Bailey got her titers... $165!!! HUGE hassle too.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Bailey got her titers... $165!!! HUGE hassle too.

    Sooo, I made the appointment saying I was coming in for titers for Bailey.  They were like uhhh, ok hang on.  Come back to the phone and say okay yes we see she is due for her yearly shots, is that what you mean?  I said "Yes... I dont want the shots though, I would like to have titers done"  She says uh ok well see you Wed.  
     
    So I got the impression she had no idea what I wanted.  When I went in that day they said "so Baileys here for her yearly shots right."  I said no I would like to just get the titers done and we'll see what she needs after that.
     
    The vet tech comes out and is like "Well, why do you want to do that...?"  AAAlllll this talking and her telling me about the rabies HAS to be done anyway and Im telling her yes, I know about the rabies.  AHHH!  What a PAIN! 
     
    I just tell the girl eventually that I will talk to the Dr about it thank you very much.  This Dr knows me... she is the one who treated Kayla for the pancreatitis and I did really like her and the way she was with Kayla and how nice and patient she was with everything.  She called me at 9pm one night after she heard about Kayla and talked with me for about an hour. 
     
    BUT... I went in fully prepared to not be detered from what I wanted and ready to change vets if need be.
     
    After much discussion we do the titers and she says the parvo/distemper are one and the lepto is another and charged me separately for each, one at $65 and one at $100!  I didnt find out until the end although I would have done it anyway but isint that outrageous?  I mean, I was thinking like $100 for everything. 
     
    Anyway, Bailey got the rabies shot and she called me the next day saying Baileys titers were good and she didnt need anything else.  Thats what I figured but man why to they have to charge you so much to NOT put crap into her body?
     
    I also asked her to check Baileys levels since she hasnt been eating much and since Im a total worry wart since Kayla I needed to be sure. 
     
    So my total bill was $359.  WOW!!!!!!!!!![:o]  I have an itemized bill if anyone cares for me to post the individual costs... lordy though it was just rediculous.
     
    Its only yearly so I will continue to go this route.  Just sticker shocked.  I will call around my area and see if this is normal charge.  I also didnt like all the asking why and stuff only to tell me in the end that its the ideal way to go and she does have a few other clients that insist on it but its so costly most dont.  I beg to differ that most dont because they dont know any better.  I didnt know with Kayla but if I had I sure as heck wouldve done it!  I almost said "No, its probably because no one tells them of that option!" 
     
    They were on my case about not brining her in for her last set of puppy shots which I decided she didnt need since she had gotten too many already... I eventually just told them I had it done at another vet.  Sheesh. 
     
    And see... she STILL doesnt need anything.
    • Gold Top Dog
    i'm not really clear what the difference between titers and yearly shots are, but that sounds like a huge bill to me. i could get berserker nuetered, shots and numerous tests for that amount. last year our bill for rabies and vanguard plus 5, including a regular examination and office visit came to $40.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Since most of the shots they want to give yearly are either totally unnecessary at any time in there life OR only needed every few years, if that, I wanted to get titers... which is blood work, to see her levels were high enough that she wouldnt need those vaccines.  And they were.

    I guess for an average dog the vaccines are fine but Bailey got demodex as a puppy from being overly vaccinated Im assuming, so I really didnt want to stress her system with those shots if I didnt need to.  And after Callie helping me understand everything, I knew she wouldnt need them.

    Knowing what I know now I dont think I will ever give yearly shots again.   Not just Bailey but any other dog I get either.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Knowing what I know now I dont think I will ever give yearly shots again.


    i agree, i saw a story once on how most vaccines are effective far longer than companies are admitting. i didn't know that the levels could be checked, thank you, i will be doing this with b this year now since he is due for shots in feb. he says thank you too [;)]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Yikes! I've heard that getting a titer run is more expensive than the vaccines, but goodness gracious. Gingerbread is due for his DHPP booster in about 6 weeks. After that it'll be another 3 years until I even think about giving him anymore vaccines. I'll probably get titers, because of course I don't want to tax his immune system if he doesn't need the vaccines. Hopefully we'll be rolling in the dough by then. [:D] lol
    • Gold Top Dog
    I feel your pain loveukaykay.  The titers here are also more expensive than the shots.  Pretty ridiculous!!  Makes no sense.  It costs more to keep unneeded drugs out of your dogs bodies!![8|]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Titers are more expensive here, too.  Some owners are choosing to skip alternate years, just doing the rabies on schedule. 

