Bandage Contact Lenses.

Hello, Summarians!

First, an apology and correction. Here is the correct source from last week.

O'Brien, J. S., Grzywinski, M., Sexton, C. L., Dog Aging Project Consortium, Dunbar, M. D., & Ruple, A. (2025). Environmental exposures and health outcomes in dogs differ according to geographic region in the United States among Dog Aging Project participants. American Journal of Veterinary Research https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.25.04.0121 

Drug abuse is a continuing issue. Sadly, it comes in different flavors but is still just as deadly. Whether it’s diversion from a medical source or inaccurately “advertised” street drugs, xylazine is showing up in a variety of situations. Here is an example of how prevalent it is in one sampling.

Human Xylazine Abuse

Xylazine, a veterinary sedative not approved for human use, is increasingly found in the illicit drug supply and is often associated with opioid-related overdoses. This study assessed the prevalence of xylazine and its metabolites—xylazine glucuronide and hydroxy-xylazine—in urine samples that tested positive for fentanyl. Over one month, 230 urine samples were collected and analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Of the 230 samples, 184 were confirmed positive for fentanyl, and xylazine was detected in 56 of those, indicating a 30% prevalence among fentanyl-positive cases. Xylazine or its metabolites were not found in fentanyl-negative samples. The parent drug was present in all 56 positive cases, while the glucuronide and hydroxy metabolites appeared less frequently—28 and 6 cases, respectively. This study is the first to report xylazine detection rates within this Western New York clinical population. 

Young BL, Gqamana PP, Qiu Y, Nacca NE, Zhang YV. The Prevalence of Xylazine in Patient Urine Samples That Were Positive for Fentanyl in Western New York. J Appl Lab Med. 2025 May 2;10(3):572-582. doi: 10.1093/jalm/jfae158. PMID: 39903659. 

Bottom line — For those who are around xylazine. Be aware of the potential for abuse.

Bandage Contact Lenses and Owners

Spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCEDs) in dogs are superficial corneal ulcers that fail to heal properly and often recur, presenting a therapeutic challenge in clinical practice. Treatment typically involves debridement with a cotton-tipped applicator (CTA), followed by anterior stromal puncture (ASP) or grid keratotomy, but healing rates vary widely across studies. The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique opportunity to investigate whether the presence of clients during treatment influenced healing outcomes, as veterinary practices shifted to seeing patients without their owners in the room. 

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate whether the presence or absence of clients during SCCED treatment affected healing success following CTA debridement and ASP in awake dogs. The hypothesis was that procedures performed without client presence would lead to better healing outcomes. The findings showed a marginally higher healing rate when owners were not present, but this was confounded by a significantly greater use of bandage contact lenses (BCLs) in those cases. Dogs treated without their owners present were also older on average and more likely to receive BCLs. It is suspected that clinicians were more comfortable taking the extra time to place BCLs when owners were not watching, possibly due to reduced concern about causing discomfort or being observed closely. 

Previous studies support the benefit of BCLs in SCCED healing, showing improved healing times and outcomes with their use, as well as minimal associated risk. However, in this study, poor documentation of BCL retention at follow-up limited the ability to definitively attribute healing success to BCL use alone. Additionally, there were limitations due to the retrospective nature of the study, including incomplete records on clinician identity and potential inaccuracies in documenting client presence. 

Overall, the study concluded that healing success following a single SCCED treatment was marginally better when owners were not present, likely due to increased use of BCLs. The evidence suggests that BCL placement significantly improves healing outcomes following debridement and ASP procedures.

Rivera-Viscal NL, Bentley E, Opgenorth TA, Lasarev MR. Effect of owner presence on healing of spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects after anterior stromal puncture. Vet Ophthalmol. 2025; 28: 625-629. doi:10.1111/vop.13274 

Bottom line — BCL’s can help. Owners presence at the placement — maybe not so much

New Dental Chew

Periodontal disease is a common condition in dogs, yet client adherence to regular oral hygiene routines remains low. The gold standard for managing canine oral health includes an annual dental prophylaxis performed under general anesthesia with imaging, followed by consistent at-home care such as daily tooth brushing. However, many pet owners require more practical, cost-effective, and easy-to-implement options to maintain their pets’ oral health between professional cleanings. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a honeycomb-shaped dental chew in reducing calculus, plaque, gingivitis, and malodor in a diverse group of client-owned dogs living in their typical home environments. Dogs received the chew daily for 60 consecutive days, and assessments were conducted under sedation and general anesthesia before and after the treatment period. The results demonstrated statistically significant reductions in calculus (26.6%), plaque (14.2%), and malodor (46.71%). While gingival inflammation showed a numerical reduction (0.99%), it was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that the honeycomb-shaped dental chew can be a beneficial adjunct to professional dental care, aiding in the maintenance phase of periodontal disease management by effectively reducing common indicators of poor oral health. 

Crowder SE, Berg M, Bellows J, Artzer M, MacGee S, Schultz L. Effectiveness of a Daily Honeycomb-Shaped Dental Chew in Reducing Calculus, Plaque, Gingivitis and Malodor in Dogs. J Vet Dent. 2025 Mar;42(2):104-113. doi: 10.1177/08987564241255043. Epub 2024 May 31. PMID: 38819379. 

Bottom line — Potentially useful.

Just putting things in perspective …