Monthly Archives: September 2014

Evidence Update: Azodyl for Chronic Kidney Disease in Dogs

Posted on September 30, 2014 by skeptvet

One of the products I have kept track of over the years is Azodyl, a probiotic reported to be useful in treating kidney disease in dogs and cats. Though the company has reported positive results in laboratory studies involving rats, … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 37 Comments

What is “Integrative Oncology” & is it Good for Patients?

Posted on September 21, 2014 by skeptvet

I’ve written about so-called “integrative medicine” in the past, and my conclusion was that it is largely a Trojan horse intended to exempt certain alternative therapies from rigorous scientific scrutiny and gain mainstream acceptance without appropriate evidence of safety and … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 6 Comments

Latest Review of Evidence for Vitamin D & Calcium Supplements

Posted on September 15, 2014 by skeptvet

I have reviewed the complex and inconsistent evidence concerning the potential risks and benefits of vitamin supplements here, and concluded that most of the common claims for health benefits are unjustified. I recently discussed an example of this sort of … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 3 Comments

Choosing Wisely-The Video

Posted on September 14, 2014 by skeptvet

Here is some good advice about overdiagnosis and overtreatment–with a beat!! 🙂

Posted in Humor | 9 Comments

Is There a Blood Test for Cancer in Dogs & Cats?

Posted on September 11, 2014 by skeptvet

I am often asked by clients if there is a blood test that can tell if their apparently healthy pet has cancer. Obviously, “cancer” is a scary word, and many of the various diseases given that label are difficult to … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 26 Comments

FDA Might Regulate Stem-Cell Therapies for Dogs & Cats: But Probably Not

Posted on September 9, 2014 by skeptvet

I’ve written extensively, though not lately, about veterinary stem-cell therapies (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). These are treatments in which stem cells are injected into an animal to treat some disease. The most common current use is to inject stem … Continue reading →

Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics | 5 Comments

What is “Integrative Veterinary Oncology” & can it be Evidence-Based?

Posted on September 7, 2014 by skeptvet

An interesting article appeared recently in a widely-read veterinary journal that discusses so-called “integrative medicine” in veterinary cancer care in terms of evidence-based medicine (EBM). This article raises a number of interesting questions and concerns. Raditic, DM. Bartges, JW. Evidence-based … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 3 Comments