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Author Archives: skeptvet
Health & Human Services Inspector General Finds Dietary Supplement Companies Make Misleading, Unsupported Claims and Ignore FDA Regulations
I have discussed the bizarre and ineffectual regulatory scheme for dietary supplements in detail previously. The stunningly misnamed Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) basically exempts any product called a “supplement” from any meaningful regulation to ensure safety or … Continue reading
AVMA Considers Resolution Acknowledging Homeopathy is Ineffective
A recent article in the Veterinary Practice News (VPN) revealed that the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is considering a resolution, proposed by the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), relating to homeopathy, specifically, and to the role of science and … Continue reading
Posted in Homeopathy, Law, Regulation, and Politics
23 Comments
Eric Weisman Gets Fine and Probation for Violating Court Order
I recently received a comment from Mr. Eric Weisman, promoter of Evolution Diet, regarding a post I wrote about his products in 2009. The comment was full of conspiracy theories, baseless accusations, and a general disregard for truth. At that … Continue reading
Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics, Nutrition
4 Comments
Can you own an idea? Hemopet sues Nestle-Purina and Hill’s over Nutrigenomics.
Intellectual property law is a complex, often bewildering tangle that I make no claim to be deeply conversant with. However, it has always struck me as odd to consider the notion that ideas can be owned. While I understand the … Continue reading
Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics
11 Comments
Another Study Shows CAM Use Harms Cancer Patients
A recent study of cancer patients provides yet another addition to my list of examples of how complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can do harm. Yun YH, Lee MK, Park SM, Kim YA, Lee WJ, Lee KS, Choi JS, Jung … Continue reading
Posted in General
4 Comments
Caregiver Placebo Effects: New Study Shows that Owners and Vets Often Believe an Ineffective Therapy is Working When it Isn’t
The placebo effect is a critically important, and much misunderstood phenomenon which can mislead us greatly when we are trying to decide if a medical therapy is or is not effective. While most people understand the placebo effect to mean … Continue reading
Posted in General, Science-Based Veterinary Medicine
12 Comments
HopeScience Vet’s EFAC for Periodontal Disease and Arthritis
My attention was recently drawn to another dietary supplement product with pretty dramatic claims, this time for treating both oral disease (gingivitis and periodontal disease) and joint disease (osteoarthritis). As usual, the company web site and promotional materials are unequivocal … Continue reading
Posted in Herbs and Supplements
24 Comments
Cranberry Products for Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections: An Update of the Evidence
I have written previously about the rationale and evidence concerning the use of cranberry products to prevent or treat urinary tract infections. In my summary, I concluded: There is weak theoretical justification for using cranberry products for urinary tract infections … Continue reading
Posted in Herbs and Supplements
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Storyteller’s Creed–How do you feel about this?
There’s a pretty good argument to be made that a lot of the differences between people’s opinions on controversial issues have more to do with differences in temperament and its influence on world view than with the facts or arguments … Continue reading
Posted in General
9 Comments
Zoopharmacognosy–Do Animals Self-Medicate?
Before becoming a veterinarian, I did a master’s degree in animal behavior, working primarily with chimpanzees. These are fascinating creatures, with many of the cognitive abilities of a young human child (and with a similar emotional temperament as well, which … Continue reading
Posted in General, Herbs and Supplements
11 Comments