Editing Canine distemper (section)

==Diagnosis==
[[File:Canine distemper pathology.jpg|thumb|A. Lung lesion in an [[African wild dog]] B. [[Viroplasm|Viral inclusion bodies]]|upright]]
The above signs, especially fever, respiratory signs, neurological signs, and thickened footpads, occurring in unvaccinated dogs strongly indicate CDV.  However, several febrile diseases match many of the signs of the disease and only recently has distinguishing between canine [[hepatitis]], [[herpes]] virus, [[parainfluenza]], and [[leptospirosis]] been possible.<ref name="Jones1997"/>  Thus, finding the virus by various methods in the dog's conjunctival cells or foot pads gives a definitive diagnosis.  In older dogs that develop distemper encephalomyelitis, diagnosis may be more difficult, since many of these dogs have an adequate vaccination history.<ref name="Dewey2003"/>

An additional test to confirm distemper is a [[brush border]] slide of the bladder transitional epithelium of the inside lining from the bladder, stained with [[Diff-Quik]]. These infected cells have inclusions which stain a carmine red color, found in the [[Cell nucleus|paranuclear]] [[cytoplasm]]. About 90% of the bladder cells will be positive for inclusions in the early stages of distemper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kindheartsinaction.com/archives/82|title=NDV-Induced Serum|publisher=Kind Hearts in Action|date=November 5, 2009|access-date=October 31, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625140347/http://www.kindheartsinaction.com/archives/82|archive-date=June 25, 2012}}</ref>