VACCI-CHECK TITRE TESTING

We are now able to offer titre testing to the Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus elements of the core vaccines for dogs.

The current advice by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) is that ALL dogs should receive vaccination against three diseases (called the 3 core diseases) - namely Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis and Canine Parvovirus. These are called the DHP vaccines.

Presently a regime is advised which incorporates a Puppy course of two vaccines (usually at 8 and 12 weeks), a primary "booster" vaccine year later and then further "boosters" every THREE years after this.  There is even some evidence to suggest that some dogs may require a further puppy vaccine at 16 weeks old as well.

In this country, non-core vaccines include Leptospirosis and Kennel Cough.  These are still advised to be given annually as the long term immune response to these vaccines are less reliable over a longer period of time.

We currently suggest that after the puppy vaccines and first annual "booster", dogs have:
  • DHP given every three years,
  • LEPTOSPIROSIS vaccine every year
  • KENNEL COUGH can be given intermittently or based on risk/requirement factors (such as going into kennels or dog shows etc). 
As far as the immunity to the DHP goes, it is known that individual dogs may often have a varying immune "memory" to the vaccine - with some potentially being covered  longer than the three year licensed period.  The reason for the three year protocol and is to make sure that (without testing) your pet will have the best chance of being protected throughout its lifetime.

A good comparison is the tetanus vaccine in people. It is generally assumed that it is fine to be given every 7 years. However, this is often "topped-up" in shorter periods if a person is deemed to being at risk as doctors are not happy to rely on everyone having adequate protection.

Whilst vaccinations for DHP are considered incredibly safe, some people are becoming concerned about over vaccination  - in other words giving the vaccine where it is not required.  This is where VacciCheck can come in useful.
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What is VacciCheck?

VacciCheck is a simple blood test that can be performed at our surgery which will tell us whether your dog still remains protected against the three core diseases that we routinely vaccinate against - The Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus componants.

The process works by taking a small blood sample from your dog.  We currently send the samples to an external lab and the results are normally back within 7-10 days.  (We can obtain kits to run the samples "in-house" which would ultimately make the test quicker and cheaper, however we do not currently do enough tests to make this financially viable.  This is likely to change in the future!)

It is generally advised that you don't need to run the VacciCheck test until at least THREE years after your last DHP injection unless there are other specific concerns (such as being on chemotherapy or immunosuppresive treatment).

If the test shows that revaccination is not required against the Core diseases, then we will generally advice that DHP is not required that year and suggest retesting again in 12m time.  It is still highly adviseable to administer the Leptospirosis vaccine annually as this is not currently tested due to the predictable drop in protection over the 12m period.

How much does it cost?

Currently price of the package is  £164.34. This includes


  • The complete Annual Health Examination with/without the Lepto 4 vaccine (this is our routine "heath check and booster" price).  (TLC members still get this included in their yearly plan.) £62.


  • The blood sampling and interpretation of the results. £77.78


  • The Vaccicheck Lab Fees £24.48


Should your dog require the DHP component of the vaccine, this would then be given by a nurse at a follow up appointment

and would be at no additional cost.

*We currently send the sample to an external lab for processing. However, in the future if more people require this test then it will become more cost effective for us to purchase bulk test-kits that we can do "in-house" and this may bring the cost down by up to 50%.

Common Questions?

  • What happens if my dog fails only one or two of the three components?

    If your pet shows inadequate levels of any of the three diseases, then it will be necessary to administer the full DHP vaccine.  


    The reason for this is presently it isn't possible to obtain the vaccines in single D, H or P components  only combined as a DHP vaccine.

  • Why don't you test the Leptospirosis part?

    The duration of immunity (DOI) to Leptospirosis is known to be much shorter than the core vaccine response.  It is widely accepted that this vaccine needs to be given AT LEAST annually in order to maintain full protection.

  • Why don't you always give Kennel Cough annually?

    Kennel Cough, whilst unpleasant for the animal, is rarely life threatening and is more of a management disease.  If you dog is classed as "low-risk" (ie not going into kennels, doesn't mix with large groups of animals etc) then vaccine doesn't have to be given.


    This advice can change in cases of local outbreaks or concurrent illnesses or diseases.

  • What if my animal doesn't allow the blood test to be taken?

    We definitely get some dogs where obtaining the blood sample can be difficult! In these animals, we have to consider the benefits of the blood test over the need for sedation or stressing the patient out further whilst trying to obtain a sample.


    If getting the blood test turns out to be an ordeal, then we may suggest just repeating the vaccine anyway as it is a much less stressful process and at least ensures the best chance of continuing disease protection.

  • What if I choose not to vaccinate my pet at all?

    This is entirely down to you of course!  We would never force anyone to do anything they do not want to do. 


    However, your pet would be at increased risk of contracting one of the preventable diseases and also kennels (and other animal establishments) may not accept your pet without proof of vaccination or passed titre test.

  • Will Kennels and Insurance Policies still be valid if I don't have the vaccine?

    You have to be aware that some insurance companies will have stated in their policy that your dog must be vaccinated annually.  Whilst it can certainly be argued that as long as they have a health check and they pass the VacciCheck then this should suffice - this is by no means a guarantee that you won't void your policy.


    The same goes for kennels as well, as they may often not accept dogs that have not had the standard vaccine protocol.


    Therefore, this is something that you would need to check with both the kennels and your insurance company.  

  • What does it cost if my pet requires the vaccination?

    We still recommend that your pet has the LEPTOSPIROSIS vaccine every year.  If your pet requires the DHP as well, this isn't charged extra to our normal vaccination prices.

  • Why does it cost the same, even if I don't want the Lepto4 vaccine?

    The main cost of the vaccination consultation - is actually the time taken for the vet to perform the thorough clinical examination.  If you choose NOT to have the L4 vaccine then this is fine - however the price has to reflect the time taken to perform the health check.