Monthly Archives: May 2010

GAO Report on Deceptive Marketing and Contamination of Herbal Products

Posted on May 26, 2010 by skeptvet

The GAO today released a report to Congress that had previously been reported on in the New York Times. The report investigated deceptive or illegal marketing practices among sellers of herbal remedies and dietary supplements. Under the Dietary Supplement Health … Continue reading →

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

Cold Laser Therapy

Posted on May 26, 2010 by skeptvet

A popular therapy among chiropractors who treat pets is low level laser or “cold laser” treatment. It is an impressive bit of showmanship to pull out a complex-looking device and with a serious expression wave a beam of light over … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous CAVM | 86 Comments

Evaluating Medical Advice and Credentials on the Internet

Posted on May 24, 2010 by skeptvet

Dr. Susan Wynn, a veterinarian and veterinary nutritionist who promotes “holistic” veterinary medicine, has put up a couple of blog posts recently which I rather liked, so I thought I’d comment briefly on them. I more commonly find myself disagreeing … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 13 Comments

Voodoo Fog

Posted on May 23, 2010 by skeptvet

Went to an art/craft fair this weekend and saw this painted on the side of a station wagon covered with voodoo dolls:

Posted in Humor | Leave a comment

Oh No! A Homeopathic Bomb!

Posted on May 20, 2010 by skeptvet

The deadly New Age terrorists threaten the security of the world with the ultimate Weapon of Mass Dilution: A Homeopathic Bomb. As this terrifying expose tells us, “A homeopathic attack could bring entire cities to a standstill…Large numbers of people … Continue reading →

Posted in Homeopathy, Humor | 1 Comment

Guest Post from Alison Averis–The Rise of Equine CAM in the UK

Posted on May 19, 2010 by skeptvet

Alison has offerred another interesting piece that offers insight into the role of CAM therapies in equine medicine “across the pond.” I’m not sure whether to be comforted or saddened by the fact that the retreat from rationality and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Posts, Miscellaneous CAVM | 4 Comments

Pet Psychics

Posted on May 17, 2010 by skeptvet

I have tried to avoid this topic since it is not by even the most tortured stretch of the imagination really about medicine, even most forms of alternative medicine. Unfortunately, all too often I see people making medical decisions for … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous CAVM | 22 Comments

Therapies to Soothe all Four Legs–From the NY Times

Posted on May 10, 2010 by skeptvet

There was a scary article yesterday in the New York Times talking about the popularity of a variety of CAM therapies for racehorses. It is a laundry list of nonsense complete with outrageous prices and weak rationalizations. I also thought … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Miscellaneous CAVM | 7 Comments

Veterinary Quackery–Circa 1921

Posted on May 10, 2010 by skeptvet

I recently ran across an edition of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association from 1921 which contained a few tidbits that I found interesting concerning the distinction between scientifically trained veterinarians and their “empirical” competitors. Such documents are … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 2 Comments