Titer results

BostonBanker

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#1
When Meg came due for her distemper/parvo vaccine a couple of weeks ago, I decided to go ahead and have a titer done rather than automatically re-vaccinating her. She had the vaccine when she first came into rescue a year ago; her medical history before that was unknown. The results:

Distemper - 1:32 is considered adequate
Meg: 1:256

Parvo - 1:64 is considered adequate
Meg: 1:16,384:yikes:

I'm extremely glad I chose to do the titer first! It was more expensive, but I'd rather not mess with her immune system if I don't need to, and it certainly looks fine!
 

Red_ACD_for_me

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#2
BB, I'm confused and have yet had to titer Caiza because of his age. If the number is considered adequate then why does one seem lower than the other and vice versa? How do you read these things :confused:
 

Jynx

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#3
ok call me dumb,,but I have a question..if 1:32 is considered adequate, isn't Meg's titer at 1:256 below adequate?

Same with parvo? She tests out "below" the adequate numbers??

I know it depends on who tests what..
For example,,one of my dogs came back 1:5 on both distemper/parvo..the
explanation reads:
"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
responses to vaccination. "

Just curious
diane
 

BostonBanker

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#4
know it depends on who tests what..
For example,,one of my dogs came back 1:5 on both distemper/parvo..the
explanation reads:
"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
responses to vaccination. "
That explaination says the same as mine, although different labs have different ratios. I assume the ratio is something like "for every 1 ml of blood, there are 256 antibodies present" hence 1:256. A titer of 1:5 (or 1:32, or 1:64) or higher shows the dog's immune system still has plenty of anti-bodies, either from the vaccine or from fighting the disease itself. Over time, without further exposure to the disease, the antibodies will start to drop; once they are below 1:5, the dog may not have enough to fight off infection if he is exposed to the disease.

If the number is considered adequate then why does one seem lower than the other and vice versa?
I assume either a)they test differently for the two diseases or b) it is based on risk factors. I know there is a much higher risk of parvo in our area than distemper.

The vet tech who called with the results wasn't the most "with-it" guy; he seemed shocked that I wanted the numbers at all. He just told me she was "adequately covered". I bet there are others here who will be better able to answer these questions!
 

Jynx

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#5
ok I think I know what your saying,,however, I'm wondering if the
1:5 is really just a shortened version of 1:500..sometimes those extra zero's don't get in there,

so I was actually reading yours as 1:320 vs just the 1:32..see?

And your right all labs do it differently,,Mine have been done thru Antech.

diane
 

doberkim

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#6
No, they are not shortened numbers. the numbers are actually dilution factors.
They are testing how much antibody is present in the dog to whatever you are testing for (distemper, parvo, panleukopenia, etc).

1:32 is the blood was diluted however many times and that was the last detectable antibody present.
1:256 means that the blood was diluted that many more times and detectable antibody was still present.
 

doberkim

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#8
youre welcome. essentially the higher the second number (the one after the 1: ) the more antibody present, so the better immune response.
 

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