IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science (IOSR-JAVS) e-ISSN: 2319-2380, p-ISSN: 2319-2372. Volume 14, Issue 5 Ser. II (May 2021), PP 26-33 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/2380-1405022633 www.iosrjournals.org 26 | Page Clinical, Hematological and Some Biochemical Changes In Dogs Infected With Canine Distemper Muhanad M. Saaed 1 & Qaes T. Al-Obaidi 2* 1 Master student, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mosul. 2 Professor Doctor of Department of Internal and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq *Corresponding author: Prof. Dr. Qaes Talb Al-Obaidi, Head of Department of Internal and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mosul, Mosul-Iraq. Abstract This works was conducted to determine the incidence of canine distemper disease (CDD) in dogs in Mosul city, Iraq using sandwich ELISA test and to evaluate the clinical, haematological and some biochemical parameters in dogs. A total 92 blood samples were collected from dogs (23 Pet dogs and 69 stray dogs), which include 10 clinically healthy dogs used as control group. Each dog was carful clinically exanimated. The overall sero- incidence of CDV antigen was 18/92 (19.5%), comprising 1/23(4.34%) in pet dogs and 17/69 (24.6%) stray dogs. The incidence of CDV was significantly higher in stray dogs compared to pet dogs (P< 0.05). Infected dogs were suffering from loss of appetite, lethargy, oculonasal discharges, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, thickening of the foot pad and around the nose and nervous signs with different frequency and percentage. Other exhibited in infected dogs were significantly increase in the body temperature, respiratory and heart rates compared to control group (P<0.05). The haemogram of the infected dogs revealed that significantly decrease in TEC, Hb, PCV, Thrombocytes, TLC, lymphocytopenia, MCV, MCH and MCHC, reflecting a microcytic hypochromic type of anemia, along with significant increase in the ESR compared to control group (P<0.05). Serum biochemical profile of the infected dogs showed significant increase in ALT, AST, ALP, BUN, TB and creatinine, along with significantly decrease in the TP, compared to control group (P<0.05). This study indicate that CDV is widespread in dogs in Mosul city with significant clinico-pathological parameters alteration in infected dogs. Key words: Canine distemper virus, Sandwich ELISA test, Clinical signs, Hematology, Biochemical. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 21-05-2021 Date of Acceptance: 06-06-2021 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Introduction In Iraq, canine proprietorship is an expanding for many purposes such as hunter dogs, police dogs, pet dogs, guard dogs and assistant dogs, that needs special approach since it lack necessary data such as prevalence of various diseases and other essential information in this regard (Tamimi, 2017). Canine distemper disease (CDD) is a sever contagious and often fatal infectious disease affects Canidae (Dogs, Foxes, Wolves, Raccoon) and a broad range of wild and aquatic animals (Martinez-Gutierrez and Ruiz-Saenz, 2016; Loots et al., 2017). It is distribution over all world with highly morbidity/mortality in spite of vaccinated animals and has no specific treatment (Feng et al., 2016;Saltik and Kale 2020). The disease caused by Canine distemper virus (CDV) is belonging to the group of single-stranded RNA virus of the family Paramyxoviridae and Morbillivirus genus (ICTV, 2014). The virus can be transmitted mainly by inhalation through air droplets contaminated with the secretions of infected dogs, through direct contact with the secretions of infected dogs includes oronasal secretions, blood and urine, feces, skin and through pots fomites contaminated with these secretions (Di Sabatino et al., 2014; Megid et al., 2014). Furthermore, transplacental transmission (Sykes, 2013). The CDD infects puppies with highly mortality rate reach to 80% and unvaccinated adult dogs with 50% mortality rate, that act as the main reservoir host for the virus (Gray et al., 2012; Wyllie et al., 2016). Canine distemper virus incubation period ranges between 1-3 weeks, after which the animals affected by the disease show various or different clinical signs, depending on the stage of the disease (Amude et al., 2006). The clinical manifestation in the infected dogs with canine distemper includes; respiratory signs (mucopurulent oculo-nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing, dyspnea and respiratory distress), and/ or gastrointestinal sings (anorexia, increase salivation, tooth enamel hypoplasia, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration), Ocular signs (eyelid swelling, congestion in the conjunctiva and ocular purulent secretions), with or without neurological signs (seizures, hypersensitivity, chewing-gum movement, paddling, ataxia, chorea, muscle termers, cycling movement, and plegia or paresis), cutaneous signs (hyperkeratosis of the nostril and footpad and red rashes) and