Category Archives: Herbs and Supplements

There are an enormous number of unregulated over-the-counter remedies marketed to pet owners, often for serious health problems, and most of them have never been scientifically tested to see if they are safe or effective. It is difficult to evaluate … Continue reading →

In 2011, I reviewed a product called Neutricks that claimed to help dogs with cognitive dysfunction, a condition in old dogs roughly analogous to dementia in elderly humans. At the time, there was little evidence to support the claims made … Continue reading →

Back in 2010, in the early days of this blog, I reviewed the evidence for the Chinese herbal supplement Yunnan Baiyao. At the time, I found only very low-quality evidence concerning the potential risks and benefits of this product.  Some … Continue reading →

In 2013, I wrote about a particular medical marijuana product marketed for veterinary use, Canna-pet, as an illustration of the uncertainties and issues surrounding the potential medical use of cannabis-derived products. At that time, my conclusion was that 1) there … Continue reading →

A new systematic review has appeared discussing one of the most widely and longest used supplements in small animal medicine, the amino acid lysine, which is used to prevent and treat upper respiratory infections in cats caused by Feline Herpesvirus. … Continue reading →

The faux science journal Integrative Veterinary Care has recently been pushing a supplement called Vivamune on their Facebook page, so I thought I’d investigate and see what the product was about. It turned out to be an interesting look into … Continue reading →

Many times, I have written about the risks of herbal remedies and dietary supplements, and about the folly of not regulating these and requiring the scientific testing for safety and efficacy that is required of real medicine (e.g. 1, 2, 3, … Continue reading →

I’ve written before about why the near magical status of antioxidant supplements, supposed to be miraculous in preventing or treating disease and aging, is inconsistent with science and not supported by good evidence. Antioxidants in general, and specific supplements like … Continue reading →

I recently had a patient I was treating for lymphoma, a white blood cell cancer, whose owner was interested in giving the dog Essiac Tea, a well-known herbal remedy sometimes recommended for cancer patients. In order to advise this client, … Continue reading →

Last year, I wrote about a supplement marketed for dogs and cats with kidney failure, RenAvast. AT the time, the Bottom Line conclusion for this supplement was this: The ingredients in RenAvast™ are deliberately not disclosed by the company beyond … Continue reading →