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Hi, just wondering what everyone has paid for the distemper/parvo titer test? I’m trying to figure out whether my vet is fairly priced or not. Thanks ๐
Looks like I’m in the middle… they charged me $112. Thanks for responding! I forgot to ask also, how often do they encourage you to have it done? My vet told me it should be done yearly. Seems excessive to me.
My vet says it depends what the numbers were. Boone got titered the first time three years ago and hasn’t been re-done. Don’t forget, beagle mom, YOU are the owner. You can say, I respect your opinion but I’m all set for now. It depends on your dogs. Mine are “just” pets, they don’t do shows, dog sports etc. They got probably too many vaccines as pups and I’m fine with never titering them again.
Ding! Ding! I regret that I appear to be the winner. My distemper / parvo titers cost $188.80 and they were sent to Colorado State University for processing. My vet recommends annual titers as well.
I paid $132.00. It was our first time doing a titer, Riley is two. So I don’t know how often my vet will want to do it. If she wants to do it next time, I’ll see how the 2 results compare and then decide how often to do it.
lol Betsy – ouch. I don’t know how details of this process is for vet offices but through Dr. Becker I found the site for the lab/bloodbank created by Dr. Jean Dodds in CA (Hemopet). They’ve priced this test at $50 – obviously this doesn’t include the cost of getting the sample there, but seems like that would still come in far below what most of us have paid. I mentioned it to my vet but I’m not too hopeful anything will come of it.
Marie – amen to what you said. They’re my dogs, it’s MY decision. Sometimes I feel like the balance between “optimal pet health” and “making money” is actually tipped quite a bit toward “making money” … and I hate that feeling.
beaglemom: so many times, I read that pet owners say “my vet told me I had to”โฆ.they can tell you but you don’t’ have to. With one of my past dogs, I made the decision to skip vaccines and I didn’t titer. He was ten, I had him from 9 weeks and I was confident. He did get rabies, though.
My regular vet I used to go to insisted on vaccinations yearly. Stella (rip) even had a reaction once and he just gave her a cortisone shot (or something) and continued to vaccinate her yearly, except for the rabies which was every 3 years. I was ignorant at the time and went along with this! I finally switched to a holistic vet practice, which also does some traditional practices, and they do titers. I pay 85.00. When I started with them, and told them about Stella’s reaction they recommended we not give her any more shots at all, even rabies, due to her condition and age! My other vet would’ve still be vaccinating her, if allowed. I can’t believe how I subjected my babies to that…..glad I know better now.
Mom2Cavs – I completely understand. For 6 years I fed what the vet told me to feed and I vaccinated with what they told me to vaccinate. In addition – my vet likes to make up some story about how they like to give the 3-year rabies booster every 2 years “just to be safe.” Um, what?! After spending enough time here on DFA and other natural dog care sites I am so done with that crap – and now I feel like I spend more time educating the docs when I go in then they spend educating me… but I’m paying them. Go figure. The latest stunt they pulled was with my older boy that I knew had had a vaccine reaction in the past but didn’t know to which one (because his previous owners were… not good). They took him back to draw blood and when he was brought back I was told “oh the doctor said to go ahead and give him an injection of Benedryl to get him started before the vaccines”. At the time I was annoyed but it didn’t really sink in til i saw my invoice — that injection cost $26! almost double the cost of the rabies vaccine itself! And they never even consulted me! I went home furious, called the office and was put on the phone with the smooth-talking doc who insisted that it was “in his best interest” and “that’s what we do with all dogs who have had a reaction”. I said – not with my dog! You do not inject him with *anything* without consulting me first and certainly not something for $26! They make out great! — now, even though they don’t know which vaccine caused his reaction, every TWO years (“to be safe”) they want me to pay ~15 for the vaccine PLUS $26 for Benedryl. Needless to say, even though I had to push through to the office manager to get it, they did issue me a credit and noted my wishes in my dogs’ files. Sorry for the rant and thank you for reading ๐ It’s just live and learn I guess… I regret the 6 years I spent not knowing any better, like you, but now we DO know and we aren’t getting pushed around any longer. I’m glad you were able to switch to a vet you can trust — I’m having a lot of trouble finding a holistic vet around me.
Marie – I know, I used to be one of those people (see above!). That’s interesting that your one dog made it to 10 with nothing. The rabies is unfortunate though ๐
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