Recently I felt a cold coming on. You know the feeling. You’re not sick yet, but experience tells you that something is not right. Maybe you have a mild headache or a scratchy throat. I tend to get the headache and an overall feeling of an alien invasion. It’s almost as though I can sense the viral particles trying to inject themselves into my cells.
About to go on a trip, the last thing I needed was to get sick. So I opened up my medicine cabinet and took several homeopathic preparations to help me fight it off.
That got me to wondering about what research has been done lately on the efficacy of what’s called “alternative” or “adjunctive” or “holistic” medicine, including acupuncture, chinese herbs and homeopathic medicine. Also known, as one reader said in reaction to a post I wrote in 2011, “Wackadoo Medicine.” (This was not offered as a compliment, but I’ve been fond of it ever since. I rather love saying the word “wackadoo”. I strongly encourage you to incorporate it into your vocabulary.)
As often happens in life, I had also recently stopped in to visit the new clinic of my own holistic veterinarian, Dr. Carrie Donahue at Full Circle Veterinary Care on Monroe Street in Madison, WI. We got to talking, and I asked her if there has been new research on the efficacy of some of the procedures and supplements/medicines considered “alternative”. Bless her, she came through with some interesting ones, although mostly from human medicine.
Here are a few that surely relate to issues we often find in our pets:
Acupuncture and Cutaneous Medicine: Is It Effective? (Owners of dogs with Skin Allergies, take note.)
Role of Antioxidants and Natural Products in Inflammation (This one is not beach reading but it is absolutely fascinating. I’m saving it to read again. And probably again. I’m especially interested in it because some scientists have argued that there is no basis for the “antioxidant” craze.)
Future Therapies for Food Allergies (No food allergies in dogs, hey? Ha.)
A related issue–psychosomatic responses to preparations and interventions continues to fascinate me. Finally the world is beginning to acknowledge the powerful interplay between mind/emotions and body! It’s not “all in your head” as we now know, it’s actually in “your gut,” and it’s not a product of one’s imagination.
Ah, so much to learn about the body and the mind. I’d love to hear if you use alternative or holistic medicine for your animals. I use chiropractry, chinese herbs, homeopathics preparations (which I use because I swear they work on me but I still don’t believe the standard explanation of why they work), physical therapy and tons of tons of western medicine. I am very lucky to have so many great vets and experts in my area. You?
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Well, no, not today anyway. We’re in Mexico on March 5th, and the plan is for all of the speakers from CICA CONGRESO to go to see the Monarch butterflies on one of their winter reserves. Ooooooo, so excited. Next week I’ll post photographs from the entire trip. Here are photos of where we are staying after the conference:
Paul says
Follow
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org
and
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/
The problem is that there isn’t a ton of research on the Vet side because there isn’t a ton of money for it. But most people that believe in crap like that extrapolate that if one woo-woo type treatment, like homeopathy or other nonsense, it must work for their dog.
Plus why waste the money on researching treatments that we know DON’T work in humans ti see that they don’t work on dogs as well.
What we really need is better studies on nutrition in terms of raw vs cooked etc, mostly to quiet down those “raw only, dogs are carnivores, I have a wolf in my house” types.
Though I suspect that if we showed that raw isn’t any better than kibble or wet food but that has a higher risk of contamination and a higher rate of not being complete and balanced we could quiet them down. Oh wait we know that already but it hasn’t stopped them.
lak says
Wackadoo or not, I took my 1.5 year old dog to a traditional vet who also practiced alternative medicine. My dog was having issues with incontinence and they wanted to put her on Proin. She was so young I was concerned and looked into other treatment for this. After three adjustments performed by the vet over 6 months the issue resolved. After a grade 4 acl rupture and surgery I prepared bone broth to promote wound healing, and still prepare it for her today. I believe in a lot of the practical/alternative treatments!!!!
