Author Archives: skeptvet

NuVet Supplement=Same Old Snake Oil

Posted on January 8, 2012 by skeptvet

A client recently asked me about a product, NuVet supplement, which after a little investigation seems to be the yet another fine example of snake oil marketing. It is quite similar to a product I reviewed not that long ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 187 Comments

How to Read a Scientific Study: The Pocket Guide to Critical Appraisal

Posted on January 4, 2012 by skeptvet

I just wanted to give a brief nod to a great, little book I read recently, The Pocket Guide to Critical Appraisal by Iain Crombie. In a grand total of about 60 pages, the book gives a concise explanation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 4 Comments

AVMA Model Practic Act Update

Posted on January 2, 2012 by skeptvet

About a year ago, I wrote a post about the American Veterinary Medical Association’s effort to revise their Model Veterinary Practice Act, a document states often use as a template for writing laws regulating the practice of veterinary medicine. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics | 3 Comments

Acupuncture–Still a Placebo After All These Years

Posted on January 2, 2012 by skeptvet

The scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture is far weaker than is widely supposed, even among those committed to science and science-based medicine. It has been repeatedly shown that the measurable physiological effects and apparent clinical benefits of sticking … Continue reading →

Posted in Acupuncture | 1 Comment

SELECT–An Example of why clinical trials aren’t just the icing, they are the cake

Posted on January 2, 2012 by skeptvet

Why Do We Really Need Clinical Trials? A point I make over and over again when talking about new or alternative therapies that are not supported by good clinical trial evidence is that lower-level evidence, such as theoretical justifications, anecdotes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | Leave a comment

What if There Were Rules for Science Journalism?

Posted on December 12, 2011 by skeptvet

I’ve often complained about the role of the media in perpetuating misunderstandings about the nature of science and promoting pseudoscience. Journalists rarely have training in science, and those who do have the training and expertise to cover science stories accurately … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 8 Comments

Homeopathy Swims With the Fishes

Posted on December 7, 2011 by skeptvet

In case you were wondering, and I’m sure you were, the Australian homeopathy practice Homeopathy Plus has finally answered the burning question, “Can fish be treated with homeopathy?” Not surprisingly, the answer is “Yes.” Now the principle of potentization, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Homeopathy, Humor | 7 Comments

Raw Pet Diets Often Contaminated with Dangerous Bacteria: Campylobacter

Posted on December 6, 2011 by skeptvet

I have written previously about the issue of raw pet food diets, pointing out the lack of any significant evidence to support claims that these diets are beneficial for pets the many risks such diets can pose, such as nutritional … Continue reading →

Posted in Nutrition | 7 Comments

Burzynski Cancer Clinic Update

Posted on November 30, 2011 by skeptvet

Per the ever informative Orac at Respectful Insolence, the Burzynski Cancer Clinic has backed down—well, sort of. The clinic has apparently fired Marc Stephens and disavowed his specific threats against Andy Lewis, but it has reaffirmed that the original post … Continue reading →

Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics | 2 Comments

Hit a Nerve: Dr. Andrew Jones’ Followers Attack

Posted on November 29, 2011 by skeptvet

In early 2010, I wrote a post listing warning signs of quack therapies, and in this post I made brief reference to Dr. Andrew Jones, who has created a successful business marketing books, DVDs, newsletters and other sources of “secret” … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 24 Comments