Category Archives: Herbs and Supplements

Calming Care Probiotic for Anxiety in Dogs

I first wrote about the subject of probiotics in 2009, and I have added quite a few articles on the subject since (1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11). Overall, the evidence has been mixed but pretty poor for most conditions. The best evidence suggests some possible … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 3 Comments

No Good News for Veterinary Probiotics

I have covered the subject of probiotics many times in the ten years since the beginning of this blog. I last summarized the evidence in a 2017 post reviewing all of my previous articles as well as the results of a … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 10 Comments

Herbalists Petition for Specialty Recognition is Rejected

I recently updated my coverage of attempts by the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine (ACVBM) to attain specialty recognition, and explained why I am opposed to this effort. The deliberations and decisions of the American Board of Veterinary Specialties … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 5 Comments

Herbalists try again for medical specialty status.

In 2017 and 2018, I covered extensivelythe efforts of the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine (ACVBM) to achieve recognition as a medical specialty by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS). I opposed recognition for several reasons: Prescribing of herbal … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 4 Comments

Herbal Medicine Will not be a Recognized Medical Specialty

For over a year now, I have been covering the petition from the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine (ACVBM) seeking recognition as a medical specialty from the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS). I have argued that the discipline … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 6 Comments

Evidence Update: Promising Clinical Trial of CBD for Arthritis Treatment in Dogs

Introduction At long last, there is a published veterinary clinical trial of a cannabis-based treatment! As I say in nearly every article I write, a single study neither definitively proves nor disproves even the specific hypothesis being studied, much less … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 44 Comments

Evidence Update: Anxitane (L-theanine) for Anxiety in Dogs (and Cats)

In late 2014, I reviewed the evidence for Anxitane (l-theanine), an amino acid from the tea plant reported to have benefits for dogs with anxiety. At that time, my conclusion was: The theoretical reasoning behind the potential value of l-theanine … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 28 Comments

Lysine for Feline Herpesvirus: A Therapeutic Zombie

Introduction Science is a process for developing and refining our understanding of nature over time. The work of a community of scientists, often with vigorous competition and conflict between individuals, gradually improves the accuracy of our understanding. Perfect comprehension of … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 9 Comments

Presentation on Cannabis for Pets

I recently gave a presentation for veterinarians on Cannabis as a potential source of medical therapies for veterinary patients.  There haven’t been many new studies in veterinary species since my last post on the subject in 2016, but that is … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements, Presentations, Lectures, Publications & Interviews | 6 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