Category Archives: Nutrition

Raw Diets for Pets: Still No Evidence of Benefit but a Real Risk of Harm

I’ve written before about raw diets for pets, and at the time my conclusions were these (see the previous articles for details 1, 2): 1. The theoretical arguments presented to support feeding raw diets to dogs and cats are mostly … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 15 Comments

PetDiets.Com: An excellent source for science-based pet nutrition information

I just wanted to point out a web site I found recently which offers excellent information on pet nutrition. PetDiets.com is the site of Veterinary Nutritional Consultations, Inc. (VNC). This organization is a independent consulting group that provides nutrition information … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition, Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 12 Comments

Raw Pet Diet and “Natural” Pet Product Recalls

One of the comments often made in defense of raw diets and challenging the safety  of conventional commercial pet foods is, “If those foods are so safe, why are they always being recalled?” The implication, of course, is that a … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 5 Comments

The SkeptVet on Science-Based Medicine: BARF Diets

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have a guest post out today on the Science-Based Medicine blog, Raw Meat and Bones Diet for Dogs: It’s Enough to make you BARF. I have followed SBM for a long time, … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 11 Comments

Give a Dog a Bone (Not!)–FDA warns of dangers of feeding bones to dogs

The Food and Drug Administration issue a warning about feeding bones to dogs recently. Just like feeding milk to cats (which also isn’t a very good idea), giving bones to dogs is a cultural cliché that we learn about as … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 21 Comments

Micronutrients and Cancer

A recent editorial in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) addresses the issue of whether micronutrients, such as vitamins, have a clear role in cancer prevention. It is fairly common in broad  epidemiological survey studies to look for … Continue reading

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Nutrition in Large Breed Puppies

It is widely known by veterinarians, pet owners, and dog breeders that large breed puppies are at greater risk than other breeds for developmental disorders of the bones and joints, including hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD), and hypertrophic … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 13 Comments

Orthomolecular Medicine- Big Talk, Little Evidence, Real Risk

One of the most impressive-sounding labels for an unproven alternative therapy is Orthomolecular Medicine. And the origin of the term, coined by Nobel laureate Linus Pauling, gives it added gravitas. As it turns out, though, it’s just a fancy way … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements, Nutrition | 10 Comments

Dara O’Briain- Humorous Skewering of Homeopathy and “Nutritionists”

Dara O’Briain is an Irish comedian who often takes a skeptical view of things. This brief video offers a refreshingly frank take on homeopathy and nutritional woo. Be warned, though, that it also contains a good bit of profanity.

Posted in Homeopathy, Humor, Nutrition | 3 Comments

Evolution Diet – Selling Food with Fear and Lies

I was recently asked to comment on an advertising card for Evolution Diet. There are a number of claims made, and because they are vague and wildly inflammatory, it is difficult to address them in an evidence-based manner, but I’ll … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 57 Comments