Kat says
On my way home today from taking Ranger to our vet practicing integrated medicine (a mix of western and Chinese medicine) I was thinking how much I owe you for introducing me to some alternatives. We had psycho bitch Finna on Shen Calmer for a couple of years when we first adopted her. Our regular Western medicine wanted to know if I thought it helped her. I described it as taking enough of the edge off that she could make better choices. And assured him that I could see the difference when we ran out at the same time the other vet was waiting for her new stock. I love our regular vet because he does keep an open mind and is interested in learning more about alternatives.
Ranger will be 12 June first and he had quite a bit of arthritis in the lower back and hips so we made an appointment with the Integrative practice vet. After a hands on exam and some body work (massage and chiropractic) she recommended some diet changes and a cold laser treatment. He’s having a total of four laser treatments and today was number three. He’s moving more freely, and trying to get Finna to play with him again. You can still see that getting up off the floor is harder than it was a year ago but it’s easier than it was when we started treatment. It certainly seems a little wackadoo (I love that word too) that changing what he eats (basically removing chicken from his diet and replacing it with duck and turkey–I mean really aren’t they all fowl?) and running a red light up and down his back for 20 minutes once a week would make much difference but I’m seeing them and the rest of my Therapy Dogs International Chapter are confirming what I’m seeing so it isn’t just me wanting to believe.
My Western Medicine vet could only prescribe anti-inflammatories with the attendant dangers to Ranger’s liver that would come with long term daily use. Diet, some exercises, and a laser are all non-invasive and the side-effects are all positive. Well, all positive if, like me, you consider Ranger feeling frisky enough to be a brat again from time to time a positive.
Thank you Trisha, your stories about using alternatives with Willie introduced me to some new ideas that have been helpful with my dogs. I’m very grateful for that.
Gia says
Hello, Dr. McConnell. My name is Gia, and I had the pleasure of meeting you exactly a year ago (March 5th) at the Marin Humane Society in Novato, California. I just attempted to write you a message through the contact form on this website, and I hope that I did so correctly!
I really loved this blog post, and I laughed out loud at the part regarding the term “Wackadoo Medicine.” I will be glad to add it to my vocabulary, and it is indeed an enjoyable word to say.
I’m going to share this post with one of my best friends in Costa Rica, and hopefully she can join in on this discussion (or let me report back on her behalf with more specific details). Her family’s elderly Shetland Sheepdog had many health issues, and once they started taking him to a holistic vet, it made a huge and significant difference. My friend says that it really saved her dog’s life.
I hope that you are feeling better & that you had a wonderful time with the Monarch butterflies. I would love to see pictures!
Frances says
I nurture a strong degree of scepticism about woo, but I take Sophy to the osteopath at the first sign of back trouble (I find him tremendously reassuring, and the difference in her ease of movement is striking, and not just when she is leaving his house), and I always have a tube of HyperCal ointment to hand for grazes and minor soreness (although I suspect it may be the lanolin that is helping, as the cream, with the same herbal ingredients, is not nearly as effective!). For my own aches and pains I swear by the Alexander Technique, perhaps because it is the antithesis of vigorous exercise.
On the whole, though, I find it wise to dig back to the original research, and evaluate the quality of the studies. Then double check whether I am suffering from confirmation bias (do the results give me a warm glow from being right/question my assumptions and make me a little uncomfortable). Then, if appropriate, discuss it with my doctor/vet and take their advice – if I didn’t trust them I would have changed practice years ago!
