Page "Canine distemper" Paragraph 15

The most reliable test to confirm distemper is a brush border slide / smear of the bladder transitional epithelium of the inside lining from the bladder, stained with Dif-Quick.

These infected cells have inclusions which stain a carmine red color, found in the paranuclear cytoplasmreadability.

About 90 % of the bladder cells will be positive for inclusions in the early stages of distemper.

This is good for at least the first 21 days from onset of the disease.

After this point, it gets harder to detect, as the disease progresses further in the stages and the physical clinical signs will become quite obvious.