Titre Testing

What is Titre Testing?

Blood serum of the dog is tested to check the immune response against the three main diseases they are vaccinated against. Your pet will need to come in for an appointment for a blood test and this will be sent off to be tested externally. The results should be back within 7 days.

We do not routinely perform titre testing in cats.

Why is Titre testing beneficial?

• To check if a pet has adequate immunity or if a booster vaccination is required.
• For rescue or stray animals where the vaccination history is unknown.

What are the three core diseases that Titre testing tests for?

Titre testing checks the immune response levels for Distemper, Infectious Hepatitis and Parvovirus (which are found in the DHP vaccine).

Why does Titre testing not test for Leptospirosis in dogs?

Leptospirosis is caused by a bacteria rather than a virus and it is not possible to reliably test immunity to the leptospira bacteria.

Who can carry out the test?

Titre testing must be carried out by a Veterinary Professional, a 20 minute appointment with a Vet will be required.

What happens if a test comes back as negative?

A negative result indicates your pet is not adequately protected and would need a DHP booster vaccine.

What happens if a test comes back as positive?

A positive result indicates that your pet is adequately protected and does not require a booster at that time. However, please note that these results only show immunity for the specific time the blood was taken so immunity can still change/decrease over the following weeks/months.

What do the different results scores mean?

The results scores are only relevant to determine if the animal has a positive or negative titre. A score of 0-1 indicates a negative titre; a score of 2-6 indicates a positive titre. The actual number itself is irrelevant apart from determining if there is or is not a protective immune response.

How often should Titre testing be run?

We would recommend annual testing to ensure immunity is covered.

How much does a Titre test cost?

A full veterinary health check and Vaccicheck titre test costs £92.10

How much blood is needed?

1ml of blood is needed which we will either take from your pet’s front leg or neck.

How soon can puppies be tested?

Puppies should be over 20 weeks of age before a titre test.

Will positive results be good enough for a pet boarding facility?

Every facility has different requirements so it is worth double checking.