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Author Archives: skeptvet
Evidence Update: Finally a Clinical Trial of Cranberry Supplements for Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs
One of the recurring subjects I have covered on this blog is the contention that cranberry supplements can help prevent or treat urinary tract infections. Each time I address the subject, the evidence points to pretty much the same general … Continue reading
Posted in Herbs and Supplements
6 Comments
Music Therapy for Dogs: Does Your Dog Really Prefer Reggae to Pop?
Playing music has become a popular method for reducing stress in animals who are hospitalized or kenneled. A couple of years ago, I reported on a review of the literature investigating this practice. The conclusion of that review was this: … Continue reading
Posted in General
5 Comments
Evidence Update- New Review of Medical Marijuana Research
I have addressed the question of medical marijuana and the use of other cannabis-derived medicinal products twice before. My conclusion in 2013 was this: The current research evidence supports a couple of uses in humans, including treatment of nausea and … Continue reading
Posted in Herbs and Supplements
17 Comments
Evidence Update: Does Dry Food Increase the Risk of Diabetes in Cats?
A perennial question in veterinary nutrition is the relative pros and cons of dry commercial diets. In particular, pet owners and vets alike have a lot of questions about the nutritional value and potential risks of dry food for cats. … Continue reading
Posted in Nutrition, Science-Based Veterinary Medicine
6 Comments
New Review Reminds us Doctors are Lousy at Predicting Benefits and Harms of their Tests and Treatments
One of the major focuses of my criticism of both science-based and alternative medicine is the failure of doctors to recognize their own limitations. There are innumerable cognitive biases and other sources of error that interfere with accurate and effective … Continue reading
Posted in General
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New York and FTC Tired of Prevagen False Claims (which are the same as for the veterinary version, Neutricks)
I have written several times about Neutricks, a supplements marketed for cognitive dysfunction in dogs: Neutricks: Another Nutraceutical for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Evidence Update: Old Tricks Used to Massage Neutricks Study Data Evidence Update: Neutricks Still up to Same Old … Continue reading
Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics
1 Comment
Pet Remedy- A “Natural” Herbal Product to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
There are an enormous number of unregulated over-the-counter remedies marketed to pet owners, often for serious health problems, and most of them have never been scientifically tested to see if they are safe or effective. It is difficult to evaluate … Continue reading
Posted in Herbs and Supplements
9 Comments
Does Challenging or Ridiculing Crazy Ideas Change Anyone’s Mind?
It has long been a sad and frustrating but generally accepted notion among skeptics that facts don’t matter to people who believe in pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and other dubious ideas or claims. The so-called “backfire effect” appears to mean that … Continue reading
Posted in General
3 Comments
Another Systematic Review of Homeopathy and–Wait for It– Still No Good Evidence It Works!
Yet another systematic review of veterinary homeopathy has just been published, bringing the total to six. I have discussed several of these before (e.g. 1, 2). They have consistently failed to find high-quality research evidence to support homeopathy in animals, … Continue reading
Posted in Homeopathy
4 Comments
A Critical Analysis of a Study of Essential Oils and Apipuncture—Oh, Forget It, This is Just Ridiculous….
I recently ran across a prime example of lousy science done solely for the purpose of propping up alternative-medicine beliefs or practices. Good science aims to discover what is true, not simply buttress one’s existing beliefs or provide marketing material … Continue reading
Posted in Miscellaneous CAVM
2 Comments