LisaW says
Trisha, you were instrumental in helping me sort out the confusion of knowing what our “traditional” vet of many years was telling us was not working and could possibly make things worse and not having an alternative immediately obvious. Your villagers were so amazing and helped me see there were more roads to choose. It’s downright scary trying to make a sound decision when someone else’s health and future are relying on you and you are in a foreign land. I will be forever grateful, and so will Olive [who has been pronounced physically phenomenal by our integrative vet] š
Our wackadoo moment was when our other dog, Phoebe, developed a deep retching noise, and we couldn’t figure out why or where. After many tests and no results, our vet asked if she could do a little manipulation. Not knowing, but totally trusting, we said yes. She took her chiropractic thumper tool and started tapping at Pheobe’s shoulder blades, and went down her entire spine lightly thumping. No more retching, even at night her most difficult time. We did these adjustments every few weeks for a few months. Our vet had some theories as to why it may have worked, but no “real” answers. And you know what, we didn’t care. It was working. Unfortunately, the retch hasn’t disappeared completely and we’re using other meds to address it, but it’s all in the mix.
I feel truly lucky to have so many choices in treatments and the money to pay for them. Integrative means “combining allopathic and complementary therapies.” It’s a combination of modalities, and we need to pick and choose what makes sense for our dogs and us, their people.
Jen Germann says
Weāre having an interesting experience with āwackadooā (my iPhone is shockingly fine with this word, and so am I!!) medicine. I donāt know what to make of it except to say itās working.
My dog Jules is a distemper survivor and a couple years ago started experiencing seizures. His wonderful doctor has prescribed him everything under the sun western veterinary medicine has to offer, yet we found little relief from the seizures even when the drugs were given in various combinations.
Not until I started giving Jules PetAlive EaseSure-S did the seizures mostly stop. This is an āherbal supplementā loaded with things Iād never heard of before, but we were getting a bit desperate to find something that worked for him. Iāve been giving it to him for months and heās had 3 or 4 very minor seizures, compared to 3-4 seizures per day. Weāve even weaned him off the meds his doctor prescribed him. As someone who is pretty skeptical about these types of things, Iām pretty floored by his response. But as someone who loves her dog and will do anything to make him happier and more comfortable, Iām glad Iām willing to put aside skepticism sometimes and I only wish I had found this sooner.
Kitti says
Please keep in mind that confirmational bias and the organization funding the studies makes a big (huge?) difference in the outcome of the study. This is true in human as well as veterinary medicine. (Witness the now revealed fact that the sugar industry studies on how benign sugar was are mostly faked or (if the study results were not in the industry’s favor, the studies never got published. Same thing for saturated fats).)
Science is supposed to form an hypothesis, then seek to prove or disprove it. NOT decide in advance the result you want and then seek to prove it.
Tiffany M. says
Hi Trish!
I hope you’re feeling better!
Oh man, “wackadoodle” medicine is a passion of mine, so get ready!!
I work for a Holistic Veterinary Clinic here in Burbank, California (and have for a few years now) and I absolutely 100% believe in the healing power of its medicine. Eastern medicine practices have been around far longer than Western, yet its credibility is always in question. In my personal life, I much prefer to work with nature and the inner workings of my body as opposed to treating symptoms with synthetic chemicals, and the same goes for my animals.
I have a little 16 year old mixed breed buddy named “Ringo” and he is my “one in a million dog” (more like “one in a billion, gazillion, made up number dog”. He’s better than I could have ever imagined. <3). In the fall of 2013, he experienced another episode of pancreatitis (he had 2 before). I was feeding him a low calorie, limited ingredient kibble at the time. A Western doctor told me to put him on a canned Royal Canin diet for IBD. (EWW EWW EWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! For anyone who is reading this, PLEASE avoid Royal Canin at all costs. Their food is filled with by-products and fillers and is absolutely horrible for your pet.) She also said that I would never be able to feed him home-cooked food because the percentage of fat has to be lower than 8%. I was naive at the time and I worked in a Western clinic, so I did what was suggested. Ringo's symptoms didn't get better, they got worse. I did my research and found a whole food diet containing very little fat and high protein (super easy) and he has been eating that ever since with no further GI episodes. And! In addition, his asthma symptoms decreased significantly!
