Search Results for: placebo

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) for Pets- Does It Work?

A reader recently asked me to take another look at a product for producing and administering platelet rich plasma (PRP). This is a subject I haven’t covered since 2013, when I wrote about a small study looking at the use of PRP for arthritis … Continue reading

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 2 Comments

Assisi Calmer Canine-What’s the Evidence for PEMF Treatment of Separation Anxiety?

I haver written about pulsed-electromagnetic field devices (PEMF) a couple of times before (1, 2). In my most recent review, I concluded: Despite the fact that there has been interest in the potential medical applications of electricity for over 150 years, … Continue reading

Posted in General | 15 Comments

Ketogenic Diets for Dogs and Cats

Nutritional therapies and dietary fads for humans often find their way into veterinary medicine. Sometimes, there is a plausible physiologic rationale or encouraging lab animal research to justify testing specific dietary interventions in dogs and cats, and such interventions may … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 4 Comments

Evidence Update- Do PEMF Devices like the Assisi Loop Work?

IntroductionSince the discovery of electricity and magnetism, these mysterious forces have been thought to have healing powers. Many fanciful electrical devices were promoted in the nineteenth and early twentieth century as cures for diverse ailments or general health tonics.1 More serious … Continue reading

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 9 Comments

From SkeptVet TV- Raw Diets for Pets

Here is my latest video from SkeptVet TV, reviewing briefly the subject of raw diets for dogs and cats. You can find more information here on the blog, or in my book, Placebos for Pets? The Truth About Alternative Medicine … Continue reading

Posted in SkeptVet TV | 10 Comments

Veterinary Homeopathy: Why Are We Still Talking about This?

IntroductionIn two years of writing my Veterinary Practice News column about evidence-based medicine, I have largely managed to avoid the subject of homeopathy. It is the classic example of a medical practice developed before a scientific understanding of the basic … Continue reading

Posted in Homeopathy | 14 Comments

Dr. Marty Goldstein’s Nature’s Feast Raw Diet: A Look at the Infomercial

A client recently asked one of my colleagues for an opinion on an infomercial by Dr. Marty Goldstein for his new commercial raw cat food, Nature’s Feast. There was little new or surprising in this video, but since Dr. Goldstein has a … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 89 Comments

What’s the Point of Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is one of the most well-known alternative therapies. While only 5-10% of Americans have had acupuncture treatment, most people are familiar with the practice, and surveys show many people, including medical professionals, have a positive view of acupuncture and … Continue reading

Posted in Acupuncture | 25 Comments

A Detailed, Evidence-based response to Petco’s Ban on “Artificial” Food Ingredients

Here is an article from Veterinary Practice News responding to the ridiculous marketing ploy by Petco declaring a ban on “artificial” food ingredients. Since the late 1980s, individuals and organizations have been trying to warn the public about a deadly … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 20 Comments

Herbalists try again for medical specialty status.

In 2017 and 2018, I covered extensivelythe efforts of the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine (ACVBM) to achieve recognition as a medical specialty by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS). I opposed recognition for several reasons: Prescribing of herbal … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 4 Comments