Category Archives: Herbs and Supplements

The Entourage Effect: Science or Folk Belief?

While pre-scientific folk medicine traditions have always relied on trial-and-error learning passed down through generations, most have also had underlying theoretical frameworks used to explain the origins of disease and to guide the choice of treatments. In this blog, and … Continue reading

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Evidence Update: Yunnan Baiyao- Where are we Now?

One of the longest running subjects for posts here has been the Chinese herbal product Yunnan Baiyao (YB). Purported to help stop or prevent bleeding, this stuff seems to be pretty commonly used in veterinary medicine, mostly for dogs with … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 3 Comments

Evidence Update: Leap years Supplement

I recently reported on the results of a clinical trial conducted at North Carolin State University on the purported “anti-aging” Leap Years. The study provided no convincing evidence of a beneficial effect, and despite a single statistically significant finding at … Continue reading

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Evidence Update: Leap Years Anti-aging Supplement Study

Back in January of 2023 I reviewed claims for a purported anti-aging supplement for dogs called Leap Years. My conclusion at the time was- Leap Years is similar to most veterinary supplements on the market: It is based on some plausible ideas … Continue reading

Posted in Aging Science, Herbs and Supplements | 14 Comments

Evidence Update: What’s New with Cannabis for Pets?

It’s been ten years since my first post on the use of cannabis in dogs and cats. For a while, I regularly covered new research studies, but the number of those has become great enough that keeping up with individual papers is … Continue reading

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Evidence Update: CBD for Arthritis in Dogs

I first began writing about potential medical uses for cannabis products in pets ten years ago. AT the time, there was weak evidence for a few uses in humans, and almost no research evidence in dogs or cats. Since then, I have … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 4 Comments

Evidence Update- A Systematic Review of Diets & Dietary Supplements for Arthritis in Dogs and Cats (TL;DR- Can we please stop giving them glucosamine?!)

One of the most common topics over the lifetime of this blog has been treatments for osteoarthritis in dogs and cats. I’ve talked about pharmaceuticals, acupuncture, electromagnetic fields, laser, and other treatments, but the bulk of the articles have addressed the most popular over-the-counter (OTC) … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements, Nutrition | 30 Comments

A Tiny Bit of Justice for Victims of Jonathan Nyce and Tumexal

I have put a lot of effort over the last 14 years into investigating questionable remedies for pets, and exposing people who peddle misinformation and snake oil. Pet owners care deeply for their animal companions, and this love can be … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements, Law, Regulation, and Politics | 6 Comments

The Latest in Veterinary Aging Supplements- Leap Years by Animal Biosciences

While the focus of my professional attention, and my writing, has largely shifted away from complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM) per se and towards the field of aging, I obviously cannot escape the pseudoscience and sloppy or motivated reasoning that characterizes … Continue reading

Posted in Aging Science, Herbs and Supplements | 9 Comments

The Bell Tolls for Resveratrol

Only the most dedicated followers of this blog are likely to remember this (are there any?), but way back in 2009, I first wrote about resveratrol in an article about supplements for cognitive dysfunction and brain aging in dogs. My … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 2 Comments