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Author Archives: skeptvet
Neutering and Cancer Risk In Cats
I have written extensively about the scientific evidence concerning the benefits and risks of neutering. Overall, the data is complex, and significant effects of neutering on specific health risks are rarely definitively demonstrated. One of the most controversial issues, the … Continue reading
Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine
8 Comments
The Unfortunate Role of Alternative Medicine in the Animal Hospice Movement
I first wrote about the subject of hospice care for animals in the first year of this blog, 2009. I feel strongly that there is a need to adapt the concepts of hospice and palliative care developed in human medicine … Continue reading
Posted in General
5 Comments
Ignorance is not a Virtue
The focus of this blog is the relationship between science and medicine, with an emphasis on skepticism, not politics. However, larger cultural problems in our attitudes towards science and reason are relevant in that they impact how people perceive science … Continue reading
Posted in General
3 Comments
Acupuncture Fails to Qualify as a Specialty Area in Veterinary Medicine due to Lack of Adequate Scientific Evidence
I have written extensively about acupuncture and the scientific evidence concerning it, even going so far as to complete a certification course in acupuncture myself. This extensive examination has convinced me that while there are a few effects of electrical … Continue reading
Posted in Acupuncture
8 Comments
John Oliver Nails It! How the Media Misreports Science.
With his usual humor and also very clear, accurate explanations, John Oliver talks about how scientific research is misrepresented in the media, and how this not only misleads the public about important health issues but undermines confidence in science. … Continue reading
Posted in Humor
4 Comments
Dogs are Still not Wolves: Human Feeding Practices Have Shaped the Dog Genome
I have written many times about the argument, often made to support raw meat feeding or other alternative dietary practices, that dogs are basically carnivores and that because they were derived from wolf ancestors their optimal diet should be as … Continue reading
Posted in Nutrition
9 Comments
Teaching Integrative Medicine in Veterinary Schools: Part of an Evidence-Based Curriculum or Trojan Horse for Alternative Medicine?
I recently came across an interesting paper that cited some of my previous writing about the relationship between evidence-based medicine and alternative medicine. M.A. Memon, J. Shmalberg, H.S. Adair III, S. Allweiler, J.N. et al. Integrative veterinary medical education and … Continue reading
Posted in General
4 Comments
Clinical Reasoning
One subject I am especially interested in is the ways our inherent reasoning processes can lead us to develop and defend mistaken beliefs. Many features of human observation and thought have evolved for quick judgments and efficient approximations under conditions … Continue reading
Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine
1 Comment
SkeptVet Talking about Alternative Medicine for Pets on the Prism Podcast
Had a great time chatting about alternative veterinary medicine on the Prism Podcast. You can download the mp3 below if you like or listen on the web or on iTunes.
SkeptVet’s Acupuncture Adventure- The Hand’s On Training and Wrap-Up
After nearly 100 hours on online instruction and independent study, my acupuncture training has concluded with a 5-day hands-on practicum and both a written and practical exam. All that remains to do to finish my certification in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture … Continue reading
Posted in Acupuncture
12 Comments