    • Silver
    Ack!! That's a lot of money.

    I know this has been posted here by me and others.

    Dr. Dodds charges $35 for a Distemper and Parvo titer test. You have to pay for your vet to draw and spin the blood, and then shipping out to California, but it still comes in much much cheaper.

    For info and to download the forms, [linkhttp://itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM]http://itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM[/link]

    Maybe this info should be pinned in the health forum?
     
    Distemper and parvo are the only things you need to titer for. Rabies is required by law so why titer when you will be required to give the vaccine anyway?
    • Gold Top Dog
    Wow! I never knew this! Thanks for posting! I will definitely look into this when the boys are due for their annuals. I'm all for not pumping excessive chemicals into their little bodies!
     
    Sorry for the stupid question, but is it pronouced like the word "tighter"??
    • Silver
    ORIGINAL: MissMandy

    Sorry for the stupid question, but is it pronouced like the word "tighter"??

     
    Yes
    • Gold Top Dog
    Yup.  I had only read it so I said titers like a boob pronounciation.[>:]    Quickly revised that after I heard the vet said it like "tighter".
     
    She called this morning to say the lepto was back and it was all good too.
     
    So rediculous to pay out the wazoo to NOT give stupid shots.[8|]
     
    Shes just lucky shes so cute, lol... kidding.[:D]
    • Gold Top Dog
    So what shots do they absolutly need?? when I got Raja they have her a bunch, so which are unnessisary?
    • Gold Top Dog
    once you've done your full puppy series (do not skimp on those), I'd at least get a parvo shot at one year, because parvo is so scary, and well, after that you can probably skip everything except the rabies as required by law in your area.
    But do realize that vaccines are remarkably safe, despite the internet rumors to the contrary. I get full vaccines done every year and feel good about it. I'll risk a million to one chance of a vaccine reaction against death by parvo or distemper anyday.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I have done the titers and will continue to do so.  Once you have a dog with health problems, you really do cut back on anything that might compromise their immune system -- if it's something that is not needed.  This past year I even noticed the flea meds causing problems, so for some dogs these types of things can make a difference.  So dealing with fleas will have to take a more natural approach. I'm certainly not saying not to ever give shots - that would be stupid.  For anybody interested, Dr. Dodds has something on her site that list the shots she recommends.
     
    OK: One thing that kinda bothered me is that Amy said that she found out the next day that they were ok.  Maybe they sent the tests off to Antech and they are that quick?  But, I had mine sent to Michigan State - and it took weeks to get the results back.  I only requested the parvo and distemper, but she said it was an all-in-one test, so I got titers on everything. And I got copies of the report.  As to cost?   Well, I think the first time was around $ 80 (a different vet), this last time the charge was  $ 50, but I also had done two $ 70 thyroid panel - so there may have been a discount for the titer., but I really don't think they give discounts for multiple tests - but wouldn't that be nice?  So, I say the test for all titers should run between $50 - $80 at the higher end.
     
    If you like your vet, then I suggest at your next visit, mention that the cost of the tests were higher than you thought that they would be.  Give her an out and say that MSU might do the tests cheaper, and could she send them there, and then what would your cost be for it?
     
    My vet didn't have a problem doing titers - they may have done them before and sent them to Antech.  I know I was the first to request Michigan State b/c they had to look up the code numbers - but they must've sent something there before b/c they had MSU mailers to send them in.  If you choose MSU, they have a fantastic website that explains alot of this stuff - and gives detailed information about sending it and even has a list of their codes on their.  It is a very informative site.
     
    • Silver
    ORIGINAL: loveukaykay

    She called this morning to say the lepto was back and it was all good too.


     
    Did you get a titer on lepto also? I went to a lecture given by Dr Bob Rogers, who has been prominent in the fight against overvaccination. According to him, parvo and distemper vaccinations given to an animal with a mature immune system are probably good for the life of the animal. Other vaccinations like bordatella do not give long lasting immunity. He included lepto in the group that did not give long lasting immunity. His recommendation was to decide whether this is a risk for your dog, depending  on your location and your dog's lifestyle. If you feel your dog is at risk then give the vaccination every year. If not then don't. According to him, good immunity to leptospirosis lasts for less than a year. Anyway, there really wasn't much point in running a titer.