Search Results for: food allergies

Evidence Update- Evidence-based Canine Allergy Treatment

In 2010, I reported on the evidence-based guidelines for treatment of allergies in dogs put out by the International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis. This extremely useful document reviewed the evidence concerning many different treatments for allergies in dogs, … Continue reading

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 6 Comments

Canine Nutrigenomics by Dr. Jean Dodds: Science as Windowdressing

Introduction A number of readers have asked me to review a recent book on canine nutrition: Canine Nutrigenomics: The New Science of Feeding Your Dog for Optimum Health The book has two authors. One is Diana Laverdure, a self-described “canine … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | 60 Comments

Plechner Syndrome and the Art of Making Stuff Up

Most proponents of so-called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are ordinary, reasonable people, even when promoting beliefs that may be dubious or even thoroughly incredible. However, occasionally I run across one of those individuals with not only a bizarre understanding … Continue reading

Posted in General | 224 Comments

Can you own an idea? Hemopet sues Nestle-Purina and Hill’s over Nutrigenomics.

Intellectual property law is a complex, often bewildering tangle that I make no claim to be deeply conversant with. However, it has always struck me as odd to consider the notion that ideas can be owned. While I understand the … Continue reading

Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics | 11 Comments

Nzymes.com: Same Snake Oil, Different Day

Knowing that I have an interest in investigating the evidence behind claims for veterinary healthcare products, clients and colleagues sometimes pass along materials concerning veterinary supplements, herbal remedies, and other similar products and ask my opinion. Since there are hundreds, … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 247 Comments

Integrating Myths and Nonsense with Standard Advice for Allergic Pets

I hear a lot of claims from clients about the cause and treatment of their pets’ allergies that sound like myths or misunderstandings to me, and I expect that. Obviously, a huge part of my job is educating my clients. … Continue reading

Posted in Miscellaneous CAVM | 16 Comments

Evidence-Based Canine Allergy Treatment

Allergies are an incredibly common, and frustrating, problem in pet dogs. Unlike humans, respiratory manifestations of environmental allergies are not usually very noticeable. Dogs with allergies get itchy skin, and they scratch like crazy as a result. The underlying inflammation … Continue reading

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 42 Comments

Fickle Justice: Some Quacks get Punished, Most Get Away with It

One of the goals of this blog has always been to warn pet owners about dangers to their animals: dangerously unreliable ideas and ways of thinking about science and medicine, dangerous therapies (or at least those not yet proven to … Continue reading

Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics | 2 Comments

Does eating a Raw Diet as a Puppy Reduce later Allergy Risk?

I have written many times about the controversial subject of raw diets for dogs. The bottom line, based on existing evidence, is there are no proven health benefits to these diets and several well-documented risks, including infectious disease and nutritional … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 4 Comments

Book Review- The Forever Dog: Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer

Regular readers may have noticed I’ve become a bit obsessed with canine aging biology lately.  I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on, from journal articles and textbooks to popular science books. I’ve also been writing about the subject … Continue reading

Posted in Aging Science, Book Reviews | 33 Comments