What in-house vaccine titering means for veterinary practice

In-house vaccine titering is getting fresh attention in companion animal practice, with dvm360 highlighting point-of-care testing as a way to personalize revaccination decisions for dogs and cats rather than defaulting to automatic boosters. In the related Vet Blast discussion, Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, spoke with Hunter Finn, DVM, and Noga Schiller, DVM, about how in-clinic titers can support conversations around immunity, preventive care, and client choice. That discussion lands against a broader guideline backdrop: AAHA’s canine vaccination guidance says serologic titers can help interpret immune status for core viral diseases, while WSAVA’s 2024 global guidelines continue to emphasize core vaccination for every dog and cat, using vaccines only as frequently as necessary to maintain protection. (dvm360.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the practical value is less about replacing vaccination wholesale and more about adding another decision-support tool. Evidence is strongest for core viral antigens such as canine distemper, parvovirus, and adenovirus, and not all titers are created equal. AAHA notes routine titer testing isn’t usually advised for every dog on a standard schedule, but it can be useful when a patient has a history of vaccine reactions, when there’s concern about vaccine-related autoimmune disease, or when a pet parent is hesitant about revaccination. Just as important, rabies titers are not recognized in the US as a substitute for required rabies vaccination, which limits how far an in-house titer program can go in everyday compliance discussions. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Expect more scrutiny of which point-of-care assays are best validated, how clinics price and position titer testing in wellness care, and whether updated feline- and canine-specific guidance becomes more explicit about when in-house titering adds the most value. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)