Author Archives: skeptvet

SkeptVet’s Acupuncture Adventure- Part 5: Anesthesia and Analgesia

Posted on October 30, 2015 by skeptvet

Introduction The latest lecture in my acupuncture course concerns the use of acupuncture in patients undergoing anesthesia and surgery. Most of the lecture focuses on the potential role of acupuncture in reducing pain or mitigating some of the undesirable effects … Continue reading →

Posted in Acupuncture | 4 Comments

Antioxidants for Pets- It’s Complicated

Posted on October 25, 2015 by skeptvet

The subject of anti-oxidants comes up fairly often on this blog. This is largely because the oxidation and free-radicals are often viewed as fundamentally destructive forces responsible for aging and many types of illness, and preventing the malign effects of … Continue reading →

Posted in Topic-Based Summaries | 1 Comment

Unregulated Herbal Products and Supplements Send 23,000 People to the Emergency Room Annually in the U.S.

Posted on October 15, 2015 by skeptvet

Many times, I have written about the risks of herbal remedies and dietary supplements, and about the folly of not regulating these and requiring the scientific testing for safety and efficacy that is required of real medicine (e.g. 1, 2, 3, … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 10 Comments

Happy National Veterinary Technician Week!

Posted on October 14, 2015 by skeptvet

It can’t be said enough that we vets would be worthless without veterinary nurses/technicians, and most people will never understand how hard and important their job is. But this brilliant song from one of the technicians I’m lucky enough to … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 1 Comment

Science & Reason Triumph Over Fear and Misinformation in California: Again!

Posted on October 13, 2015 by skeptvet

Examples of the victory of fear and misinformation over science and reason in public policy are easy to find, and I find myself writing about them often. But occasionally the pendulum swings in the right direction for a bit, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics | 1 Comment

More Evidence Antioxidants May Increase Cancer Risk

Posted on October 11, 2015 by skeptvet

I’ve written before about why the near magical status of antioxidant supplements, supposed to be miraculous in preventing or treating disease and aging, is inconsistent with science and not supported by good evidence. Antioxidants in general, and specific supplements like … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 9 Comments

SkeptVet’s Acupuncture Adventure- Part 4: Spinal Cord Injury

Posted on October 6, 2015 by skeptvet

Introduction This lecture had surprisingly little information about acupuncture itself. It began with a review of the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury and the typical steps for evaluating and stabilizing patients presenting with acute spinal cord injury. Most of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Acupuncture | Leave a comment

Evidence Update- Evidence-based Canine Allergy Treatment

Posted on October 5, 2015 by skeptvet

In 2010, I reported on the evidence-based guidelines for treatment of allergies in dogs put out by the International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis. This extremely useful document reviewed the evidence concerning many different treatments for allergies in dogs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 6 Comments

NAET-A cure for allergies (NOT!)

Posted on September 28, 2015 by skeptvet

I have mentioned Dr. Deva Khalsa before, hawking magic water, making unsubstantiated claims about the health value of garlic, and so on. However, I recently ran across an article written by her in the pseudo-journal Integrative Veterinary Care (IVC) which … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Miscellaneous CAVM | 47 Comments

Homeopathy for Canine Parvo and Distemper: Dangerous and Unethical

Posted on September 28, 2015 by skeptvet

I’ve written a lot about homeopathy over the years. I have investigated and summarized the scientific evidence, looked into the history and philosophy behind the practice, and even taken an online introductory course in this type of witchcraft so that … Continue reading →

Posted in Homeopathy | 11 Comments