YOU are interpreting the numbers properly. If the results are say 1:6 and the lab states "A titer of 1:5 or greater, with no clinical signs, indicates immunologic response to vaccination. A titer of less than 1:5 indicates poor immunologic response to vaccination" then your dog is considered having a poor immonologic response to vaccination and requires a booster. If the result was 1:4 then it would be "greater" and not. Think of the numbers as fractions 1/4, 1/5, 1/6. Which fraction is greater?


----------



## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

I may be a little late on this. (I am currently reviewing the difference between Sammy and Barley's titers for 2008 and 2009...)

_(From Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic Center 2009)_

The virus neutralization antibody is the reciprocal of the highest dilution of the serum that neutralizes the infectivity of the virus (endpoint dilution of 1:32 = antibody titer of 32) _Higher titers indicate better protection._

For Distemper Titers should be above 32 
(Most titers fall in the range of 32-1024)

For Parvovirus Titers should be above 80 
(Most titers fall in the range of 80-2560)

_(From Colorado State University 2008)_

For Distemper
Antibody Titer < 2 = Lack of Immunity
Antibody Titer Between 2 - 16 = Limited Protection
Antibody Titer > 32 = Probable Protective Immunity
Higher Titers are Better

For Parvovirus
Antibody Titer < 8 = Lack of Immunity
Antibody Titer Between 16 - 32 = Limited Protection
Antibody Titer > 64 = Probable Protective Immunity
Higher Titers are Better

If you can get a copy of the actual test results... Hopefully they give you a number rather than a range. Mine always have...


----------