In July of 2016, Ringo had what appeared to be a possible stroke or severe vestibular episode. Two specialists (one was a Board Certified Nuerologist) claimed that it appeared to be a brain tumor. He wasn't able to walk, urinate or defecate on his own. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. They put him on a high dose of predinisone and he got worse. The neurologist felt that his time was coming to an end and said that if he didn't get better within the next few days, he wouldn't get better at all. So, over the next few days, I took him off the prednisone because it wasn't helping, I got him comfortable and fed him roasted chicken, french fries and ice cream for desert (hey, why not?). I also had taken him to my clinic and he got acupuncture, some homeopathies for vestibular and some herbs to balance heat and wind. I looked in his eyes that same week and I could see that he still wanted to live his life. I could just tell! I spent the evening praying and the following days brought a miracle. He was starting to vocalize (he does a happy bark and howl) and I could hear him tapping as if he was trying to get up for the first time in 10 days. Ringo went from laterally recumbent to walking on his own to the kitchen (of course). No veterinarian can explain what went on with him, and I have never seen anything like it in my 13 years of experience in the veterinary field. We call Ringo our "little miracle". I joke and say it was the ice cream… haha!! š He continues to receive acupuncture treatments and he also gets Chinese herbs (a combo called "breathe easy") and homeopathies (bronchi-heel, drosera and mucosa) for his asthma, which are the only remedies that have worked in that department aside from changing his diet to a whole food diet. We track his symptoms, trace his acupuncture points and he continues to improve. He walks, runs up and down stairs, jumps up and off couches (within his capabilities). He's amazing.
Why did I ramble on about this story? It's because Western medicine doctors were so quick to jump to conclusions and throw him on steroids and commercial food. It's because (in my experience) Western medicine has failed to open its mind to the possibilities beyond what its been taught. It's because the pharmaceutical companies have a negative influence on the veterinary community including the medication and the diets that they endorse. I have seen SO MANY animals improve with acupuncture, laser therapy, physical rehabilitation, Chinese herbs and homeopathies. Dogs come in who can't walk and the owners can't do surgery and within weeks, they're up and walking again. I can go on and on and on with multiple examples. I am so incredibly grateful for these practices.
As far as own personal health goes, if I feel a cold coming on, a cup of tea and some elderberry root goes a lonnnnnnnng way!
Thank you for the great topic and thanks for allowing me to ramble on and express my feelings on the subject!
Love and Light to everyone! Onward and upward!
Tiffany M. says
P.S.- I have also helped many people and their animals by sharing an easy home cooked recipe (crwated ans approved by a veterinary nutritionist). I could easily go on and on about nutrition, but I’ll spare your time. For now. š
Chris Wells says
I have a 15 year old half dachshund and live in an area of Texas where I have few alternatives as far as veterinary treatment. She lost the use of her hind legs about a month ago and with the help of a sling she goes outside to use the bathroom. A friend suggested an energy practitioner that practices Reiki and we gave it a try, along with hemp oil. Our dog now walks about 85% of the time. She still needs help with the few steps off our porch, but she is able to walk around the house. I donāt know for sure which is helping, but something is!
Paula Ehlers says
Hi! I firmly believe in TCM, acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments in dogs. We were first introduced to these with our Dobe, Nitro, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his front leg. After amputation, he was started on Chinese herbs (which I believe contributed to the cancer not metastasize). He then got chiro adjustments to help him adjust to his new 3-legged gait, and the pain he initially had with this. Fast forward 2 years, when his kidneys began to fail (whether from the chemo he’d had, or from old age – he was 11 years at this time), and arthritis in his hind end got worse. We started acupuncture, and I feel he was given much relief. Here was a dog, given 6 months to a year to live after the osteosarcoma diagnosis, who rocked life on 3 legs for over 3 years, and was taken from us because of old age. You bet I believe in Eastern medicine!
