Clinical and Physiological Characterization of Canine Distemper Virus Infection in Dogs from the Junagadh Region of Gujarat, India

Abstract

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is an infectious disease of canines in the overall world, mainly in developing countries where proper immunization is not enclosed. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical signs and physiological parameters alterations in canine distemper virus (CDV) affected dogs from the Junagadh region of Gujarat, India. A total of 74 dogs showing clinical signs that indicate CDV were examined from January to June 2025; among these, 28 dogs were confirmed positive through rapid antigen testing, and 35 dogs were positive with PCR. Various clinical signs of CDV-positive dogs were classified into nervous, respiratory, gastrointestinal, ocular, and cutaneous forms. Among these 5 forms of systemic affection, the nervous form was the most prevalent, affecting 91.43% of total positive dogs, followed by respiratory (71.43%), gastrointestinal (45.71%), and ocular/cutaneous forms (42.86%). Mixed-system involvement was recorded in most of the dogs, with seizures, mucopurulent nasal discharge, vomiting, and hardening of the foot pad among the most frequent manifestations. Highly significant increases were noted in rectal temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and capillary refill time (CRT) in CDV-positive dogs when statistically compared with ten healthy dogs, indicating systemic affection and cardiorespiratory stress. The findings designated that CDV is pantropic in nature and suggest the diagnostic value of clinical assessment in field conditions where laboratory facilities are not available. Early detection of multisystemic signs, along with a rapid test kit of CDV, is helpful for early differential diagnosis, prognosis of disease, and therapeutic management of affected dogs.