Category Archives: General

As I’ve discussed before, the terminology associated with alternative medicine is complex and inconsistent, so it makes discussing and debating the subject that much more challenging. Terms like “alternative,” “holistic,” “integrative,” “natural,” etc. are often used interchangeably, but they tend … Continue reading →

As regular readers will know, I don’t allow abusive comments or personal rants on the site. Primarily, this is because such nonsense contributes nothing productive, and I am under no obligation to provide angry or crazy people with a forum … Continue reading →

Yesterday, I wrote about some environmental chemicals that may play a role in causing disease. While this sort of environmental risk factor is a real and recognized phenomenon supported by good science, it can easily be cited to lend support … Continue reading →

Introduction As I have been quite involved in the struggle to reform our vaccination exemption laws here in California, I’ve been spending a lot of time reading about childhood vaccination lately. While this is only tangentially related to my usual … Continue reading →

I’m stepping outside of my usual territory as a veterinarian to raise a human healthcare issue– vaccination exemptions. In my state of California, it is very easy for misinformed parents with unfounded concerns about the safety and efficacy of vaccinations … Continue reading →

A great science advocacy group from the UK called Sense About Science offers annual prize to recognize individuals who are publically promoting the importance and use of science and evidence. Here is how they describe the award: 2015 John Maddox Prize … Continue reading →

While much of so-called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), also referred to by the latest marketing buzzword “integrative medicine,” is clearly inconsistent in theory and practice with science and science-based medicine, nevertheless practitioners of CAM like to assume the trappings … Continue reading →

I’ve written several times about how proponents of alternative therapies appear to view science and evidence-based medicine. (1, 2, 3)  I think it is critical in evaluating these practices, as pet owners or  veterinarians, to understand the philosophy and approach … Continue reading →

I recently gave a lecture at the Western Veterinary Conference called “What You Know that Ain’t Necessarily So.” The purpose of this was to take some common or controversial beliefs and practices in veterinary medicine and discuss the scientific evidence … Continue reading →