Author Archives: skeptvet

Is Evidence-based Medicine a Dead End?

A recent blog post promoted by the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA) asks the question, “Is Evidence-based Medicine at a Dead End?” Since scientific evidence often fails to support the beliefs and claims of alternative vets, and the AHVMA … Continue reading

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Evidence Update: Dodds Study on Vaccine Dose in Small Breed Dogs

I have been able to get a look at the published paper for the study I recently discussed by Dr. Jean Dodds investigating  giving lower doses of vaccine to small breed dogs. There is nothing in the published report that … Continue reading

Posted in Vaccines | 26 Comments

“Traditional Chinese” Emergency and Critical Care Medicine?

I ran across this article recently with a board-certified specialist in veterinary emergency medicine recommending so-called Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) for critically ill patients. As I’ve discussed in detail, there is some very limited evidence for a few potentially … Continue reading

Posted in General | 19 Comments

Alternative Standards for Alternative Continuing Education Courses

I have written several times about the efforts of alternative vets to circumvent the systems intended to ensure quality and scientific legitimacy in continuing education for veterinarians. In brief, most states require vets to regularly take a certain number of … Continue reading

Posted in General | 4 Comments

SH#$ Homeopaths Say

I have provided many examples over the years of the ridiculous and dangerous things veterinarians practicing homeopathy say. The fact that such individuals are allowed to practice this form of witchcraft as if it were a legitimate medical approach, and … Continue reading

Posted in Homeopathy | 9 Comments

Skeptvet’s Acupuncture Adventure- Part 7: Emerging Themes

I haven’t updated my acupuncture adventure in a while, largely because I’m past the part of the course making general claims and justifications of acupuncture and into the portion that consists mostly of memorizing individual points and associated anatomical and … Continue reading

Posted in Acupuncture | 17 Comments

It’s the Law

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Another Study Shows Acupuncture is a Placebo Treatment

One consistent theme in acupuncture research is that it has proven very difficult to show any difference between the effects of acupuncture intended to treat a symptom or disease and the effects of various kinds of fake or sham acupuncture … Continue reading

Posted in Acupuncture | 7 Comments

What’s the Right “Dose” of a Vaccine for Small-Breed Dogs?

There’s a common misconception out there about vaccines that small animals should have lower “doses” of a vaccine than larger animals. This is a natural assumption stemming, most likely, from our familiarity with how medicines are dosed. However, while there … Continue reading

Posted in Vaccines | 31 Comments

Evidence Update: Pheromone Therapy for Stress in Cats

Back in 2010, I reported on a systematic review evaluating the use of pheromones to treat stress or other undesirable behaviors in cats and dogs. Of the 7 studies in cats and 7 in dogs that were of sufficient quality … Continue reading

Posted in General | 41 Comments