Author Archives: skeptvet

Another Homeopathy Lawsuit-This time one that at least makes sense!

There has certainly been a lot of talk lately about homeopathy and lawsuits. I have discussed the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy’s attempt to obtain through litigation the legitimacy they can’t achieve by proving their methods work through scientific research. And … Continue reading

Posted in Homeopathy, Law, Regulation, and Politics | 4 Comments

Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy Lawsuit Update

Back in May, I wrote about a lawsuit involving the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy (AVH) and the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) committee that certifies continuing education courses veterinarians must take to maintain their state licensure (the RACE … Continue reading

Posted in Homeopathy, Law, Regulation, and Politics | 11 Comments

Probiotic Fortiflora: Not apparently very helpful in preventing diarrhea in shelter animals

Probiotics, living microorganisms fed to humans and animals to prevent or treat disease, are an interesting area of ongoing research. I have written about this intervention a number of times (1,2) and it seems a promising area of research, though … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 3 Comments

Denamarin: Does it prevent chemotherapy-induced liver damage?

Silymarin and s-adensylmethionine (SAM-e) are plant-derived chemicals frequently used as supplements for a wide variety of applications. I’ve written about both before, evaluating the available evidence in humans and in dogs and cats (1,2,3). So far, the evidence concerning the … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 16 Comments

Neoplasene: Benefits Unproven and Risks Severe

Two years ago, I wrote about an herbal product called Neoplasene, an excharotic derived from bloodroot that is marketed for treatment of cancer. I pointed out in that article that apart from a couple of in vitro studies suggesting the … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 92 Comments

Holistic Anesthesia for Dogs and Cats

In a bit of advertising on his blog, a prominent alternative veterinary medicine advocate recently discussed the case of a 15 year old dog that reportedly had heart disease and dental disease and had come to see this doctor because … Continue reading

Posted in General, Miscellaneous CAVM | 9 Comments

Placebo Treatment for Asthma: Works for the Mind but not the Lungs

Note: I originally wrote this for Science-Based Medicine, but Dr. David Gorski has posted a far more detailed review of the study, which I encourage everyone to read, so I am just posting my thoughts on the subject here. The … Continue reading

Posted in General | 6 Comments

Prolotherapy for Dogs and Cats

What Is It? Prolotherapy is a commonly offered alternative treatment for joint, connective tissue, and back pain. The practice consists of injecting substances into painful or dysfunctional joints and connective tissue with the intent of relieving discomfort and restoring function. … Continue reading

Posted in General | 13 Comments

Pressure Wraps for Anxiety in Dogs

Here is another excellent, informative post from contributing author and dog trainer Kyzyl. Pressure Wraps for Anxiety and Fearful Behavior Fear is a set of evolutionarily important behaviors for animals.  Fear often keeps animals alive in a dangerous world by … Continue reading

Posted in Guest Posts | 34 Comments

Vitamin K3 (menadione) in Pet Food: Is It Safe?

One of the most popular fallacies that arises in discussions of pet health is the appeal to nature or naturalistic fallacy. Simply put, this is the notion that what is labeled “natural” is inherently safe, beneficial, or otherwise good, and … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 57 Comments