What veterinary professionals need to know about in-house vaccine titering

In-house vaccine titering is moving from a niche discussion into a more practical option for general practice, as dvm360’s recent podcast and companion article highlight growing interest in point-of-care serology for dogs and cats. The core message is that validated in-clinic titer tests can help practices assess protective antibody responses for certain core viral diseases, rather than defaulting to automatic revaccination in every case. Current guidance from AAHA and WSAVA supports the clinical value of antibody testing for canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, canine adenovirus, and feline panleukopenia virus, while also emphasizing that titers are not equally useful across all vaccines or pathogens. (aaha.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, in-house titering can support more individualized preventive care, especially for patients with prior vaccine reactions, suspected vaccine-related autoimmune concerns, unknown vaccine histories, or vaccine-hesitant pet parents. But the evidence base also sets limits: AAHA says routine titer testing to decide on revaccination at standard intervals is not usually advised, and positive titers are most meaningful for a narrow group of core viral diseases. A 2022 JAVMA study found a point-of-care dot blot ELISA for canine adenovirus, parvovirus, and distemper had sensitivity of 96.03% to 96.75%, specificity of 87.50% to 94.33%, and overall accuracy of 93.43% to 95.91%, supporting its use as a rapid screening tool in healthy dogs over 20 weeks of age. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Expect more discussion around where point-of-care titering fits into preventive care workflows, client communication, and vaccine protocol decisions, especially as practices weigh convenience against guideline-based limits on when titers should replace revaccination. (aaha.org)