Linlin says
There’s a lot of discussion in China regarding Chinese medicine treating people as well. It seems both sides hold very strong opinions. I heard stories of people got cured by Chinese after years of unseccessful Western medicjen treatment; I also heard opposite stories. I think the key is (1) what kind of disease; and (2) doctor’s capability. For acute disease, I believe Western medicine. But for some chronic disease, I think chinsese medicine works better a lot of times. Another problem is Chinese medicine is hard to scientically define the effectiveness of Chinese medicine and doctors but rather than based on reputation.
Hannah M says
I have a very (odd) distinct memory of watching Martha Stewert on TV as a child (which was frequent at my house) performing massage therapy on her dogs with the guidance of a professional. She demonstrated how to massage different areas of your dog and talked about how it can help certain ailments.
Wackadoo as it may seem (wackadoo is something I have said to my own kiddos for years), I have used some of those massage techniques with my own pets. Always as more of a bonding ritual as opposed to a medical treatment, but it’s funny how that sticks with a person!
I think it’s important to recognize both alternative and western medicine as important, and that they should work cooperatively toward health and wellness. You can’t have too many things working toward your health, or the health of your dog!
Andy says
I’ve really appreciated your musings on Western and non-Western medicine, Trisha, and they’ve informed how I think about alternative treatments. I still value the evidence-based medicine pyramid and generally default to grounded, well-tested opinions and products, and I really like sites like SkepVet and writers like Linda Case. But I’ve also become more skeptical of the kind of blunt scientism that’s so common these days. I feel like both skepticism and experimentation are more or less natural human intuitions and behaviors, but we’ve outsourced so much of it to big science. And if the 20th century has taught us anything, it’s that big science can be very, very wrong.
My trainers are heavy into T-Touch, which barely makes it up to the second level of the pyramid. They use aromatherapy and holistic medicine. Do I think each one of the things they do are specifically effective? Maybe, maybe not, but I absolutely believe that, taken as a whole, it works for my dogs and their dogs as well. Maybe it’s all psychosomatic and we’re just transferring our belief to our dogs in some weird way, but the dogs at the center live long, wag lots, and sleep well. As the head trainer said, “it’s hippy sh*t, but it’s h*ppy shit that works”, and she has decades of successful clients to show for it.
Andy says
(oops bleeped out the wrong letter, sorry)
Rondi Potter says
I’m resistant to using anything that doesn’t have some research supporting it. I’m also suspicious of a provider who recommends homeopathic anything. If it’s really homeopathic it’s just a little bottle of water and any perceived effect has to be placebo so why waste your money…although I suppose if that’s what it takes to activate the placebo effect maybe??? I do recognize that there may be some plants that may be effective but are not researched because there is no financial interest. It would be nice if we had a non-profit interested in doing research on such things. Perhaps there is?
Ann Bemrose says
In my younger years, I was definitely a West Coast hippie-type of woman. I advised everyone to use herbs for everything, traditional doctors only if something was broken or the bleeding wouldn’t stop. Then I adopted the great dog of my life, Griffin. He was a sheltie/border collie mix. In our first summer together, it became clear that he was allergic to flea saliva, which caused welts and a lot of discomfort, requiring cortisone and antibiotics. The medicine worked, but nothing prevented the allergic reaction. We never had fleas indoors, but he encountered them on our walks and hikes and needed the cortisone and other drugs at least once a year.
I had a friend who was a strong proponent of homeopathy. When I was pregnant with my first child, I had all-day, all-night morning sickness and largely couldn’t tolerate the taste of food. I went to the homeopath at my friend’s behest. She prescribed lactic acid. I took it and the morning sickness vanished completely and stayed gone. It may have been psychosomatic, it may have been a true cure. I didn’t care. I could eat without being sick!
I consulted the homeopath about Griffin’s sensitivity to flea saliva. She prescribed homeopathic sulfur. I gave it to Griffin. He never had another reaction to fleas for the rest of his life–for the last 13 years of his life. Was it because of the homeopathic remedy? I don’t know. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a sustained psychosomatic reaction on his part, though.
