Author Archives: skeptvet

Overdiagnosis

Overdiagnosis is now recognized as a common and serious problem in human medicine that causes substantial harm in terms of unnecessary costs, wasted resources, and patient and caregiving suffering. International conferences (e.g. Preventing Overdiagnosis) and special features in major medical … Continue reading

Posted in General, Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 9 Comments

Evidence Update- Yunnan Baiyao: Still No Persuasive Evidence of any Benefits

Back in 2010, in the early days of this blog, I reviewed the evidence for the Chinese herbal supplement Yunnan Baiyao. At the time, I found only very low-quality evidence concerning the potential risks and benefits of this product.  Some … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 2 Comments

IAABC Interview Discussing CAVM and EBVM

Here is an interview I did recently with an association of animal behavior consultants. We discussed a number of subjects that appear frequently here,  including the role of evidence and anecdote in evaluating treatments for animals, and the risks of … Continue reading

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

Scientists Warn that Donald Trump is the Most Anti-Science Candidate for President

Since my review of the presidential candidates’ positions on science issues earlier in the week, I have seen a number of efforts by other scientists to warn the scientific community and the public that Donald Trump stands out as the … Continue reading

Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics | Leave a comment

Science and Presidential Politics

I generally try to stay away from politics per se on this blog, though I often cover political issues when they touch on the areas of science and alternative medicine. Usually, this falls in the general category of government failure … Continue reading

Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics | 1 Comment

More Evidence that Laboratory Testing of Healthy Dogs and Cats Uncovers Lots of Abnormalities of Questionable Significance

A new article has just been published adding some information to a subject I’ve addressed before, the value of blood testing and other diagnostics in clinical health dogs and cats (discussed Here and Here). In the past, I have come … Continue reading

Posted in General, Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 1 Comment

Update- Hemopet Sues Pet Food Companies to Claim Ownership of the Idea of Nutrigenomics

Way back in 2012, I wrote about a lawsuit filed by Hemopet, an organization known primarily for being a non-profit blood bank but also involved in some unconventional laboratory testing (as Hemolife) and alternative medicine ( as the Hemopet Holistic … Continue reading

Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics | 7 Comments

EBVMA Podcast- What Is Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine?

Back in April, I was privileged to participate in the inaugural podcast of the Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine Association, a group I have worked with for many years, as a membership of the Board of Directors and former President. In this … Continue reading

Posted in Presentations, Lectures, Publications & Interviews, 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

Posted in Acupuncture | Leave a comment

Science-based Veterinary Nutrition Success Stories

In all the debates here and elsewhere about the relative merits of commercial pet diets and homemade, raw, or other alternatives, advocates of alternative diets often claim that conventional diets are unhealthy. Scientific evidence is not typically provided to support … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 36 Comments