Who Is the SkeptVet?

7 Responses to Who Is the SkeptVet?

1. Steve Parker, M.D. says:

   September 27, 2019 at 2:04 pm

   Well done, sir! I look forward to the upcoming videos.
   -Steve

   PS: I enjoyed the music, Lark in the Morning, one of my favorite fiddle tunes.
2. v.t. says:

   September 28, 2019 at 10:03 am

   Along with having an impressive CV, you’re also Scottish 🙂

   Thanks for also (thus far) embedding your SkeptVet TV videos right on the blog, some people, like me, get horribly distracted on youtube!
3. Dr. Karim says:

   September 29, 2019 at 11:37 pm

   Very happy to see you working with videos now! Looking forward to all the content to come 🙂
4. Dena Ellison says:

   June 10, 2021 at 7:12 am

   So glad I found your blog! My dogs lived 16 1/2 years and 17 years on commercial diets, so I know the nonsense Dr. Marty and others use to push their ridiculously expensive products is just that – nonsense. It’s hard to convince some people, though, and grateful for your efforts in that regard.

   In addition to their regular diet, we discovered early on that our current dogs like a bite here and there of raw fruit and veggies. Things like carrot, banana, apple, blueberry, brussels sprouts, and cucumber, and strawberry out of my garden is their current favorite. We also research before we give them anything, so I believe these are all safe. I would love to see a blog post on the advantages/disadvantages of this vs commercial treats.
5. skeptvet says:

   June 10, 2021 at 1:43 pm

   Thanks, glad the blog is useful for you.

   I don’t think there is any specific data on the health benefits of fresh fruit and veggies as treats. Agreed not harmful, could be helpful, probably know one knows for sure. 🙂
6. Paul Hilling says:

   December 4, 2021 at 6:13 pm

   Really wondering about the necessity for a prescription diet such as dog food that contains a single protein vs. multiple types. One of these diets is meant for skin and digestive issues but when we ask the company about evidence for the diet’s efficacy, we get back a lot of double talk. We were told the FDA is involved somehow in regard to the “prescription” status of these various products but we are not sure how meaningful that is (could it be a bit like “FDA Cleared” medical devices?).
7. skeptvet says:

   December 5, 2021 at 9:02 am

   There are several elements to your questions. The first is what is a “prescription” diet and how is it regulated?
   Technically, the term “Prescription Diet” is trademarked by Hill’s, and these are usually called “therapeutic diets.” Whether they actually require a prescription is not 100% clear. The FDA has authority to regulate anything intended to diagnose or treat a disease, and since many of these diets are intended as treatments (e.g. kidney diets, bladder stone dissolution diets), they should require the same approval process as a drug, and then be available only by prescription. However, the FDA has said it is willing to let such diets be used without going through this process (which often takes many years and costs millions of dollars) in order to make the diets more readily available and affordable than they would otherwise be (though still pricey!). This means that the evidence requirements are lower, but often there is still solid research behind these diets. This compromise does mean that the diets are supposed to only be used under the supervision of a vet, though technically they aren’t “prescription” because they aren’t fully approved as a new drug would be.
   Here are some articles explaining this confusing legal situation a bit more. Tufts VIN

   The second part of your question seems to be about the evidence behind therapeutic diets. This varies depending on the diet and the purpose. There is, for example, published clinical trial evidence showing that some diets formulated for management of kidney disease have real benefits for cats and dogs. This doesn’t mean every single diet has been through such testing, but the general principles of a renal diet and some of the available products have been. The evidence is similar for some other diets (e.g. hydrolyzed protein diets for inflammatory GI disease). However, the evidence varies from diet to diet. You should be able to get published research studies from a company regarding their diets if these studies exist. If they don’t exist, then obviously the level of evidence is lower, and it is harder to judge if the diet does what it is claimed to do or not.

   Hope this helps!