Jann Becker says
Careful with “wackadoo.” When I heard it used about a teenage girl who had a psychiatric disorder, but her stepfather didn’t believe that, I felt really hurt and insulted, as I also have such a disorder. Just don’t apply the word to humans, any more than you would “loony” or “nuts.”
Jenny H says
I often think that the active ingredient in ‘alternative’ medicines is NOT the one the suppliers/practitioners think it is.
This was especially made obvious to me when a friend used “Rescue Remedy” on her young son who was getting hyperactive and fretful. Yes it worked brilliantly — and I’m sure it would have worked equally well if you had merely sat him on her knew and talked calmly to him. No need to the ‘rescue remedy’ at all. Except that it came with instructions to sip slowly while relaxing.
Just as a cup of tea and a good lie down will work to cure a (stress) headache, and (in hot weather) a glass of water with a pinch of salt will resolve your headaches and/or ‘light-headedness.
Nothing like good clean water, and enough salt to replace what you have lost in sweat.
Fresh vegetables will improve your health and probably boost your immune system regardless of wether they are sold to you as remedies or just food. I found that a fresh tomato worked every bit as well as a couple of aspirin tablets.
on the other hand stress or simply tiredness can make you feel as though something is ‘coming on’ — and after a good night’s sleep you often find that you weren’t sick at all. Just tired and stressed.
Rachel says
Ditto to Paul’s comment (first listed) in support of science-based medicine and the veterinarian blogger skeptvet. Without good, quality, supporting wvidence, these ‘wackadoo’ therapies are nothing more than a religion. It’s disappointing to see otherwise intelligent people be persuaded by their experience with one individual. I don’t care what people choose to do for themselves; the placebo effect has been proven to be real and significant. But placebo by proxy does not help improve the welfare of the companions in our care.
Jenny H says
The only way to truly test whether anything woks as a placebo or is actually an active medication/treatment is for the patient to receive it without their knowledge and the person actually administering the treatment to also be unaware of it. Placebo effect has been noticed in animals because the owner/experimenter has been totally aware of whether the subject got the ‘treatment’ being investigated or the alternative.
https://thesciencedog.wordpress.com/2017/01/12/consider-the-placebo-sugar-pills-and-your-dog/
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/17_9/features/Your-dog-and-the-placebo-effect_21039-1.html
Barbara says
I find myself leaning more and more to alternative medicine. I use chiropractic, acupuncture, herbs, homeopathic remedies, healing touch, and communication. I don’t believe there is a placebo effect for animals. It either works or it doesn’t but the animal doesn’t have to “believe” it will work. Case in point. Miley was recovering from a fractured pelvis and her dislocated hip had been manually replaced and held together with a tightly wrapped sling. Poor, poor baby. I looked over at her and she was crying. Real tears. I gave her one Arnica montana pellet for pain and sat with her laying my hands on her and whispering sweet words of comfort. After 16 minutes she lifted her head and thumped her tail. Pretty dramatic.
For some conditions drugs may have a quick effect leading us to believe the animal is cured but so often it is not a cure, just a suppression of symptoms. Sometimes the side effects are truly horrible. First do no harm. Alternative medicine may take longer but the animal (or human) is healing itself from within. I also feed real food, raw to two of my GSDs and cooked for the other. We are learning that fresh minimally processed food is better for people and better for dogs too.
geri theobald says
In January I herniated a disc,worst pain I have ever experienced other than labor (similar actually). My doctor gave me prednisone, 2 different muscle relaxants and a pain med. These provided moderate relief but did not stop the muscle spasms. After a week I remembered Arnica
which I had tried on my corgi years ago with great success. ( I tried it on him because of a blog you had written about your experience with Arnica). Anyway my spasms stopped within 2 hours.
I don’t care whether that was a placebo affect for me or my Chief. We both improved and continued to improve and we have you to thank, Trisha.
