Search Results for: caregiver placebo

Misleading Caregiver Placebo Effects Occur with Cats as well as Dogs

I’ve written about placebo effects in animals several times. These appear in both clinical research studies and in real-world medical practice in many different ways. However, one of the most significant phenomena that fools us into thinking useless therapies are … Continue reading

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Caregiver Placebo Effects: New Study Shows that Owners and Vets Often Believe an Ineffective Therapy is Working When it Isn’t

The placebo effect is a critically important, and much misunderstood phenomenon which can mislead us greatly when we are trying to decide if a medical therapy is or is not effective. While most people understand the placebo effect to mean … Continue reading

Posted in General, Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 11 Comments

Cone of Shame Podcast Interview- Placebos for Pets? The Truth about Alternative Medicine for Animals

Dr. Andy Roark and I had a great conversation about my book, Placebos for Pets? The Truth about Alternative Medicine for Animals, and all sorts of related subjects, from evidence-based medicine, to caregiver placebo effects, to acupuncture. Check it out!

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Presentation on Placebos in Animals

Here are the notes and slides for a recent presentation on placebo effects in veterinary medicine. WHAT IS A PLACEBO? Despite the fact that most people have heard of the placebo effect and feel they have some understanding of what … Continue reading

Posted in Presentations, Lectures, Publications & Interviews | 1 Comment

Acupuncture is All Placebo

Acupuncture is among the most popular alternative therapies in the mainstream medical community. There appears to be a widespread belief that it has been scientifically proven to be a safe and effective therapy, at least for pain and nausea, and … Continue reading

Posted in Acupuncture | 4 Comments

New Studies Show Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Helps Treat Concussion, but no more than Placebo Treatment

I’ve written previously about the evidence concerning hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). There are a few specific conditions for which there is reasonable evidence HBOT is a useful therapy. Unfortunately, it is becoming something of a fad treatment in veterinary medicine, … Continue reading

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Clever New Study Illustrates the Importance of Placebo Controls In Veterinary Clinical Studies

I recently ran across a fantastic web site, Testing Treatments, which explains clearly and simply how we use science to test our medical treatments. For anyone not already very familiar with this process, this site will explain why a lot … Continue reading

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 1 Comment

PEMF (Assisi Loop) for Separation Anxiety in Dogs- A new Study

A recurring topic here over the years has been pulsed electromagnet field therapies. I have reviewed evidence concerning these in 2009 and 2020 (twice), and my conclusions have always been- The therapy is biologically plausible The evidence is weak The claims for these devices … Continue reading

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Evidence Update: Discouraging News for CBD & Arthritis in Dogs

I have been tracking the growing body of evidence concerning veterinary uses of CBD since 2018, and it is an exciting and fast-changing field. While there has only been a little clinical trial research in dogs and cats, there have been … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 13 Comments

New Study Shows No Benefit from Acupuncture for Dogs with Arthritis

I have written extensively over the years about acupuncture, and my investigations have ranged from the laboratory animal and human literature to veterinary clinical studies, to completing a certification in medical acupuncture and treating patients in my clinic. Through all of this, I … Continue reading

Posted in Acupuncture | 7 Comments