Search Results for: caregiver placebo

Evidence Update: The Latest on Pheromones for Behavior Problems in Dogs and Cats

I have been following the research literature investigating the use of pheromones to manage behavior problems in dogs and cats since my first post of the subject in 2010. Here is a rough timeline of my conclusions over that period: 2010- … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 8 Comments

More Good News on CBD and Canine Arthritis

I have been trying to keep up with the clinical trial literature evaluating cannabis (primarily CBD) in veterinary patients. There is a lot of research happening right now, so it is challenging to keep current even on this limited subset … Continue reading

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 8 Comments

Evidence Update: Promising Clinical Trial of CBD for Arthritis Treatment in Dogs

Introduction At long last, there is a published veterinary clinical trial of a cannabis-based treatment! As I say in nearly every article I write, a single study neither definitively proves nor disproves even the specific hypothesis being studied, much less … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 44 Comments

Evidence Update: Anxitane (L-theanine) for Anxiety in Dogs (and Cats)

In late 2014, I reviewed the evidence for Anxitane (l-theanine), an amino acid from the tea plant reported to have benefits for dogs with anxiety. At that time, my conclusion was: The theoretical reasoning behind the potential value of l-theanine … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 31 Comments

Evidence Update: Music and Anxiety in Dogs

It has become quite popular to recommend music as a method of reducing the stress and anxiety of dogs in environments likely to be stressful for them, such as veterinary hospitals and shelters. I’ve reviewed the evidence concerning the effects … Continue reading

Posted in General | 12 Comments

The “Natural” Nonsense that is Applied Zoopharmacognosy

Introduction A few years ago, I wrote about an interesting phenomenon called zoopharmacognosy. The idea is that animals might select specific plants or other substances to eat that would have therapeutic effects. An example might be an herbivore with a … Continue reading

Posted in General | 28 Comments

Why Anecdotes & Testimonials Can’t Be Trusted

By far the most frequent response I get to any article critical of claims for an alternative therapy or focused  on the lack of good evidence for such claims is an appeal to anecdotal evidence.  Some variation on “I tried it … Continue reading

Posted in Topic-Based Summaries | 10 Comments

Evidence Update- Stem Cell Therapies for Companion Animals

Introduction One of the most frequent recurring topics on this blog has been stem cell therapies. Generally, I have concluded that various types of stem cell therapies are plausible and promising, but they are unfortunately being marketed with claims and … Continue reading

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 3 Comments

Acupuncture for Opioid-induced Nausea and Vomiting in Dogs

Having written extensively about acupuncture and the research associated with it during my acupuncture training, I haven’t been inclined to revisit the topic for a while. However, I ran across a recent study which I though illustrated the issues and … Continue reading

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The Unfortunate Role of Alternative Medicine in the Animal Hospice Movement

I first wrote about the subject of hospice care for animals in the first year of this blog, 2009. I feel strongly that there is a need to adapt the concepts of hospice and palliative care developed in human medicine … Continue reading

Posted in General | 5 Comments