Category Archives: Herbs and Supplements

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

Azodyl for Kidney Failure in Dogs–New Study Finds No Benefit

I have recently summarized the limited evidence concerning the use of Azodyl, a popular probiotic product, for treatment of kidney disease in cats, including a recent study presented as an abstract at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum. … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 116 Comments

UK National Health Service Report on Dietary Supplements

I just wanted to draw a little attention to an excellent report just published by the UK National Health Service on dietary supplements for humans. Supplements: Who Needs Them This is an excellent, readable summary of the evidence concerning the … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 2 Comments

Study on Glucosamine for Feline Interstitial Cystitis Does not Suggest any Benefit

A recent research study performed in Thailand has been reported in the American Journal of Veterinary Research (AJVR) which addresses the possibility that oral glucosamine might be useful for treating Feline Interstitial Cystitis (FIC). Panchaphanpong J, Asawakarn T, Pusoonthornthum R. … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 3 Comments

Evaluation of the Chinese Herbal Remedies San Ren Tang, Wei Lin Tang, and Alisma for Feline Urinary Tract Disease

Though herbal remedies often have an aura of being somehow fundamentally different from drugs used as medicines, they are really just collections of chemical compounds. As such, they ought to be evaluated just as conventional pharmaceuticals are: identification and isolation … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 16 Comments

Azodyl for Kidney Failure in Cats: An Update on the Evidence

In a recent article about pet supplements for the Science-Based Medicine Blog, I reviewed the dietary supplement Azodyl, marketed for kidney failure in dogs and cats. At the time, the evidence I was able to find was extremely limited, poorly … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 132 Comments

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine

What Is It? Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is marketed as a set of theories and practices developed over centuries in China. In reality, it is a label applied to a varied and inconsistent set of practices drawn from a variety … Continue reading

Posted in Acupuncture, General, Herbs and Supplements | 36 Comments

From SBM: The Top Ten Pet Supplements–Do They Work?

From Science-Based Medicine: The Top Ten Pet Supplements–Do They Work? An Embarrassment of Riches? Much has been written here about the dietary supplement industry, a multibillion dollar industry with powerful political connections, and about the woeful inadequacy of regulation which … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 20 Comments

Milk Thistle in Dogs and Cats

Milk thistle is an herbal product that is widely recommended and used by veterinarians. Like glucosamine, it is a supplement which has leapt over the gap between alternative and conventional medicine. Unfortunately, like glucosamine, this acceptance has come about on … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 29 Comments

Chamomile Tea for Arthritis in Dogs

I recently had a case which illustrates alternative therapies commonly present themselves in my daily practice. A patient, an older large breed dog, came in for an annual exam. He was in good general health but moderately overweight, and the … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 10 Comments