Why should I have an antibody titer performed on my cat instead of just vaccinating him/her?

The short answer is ‘for your cat’s safety’. Vaccines are considered to be like medicine.  If your pet does not ‘need’ it, then we should not give it.  Antibody titer blood work enables us to look inside of your pet to see if your pet needs a vaccine.  As with humans, pets may carry antibodies from being previously vaccinated, longer than others.  With out an antibody titer, we do not know if your pet actually needs to be vaccinated or is still protected from previous vaccination.  To arbitrarily vaccinate your pet every year or every 3 years is not always safe, and is not always necessary. Antibody Titering is a safe and effective way to keep your pet protected against common disease.  If we titer your pet and find that he or she needs more vaccine, then we simply will vaccinate them.  To discuss if a titer is right for your pet, simple call to speak with one of our veterinarians at 813 973 8566.