# Blood Tests and Titers Done - All Normal (Yay!)



## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

After losing my prior Havanese to liver failure, I promised myself I'd be really proactive in health testing my next Havanese. I had Maddie's blood tests done this week, and everything is totally normal. Yay! I had her tested when I bought her as a baseline and decided to do it every 2 years or so. I had a complete blood panel screening for liver, kidneys, diabetes, etc., a CBC, a thyroid, and her parvo/distemper titers done. The whole thing plus blood draw and office visit was about $200, but so worrth not having to worry. If anyone is interested, the parvo/distemper titer cost $57. As expected, her titers showed her previous puppy shots plus her first yearly booster is still in effect. I was surprised the vet didn't even blink an eye when I asked for it instead of the vaccination that was due. I guess more vets are getting the message that our pets are being overvaccinated. I needed proof of Maddie's titers since we'll be starting rally classes plus she needs proof of immunity or vaccination for her therapy work.

Anyway, although the visit was expensive, it was definitely worth the peace of mind.


----------



## Cheryl (Mar 17, 2007)

Jeanne--we have had this discussion in the past and I am glad that your vet was on the same page as you. And another YAY from this corner that Maddie's tests were normal.


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Great going! And, I will remember this when vaccinations are due.


----------



## Leeann (Feb 28, 2007)

:whoo: Maddie :whoo: It is such a wonderful feeling after getting all the test results back isnt it.

Both Riley & Monte went a couple of weeks ago also, the only thing they got was a shot for kennel cough, my training center and day care require it even though I think it is a waste. Thankfully they accept titers.. Total cost for both for me was $350.00, well worth it.


----------



## hedygs (May 23, 2007)

Yeah!! 

That is great news!


----------



## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

Jeanne, that is wonderful news. :whoo: Glad everything checked out okay!
Gina


----------



## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

YEAH!!!!


----------



## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

way to go Maddie!


----------



## Posh's Mom (Dec 20, 2007)

Yay! I've actually wondered if one could do a titers instead of a rabies vaccine...but maybe that isn't "legal" anyone have any info on that?


----------



## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Congrats! It sounds like you have a great vet too


----------



## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

:whoo: Jeanne and Maddie!


----------



## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Congratulations! :whoo:


----------



## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Congratulations Jeanne! 

Do you know which throid test you had done? For all those tests, including the office visit & titers, I think it would cost me another arm & leg beyond $200. I'm impressed! (Edited to add: the OFA Thyroid test is $167 minimum alone.)

Amy, you will need to ask your local licensing agency (assuming that is the reason you would keep vaccinating for Rabies, which is required by law in most areas) if they will accept the titer instead, but most will not. Rabies is still the one that is required as a vaccine only option by most places. Two states still require annual Rabies!


----------



## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

Yay Maddie! Know you are relieved, Jeanne. 

I have already asked about the titers, too, and it seems to be well worth the extra money. Thanks for keeping us informed.


----------



## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

Havtahava said:


> Congratulations Jeanne!
> 
> Do you know which throid test you had done? For all those tests, including the office visit & titers, I think it would cost me another arm & leg beyond $200. I'm impressed! (Edited to add: the OFA Thyroid test is $167 minimum alone.)


Wow! That's expensive. Maddie's vet did a T-4 thyroid test. She suggested I get a "pre-op" blood panel, since it was cheaper than individual tests. It included a CBC (which I wasn't going to get). Then she added on the T-4. The total cost for the chem panel, CBC, and T-4 was $105. The distemper/parvo titer was $57. The office visit/exam was $50. My total bill was $212. The vet gave Maddie a well exam including listening to her heart, lungs, checking her ears and teeth, feeling her abdomen, and expressing her anal glands (yuck, they were pretty full she said).

Maybe the OFA thyroid is more extensive? Maddie has never had any health issues or symptoms, and I just wanted to test every 2 years for any silent problems. I probably won't get the thyroid again unless she has symptoms. However, I was thrilled that I could get titers for the vaccination without any argument. In fact, the vet said I wouldn't need to repeat them until 2011. So all in all, I think it was cheaper than getting yearly vaccinations plus the problems from overvaccinating animals that don't need it.


----------



## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

I agree with you. It sounds really reasonable, especially since you did so many other preventative checks in this visit. I like that the vet said you wouldn't need to repeat them until 2011. (Jane will be interested to read this too.)

The reason the OFA thyroid test is so much more expensive is that they only allow a few labs to process the results. So, in addition to a particular vial being used (my vet had trouble getting this), the price is set also due to the ability to only send it to a couple of specific places. I thought my vet was outrageous for charging the $167, but called around to a few other breeders and found that their vet had explained it the same way. The cost comes directly from the lab. My vet was kind enough to not charge for the office visit or anything else because she knew I wanted this done for my own breeding records. (I have started doing this test on all my dogs over a year, along with the cardiac testing, to be in line with the recommended health testing by the HCA.)


----------



## michi715 (Apr 8, 2008)

HOORAY!


----------



## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

MaddiesMom said:


> However, I was thrilled that I could get titers for the vaccination without any argument. In fact, the vet said I wouldn't need to repeat them until 2011.


Thanks for posting this, Jeanne! And that is wonderful that Maddie checked out just fine! My vet said if we do titers, then we have to decide how often to repeat them. I appreciate the info!


----------



## Cheryl (Mar 17, 2007)

*OFA Thyroid testing*



Havtahava said:


> Congratulations Jeanne!
> 
> Do you know which throid test you had done? For all those tests, including the office visit & titers, I think it would cost me another arm & leg beyond $200. I'm impressed! (Edited to add: the OFA Thyroid test is $167 minimum alone.)
> 
> ...


----------



## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Cheryl, in response to the specifics on OFA's thyroid testing and dogs:
I just spent a full day with Jean Dodds DVM and she says that if you want the full report on the thyroid of your dog that you really need to have the T4, T3, FT4, FT3 and TgAA done. She (Hemopet) will do the tests for $65; unfortunately, that doesn't work for OFA's documentation, so I will be doing both tests for my records (OFA's and the five that Dr. Dodds recommends). OFA does T4, FT4, TSH, and TgAA, as you already noted. (Dr. Dodds says TSH is unncesserary and wrong 30% of the time in dogs, whether false-positive or false-negative, so it is unreliable.)


----------



## ruthann (Jan 26, 2007)

Annabelle just had her annual physical and titers. Second year in a row she does not have to have any vacinations. The Vet did insist upon a Bordetella vac. His argument was she had several playmates and sees some of them everyday and could come into contact with the germs the vac protects her from. She has to have her teeth cleaned and scaled which means total anathesia and a days stay at the Vets. May 1 is the date. I'm always scared to have anathesia. She has made it to the Grand weight of 8 lbs. It is hard for me to believe she is now 3 1/2 yrs. old. It is imposible for me to inagine life without her. She is such a joy to me. Just wanted to get my plug in for Titers, instead of giving our dear ones all those injections every year when they don't need them!! Ruthann


----------

