What in-house vaccine titering could mean for practice

In-house vaccine titering is moving closer to routine small animal practice, with dvm360 spotlighting both a December 2, 2025 Vet Blast Podcast episode featuring Noga Schiller, DVM, and Hunter Finn, DVM, and a companion article arguing that validated point-of-care serology can help personalize vaccination decisions in dogs and cats. The core shift is practical: instead of sending every case to an outside lab, clinics now have access to in-practice test kits that can return antibody results in about 20 to 30 minutes for key canine core antigens, and for feline panleukopenia in cats, depending on the platform. Major guideline groups have already carved out a role for serology in vaccine decision-making, especially around core viral diseases, while also emphasizing that titers are not a blanket substitute for every vaccine or every legal requirement. (dvm360.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary teams, in-house titering can support more individualized preventive care, particularly for patients with prior vaccine reactions, chronic illness, uncertain vaccine history, or pet parents who are hesitant about boosters. But the evidence base is strongest for core viral diseases, not for all pathogens, and rabies remains a legal and public health exception in the U.S., where antibody titers generally do not replace required vaccination. AAHA also cautions that routine titer testing to decide on revaccination at standard intervals is not usually advised for every dog, so practices will need clear protocols for when point-of-care testing adds value and when standard vaccination remains the better path. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Expect more discussion around which in-practice assays are best validated, how clinics build workflows around them, and whether titering becomes a bigger part of preventive care conversations in vaccine-hesitant or medically complex cases. (mdpi.com)