Author Archives: skeptvet

Verm-X Herbal Parasite Control: No Real Evidence to Show it is Safe or Effective

Posted on January 22, 2012 by skeptvet

I was recently asked by a reader to take a look at a product that had been recommended for deworming their dog, Verm-X. Unfortunately, there is little I can say about this product since, as is all too often the … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 7 Comments

Book Review: Lessons from the History of Medical Delusions

Posted on January 18, 2012 by skeptvet

A brief reference on the web site The Quackometer recently drew my attention to a very short book (really more of a pamphlet, in the historical sense) by Dr. Worthington Hooker, Lessons from the History of Medical Delusions, which I … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 2 Comments

Acupuncture vs Opioids for Surgical Pain in Dogs: Which is Better?

Posted on January 12, 2012 by skeptvet

My attention was recently drawn to a veterinary acupuncture study which appears, superficially, to show acupuncture to be equivalent to opioid analgesia for post-operative pain in dogs. Unfortunately, especially for the research subjects, the design of the study was deeply … Continue reading →

Posted in Acupuncture | 7 Comments

Red Flags of Quackery

Posted on January 10, 2012 by skeptvet

Another gem from Sci-ence.org

Posted in Humor | Leave a comment

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