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Category Archives: General
Univ. of Tennessee Veterinary School Recognizes “Excellence” in Alternative Medicine
The University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine is one of the most noticeable academic institutions that appears to have been co-opted for the promotion of pseudoscientific veterinary medicine (along with Louisiana State and the University of Florida). I have … Continue reading
Posted in General
13 Comments
What’s Wrong with Integrative Veterinary Medicine?
The terminology associated with unconventional therapies has shifted a bit over the last 40 or so years. Initially, such therapies were often described as “alternative.” This fit well with the still widespread philosophical position that new or different ways of … Continue reading
Posted in General
32 Comments
American Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation gives $10,000 to University of Tennessee Veterinary School to Promote Alternative Medicine
Last fall, I wrote about the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation (AHVMF), an offshoot of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA), which is devoted to raising money for the promotion of alternative therapies. The AHVMA is a vigorous advocate … Continue reading
Posted in General
15 Comments
Screening Tests and Pre-Anaesthetic Bloodwork in Veterinary Patients: Issues & Evidence
A perennially hot topic in human medicine is the risks and benefits of screening tests. Blood tests, imaging (like CT scans) and other diagnostic tests are usually seen by the general public as only beneficial. How could it be a … Continue reading
Posted in General, Science-Based Veterinary Medicine
19 Comments
New Review of Complemetary and Alternative Therapies for Arthritis
I’ve written extensively about alternative arthritis therapies, largely because that is one of the most common conditions for which complementary and alternative treatments are used. While a few are promising (such as fish oils), there is little good evidence to … Continue reading
Posted in General
37 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
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
The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation: Science or Salesmanship?
One of the biggest problems with alternative veterinary medicine is the promotion of specific therapies or practices without reasonable scientific evidence that these are safe or effective. Sometimes, the evidence is actually clear that a specific approach is not effective, … Continue reading
Posted in General
9 Comments
