Author Archives: skeptvet

From ACVIM Forum 2010– Poster: Injectable nutraceutical for cats

Systemic Effects of a Commercial Preparation of Chondrotin Sulfate, Hyaluronic Acid and N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine When Administered Parenterally to Healthy Cats M.R. Lappin; J.K. Veir; C.B. Webb This poster investigated an injectable nutraceutical containing glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid. I’ve written about … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | Leave a comment

From ACVIM Forum 2010–Poster: Antibodies to Feline Vaccines

I’m currently attending the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) continuing education forum, followed by the Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Association (EBVMA) symposium, and between lectures, labs, and other events I’m going to try and post tidbits of interest I … Continue reading →

Posted in Vaccines | 6 Comments

Evidence-Based Canine Allergy Treatment

Allergies are an incredibly common, and frustrating, problem in pet dogs. Unlike humans, respiratory manifestations of environmental allergies are not usually very noticeable. Dogs with allergies get itchy skin, and they scratch like crazy as a result. The underlying inflammation … Continue reading →

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 42 Comments

Uncertainty-What It Means and What It Doesn’t

It is in the admission of ignorance and the admission of uncertainty that there is a hope for the continuous motion of human beings in some direction that doesn’t get confined, permanently blocked, as it has so many times before … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Leave a comment

The Placebo Effect In Song

Happy Birthday, SketpVet! 🙂 Today marks the first anniversary of this blog. Not a momentous event for the world at large, but yet another reminder of the fleeting nature of time for me. Apparently, in the last year I have … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Humor | 4 Comments

JAVMA Article on Electroacupuncture for IVDD

A couple of readers have asked me to comment on a study that appears in this month’s Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Comparison of decompressive surgery, electroacupuncture, and decompressive surgery followed by electroacupuncture for the treatment of dogs … Continue reading →

Posted in Acupuncture | 19 Comments

Shocking Study! Chiropractors Make Unsubstantiated Medical Claims!

A new study by Edzard Ernst and Andrew Gilbey recently appeared in the New Zealand Medical Journal surveying Internet advertising claims made by individual chiropractors and major chiropractic organizations from Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, and The U.K. They divided … Continue reading →

Posted in Chiropractic | 22 Comments

Don’t Be Such a Scientist or The Negating Culture of Science and its Costs

I recently finished reading Randy Olson’s book Don’t Be Such a Scientist, and I definitely recommend it. It is an entertaining read and has a number of useful insights into the perennial problem of communicating complex, nuanced, and incomplete scientific … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, General | 4 Comments

GAO Report on Deceptive Marketing and Contamination of Herbal Products

The GAO today released a report to Congress that had previously been reported on in the New York Times. The report investigated deceptive or illegal marketing practices among sellers of herbal remedies and dietary supplements. Under the Dietary Supplement Health … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs and Supplements, Law, Regulation, and Politics | 2 Comments

Cold Laser Therapy

A popular therapy among chiropractors who treat pets is low level laser or “cold laser” treatment. It is an impressive bit of showmanship to pull out a complex-looking device and with a serious expression wave a beam of light over … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous CAVM | 86 Comments