New Science-based Guide to Alternative Medicine for Pets

Given all the discussions on the subject of CAM I’ve been involved in over the years, I thought this group might be interested in a book I have coming out in November which provides a critical, scientific evaluation of claims for alternative therapies in pets.

Placebos for Pets?

Aw, cool!

The Forums are less than they could be without your consistently, “oh so rational” input.

Hey doc, good to hear from you again. When are you going to make some shorts for YouTube :slight_smile:

I’ve got this dog now, might have to get the book. So I do you think it’s still a good read even if one doesn’t do the alternatives to begin with? My dog’s healthy and doesn’t need meds, other than dewormer once a month, that’s about it.

Give us your elevator pitch :wink:

The book has two goals:

  1. To provide a comprehensive, readable evaluation of the most common concepts and claims in alternative pet care-
    This is aimed at non-scientists, but it heavy on citations so it can be useful reference for veterinary professionals or skeptics responding to alt med claims. Even if you are already unlikely to fall for classic alt med (e.g. homeopathy, herbs, etc.), you would be surprised how many treatments and products there are out that that sound scientifically plausible and evidence-based but really aren’t (e.g. low-level laser therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, many feeding strategies or supplements, much of current veterinary physical therapy), so you might still find it useful.

  2. To introduce a systematic approach to making medical decisions in a critical, evidence-based way. This part may be old news for you, but it might be a nice concise refresher and interesting to see the principles applied in a new domain (vet med).

As for youtube, I was actually starting to think about that last night, and I expect I will start doing some shorts in the next couple of months if I can find the time and if I can manage the necessary technical savvy.

Thanks for the info, you make it sound enticing, and it’s less than I twelve pack of beer :wink: sold.

Keep us in the loop about those videos.

My pets will have nothing to do with “alternative medicine”. They are all atheists, skeptics and rational thinkers. To them there is science based medicine and no “alternatives.” “Alternative medicine is hooey,” my dog says.?

I’m just dying to know how well beetle powder mixed with an infusion of stump water harvested 3 days past the quarter moon actually helps open my pet’s chakras.