I'm not anti-vaccination when it comes to the health of my canine and feline patients and personal pet. I'm pro-judicious vaccination where the patient's health status, age, lifestyle, and current level of immunity from vaccinations is combined with adherence to state-mandated legal requirements.
Yet, I feel many pets living in the U.S. are overvaccinated and unnecessarily vaccinated. Generally, administering an immunization is safe and does not immediately lead to health problems, but some pets having ailments like immune-mediated ("autoimmune") disease, cancer, and other conditions along with those having had vaccine associated adverse events (VAAE) are more-prone to mild to life threatening health problems that can occur post-vaccination.
Such is why I recommend owners partner with their veterinarian to determine an immunzation plan that is tailored specifically to their pet's needs and consider antibody titers. An antibody titer is a blood test that helps determine your pet's level of immunity as a result of prior vaccination or exposure to infectious organisms. I recommend titers for my canine and feline patients once the puppy and kitten series of vaccinations are complete as a means of striving to minimize the chance a VAAE will occur that could permanently alter the pet's health and be costly for the owner to treat.
Laern more in this article for PetMD to which I contributed that delves more into the topic of antibody titer testing- What is a Titer Test, and is it Right for Your Pet?
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Dr. Patrick Mahaney
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