Category Archives: Science-Based Veterinary Medicine

One of the most common medicines used by veterinarians is metronidazole. Though labeled as an antibiotic, like most drugs metronidazole has multiple effects. In addition to killing some bacteria, it can be used to treat the protozoal parasite Giardia, and … Continue reading →

I have written many times about the misuse of diagnostic tests and the risks of misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis associated with improper use of screening tests. Recently, I condensed my rants on these topics into an article I hope will be … Continue reading →

It is really never a good sign when a miraculous new breakthrough in veterinary medicine is announced on the internet. That isn’t where true scientific breakthroughs show up. Legitimate science is a slow, detailed process where even brilliant, revolutionary ideas have … Continue reading →

Veterinary medicine suffers from a chronic lack of scientific evidence to identify safe and effective treatments. We are authorized to used medicines approved for human or animal use on an off-label basis in other species or conditions because the Food … Continue reading →

I’ve written about stem cell therapies numerous times over the years, though not for quite a while. My conclusions were always along the lines of “promising but unproven.” This is one of those perfectly plausible therapies that I expect will … Continue reading →

New Ideas in ScienceOne of the most exciting aspects of science is the discovery and development of new ideas and insights that lead to new ways of understanding and manipulating the natural world. Theories that seem preposterous at first can … Continue reading →

I have been trying to keep up with the clinical trial literature evaluating cannabis (primarily CBD) in veterinary patients. There is a lot of research happening right now, so it is challenging to keep current even on this limited subset … Continue reading →

A reader recently asked me to take another look at a product for producing and administering platelet rich plasma (PRP). This is a subject I haven’t covered since 2013, when I wrote about a small study looking at the use of PRP for arthritis … Continue reading →

I have followed the literature on the risks and benefits of neutering for many years, from writing my own literature review in 2010 to critically analyzing individual research studies on the subject here. The evidence is always growing and changing, and the attitudes of … Continue reading →

IntroductionSince the discovery of electricity and magnetism, these mysterious forces have been thought to have healing powers. Many fanciful electrical devices were promoted in the nineteenth and early twentieth century as cures for diverse ailments or general health tonics.1 More serious … Continue reading →