Author Archives: skeptvet

New Evidence about When to Neuter Your Dog

I have followed the literature on the risks and benefits of neutering for many years, from writing my own literature review in 2010 to critically analyzing individual research studies on the subject here. The evidence is always growing and changing, and the attitudes of … Continue reading

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 40 Comments

Reviews of Placebos for Pets? The Truth about Alternative Medicine for Animals

People have been writing some great reviews of Placebos for Pets, so I thought I’d share a few. If you liked it, please take a minute to add a review on Amazon or Goodreads and help spread the word. Thanks! … Continue reading

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

From SkeptVet TV- Pot for Pets?

My latest video from SkeptVet TV briefly reviews the evidence for cannabis-based health products for pets. You can find more detail here: SkeptVet Blog posts on cannabis Veterinary Practice News columns on cannabis (1, 2)

Posted in SkeptVet TV | 1 Comment

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

Calming Care Probiotic for Anxiety in Dogs

I first wrote about the subject of probiotics in 2009, and I have added quite a few articles on the subject since (1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11). Overall, the evidence has been mixed but pretty poor for most conditions. The best evidence suggests some possible … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 3 Comments

From The Atlantic- An article discussing placebo effects in veterinary patients

A Crucial Blind Spot in Veterinary Medicine While the placebo effect is a well-established phenomenon in human patients, it’s an underappreciated one in veterinary medicine. And the particular way it plays out in veterinary care highlights how unconscious cognitive biases … Continue reading

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

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 | 91 Comments

SkeptVet TV: Vaccine Risks- Real & Imaginary

Research Studies Identifying General Vaccine Risks Gershwin LJ. Adverse Reactions to Vaccination: From Anaphylaxis to Autoimmunity. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2018 Mar;48(2):279-290.  Valli JL. Suspected adverse reactions to vaccination in Canadian dogs and cats. Can Vet J. 2015 Oct; 56(10): … Continue reading

Posted in SkeptVet TV, Vaccines | 7 Comments