Search Results for: kidney damage

RenAvast™ for Kidney Disease: Sloppy Science and Snake Oil Marketing

A reader recently asked me to investigate yet another supplement product, this one marketed for treatment of kidney disease in dogs and cats. While there are thousands of such products, and a thorough investigation of each isn’t possible, there were … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 59 Comments

Colloidal Silver- Colorful Snake Oil but not Medicine

Introduction Colloidal silver illustrates many of the classic characteristics of quack alternative medicines. It has a history of mainstream use based on tradition and theory, but it was abandoned by science-based medicine in favor of safer and more effective treatments. … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 11 Comments

Stem Cell Therapies in Veterinary Medicine: Where are We Now?

I’ve written about stem cell therapies numerous times over the years, though not for quite a while. My conclusions were always along the lines of “promising but unproven.” This is one of those perfectly plausible therapies that I expect will … Continue reading

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 5 Comments

CellBIO: Another Dubious Lab Test from Hemopet and Dr. Jean Dodds

Dr. Jean DoddsI have, unfortunately, had to write about Dr. Jean Dodds many times over the years. She has undergone a depressing transformation from a pioneer in transfusion medicine to a shameless promoter of dubious or bogus alternative medical ideas. … Continue reading

Posted in Miscellaneous CAVM | 23 Comments

Who’s Behind the The Truth About Pet Cancer?

I have been asked several times in the last few months to evaluate a new series of videos called The Truth About Pet Cancer. I actually purchased the full transcript of this series and am in the process of investigating … Continue reading

Posted in General | 39 Comments

Should Herbalism Be a Recognized Specialty in Veterinary Medicine?

Introduction As regular readers will know, herbal medicine is the area within complementary and alternative medicine I am most sympathetic to. Plants obviously contain chemical compounds that can have significant physiologic effects, for good or ill. And many conventional medicine … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 19 Comments

Evidence Concerning Vitamin and Mineral Supplements- Safety and Efficacy

Introduction I have discussed a number of studies and reviews of the value and risks of vitamin and mineral supplements in humans. While these studies can only be considered supportive, not definitive, in terms of the risks and benefits of … Continue reading

Posted in Topic-Based Summaries | 13 Comments

Plechner Syndrome and the Art of Making Stuff Up

Most proponents of so-called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are ordinary, reasonable people, even when promoting beliefs that may be dubious or even thoroughly incredible. However, occasionally I run across one of those individuals with not only a bizarre understanding … Continue reading

Posted in General | 224 Comments

FDA Finds Widespread and Serious Violations of Safety and Quality Control Regulations for Dietary Supplements

Despite the possibility that some dietary supplements could have real health benefits, there are many reasons to be skeptical of the safety and value of most supplements on the market. Most have not been tested scientifically to an extent that … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements, Law, Regulation, and Politics | 2 Comments

Garlic for Pets- What’s it Good for?

One of the most popular plant products touted for medicinal use in pets is garlic Allium sativum. A recent newsletter by Dr. Deva Khalsa, a popular alternative veterinarian, makes some typical claims: Garlic is a miracle herb! Garlic (Allium sativum) … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 20 Comments