I’m not sure we will see much research in homeopathy. Pharmaceutical companies have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
Lisa H says
I started with monthly chiropractic treatments to help my agility dog when he was about 7, then added acupuncture and CBD capsules to help him after completing chemo for lymphoma in August 2017. He turned 11 on New Years Eve, is in remission from lymphoma 11 months out but is now in stage 3 kidney failure, probably from the chemo. I’ll do what I can to support his body in ways that keep him active & happy as long as I can. I appreciate the ability to access both Western (UW-Madison Vet Care Oncology) and the alternative modalities.
Frances says
I have often suspected that much of the effect of many therapies is the comfort they give us that we are doing something, while nature takes its course and the body heals itself. Touch, warmth, kindness, sleep – all the things that raise oxytocin levels and reduce stress – are possibly the main active ingredients, but the carer needs some comfort too, and the small ceremonies of dosing and rubbing and stretching help us to feel useful. I cook for my animals. Pippin-cat is currently undergoing radio-iodine therapy for hyperthyroidism, and I chose to have him stay at the centre for two weeks – they happily accepted the huge bag of frozen home-cooked meals I delivered with him, but did ask why I felt it necessary. And I explained that it was partly because it is the food he is used to and thrives upon, and a change of diet could add to possible stress, but largely because preparing carefully chosen, carefully balanced meals, topped off with chunks of chicken and little bits of liver, was something I could do for him and it made me feel better about leaving him (daily reports are that he is doing very well, and happily eating his way through it all).
If the therapy is harm free, inexpensive, and even enjoyable then for me it comes under the heading of Does no harm, May do some good. My big concern is when faith-based therapies (and I would include homeopathy, acupuncture, and all the others that have been repeatedly shown to be no more effective than a placebo under that heading) actually harm animals, when their owners choose not to use more effective mainstream treatments. And don’t get me started on how herbs must be safe because they are “natural”!
Chris Wells says
Tiffany M.
Thank you for your inspiring story and taking the time to share it here. ā¤ļø
Trisha says
First, to Kat and LisaW: It makes me happier than I can say that our village here was helpful to you and to your dear dogs (who we have all grown to love).
Second, what a fascinating set of stories about so many different experiences. Iāve been in Mexico (back in a snow storm last night), and have been posting comments but too immersed in CICA (Mexico City behavior & trg conference) and mole and tortillas and cobblestone streets and great new friends to comment. But hereās what strikes me the most now that I have time to respond:
So many of us have turned to a range of medicines and practices that are/were considered ānon-traditionalā (or Wackadoo, take your pick) by many, even us. But then, they worked, even though we sometimes didnāt understand why. This of course, brings up the placebo effect and confirmation bias, often used to disparage non-Western medicine. I have no doubt that many of the procedures and āmedicinesā currently on the market are worthless or even potentially harmful. Thing is, thatās also true in western medicine.
We know, for example, that the placebo effect is alive and well in western medicine. Why wouldnāt it be? NIH, by the way, has an excellent article on the placebo effect and Western medicine.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/21/placebo-effect-medical-intervention
NIH also has an excellent article on the placebo effect and Western medicine:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2582662
And thanks Jenny H for the excellent article on confirmation bias in veterinary medicine (which affected both owners and the vets).
Classical conditioning is no less relevant in all fields of medicine. Who remembers the study that found a similar effect in dogs in which dogs were given a pill with an active ingredient once, then given a āsugar pillā in the same way later with the same result? (An effect no doubt created by classical conditioning). I thought for sure I had written about it but canāt find it now. Iāll look later when my brain is not quite so travel addled. Got home in snow storm and to bed at 2 am, so a tad fuzzy.
Here’s an interesting related article I did find: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/social-sciences-practice/social-science-practice-tut/e/exploring-clinical-applications-of-classical-conditioning
To Tiffany, congratulations on Ringoās recovery. (Your description of him as your āone in a billion, gazillion, made up number dogā makes me all warm and gooey.) And thank you for reminding me to take my Breathe Easy for my own asthma.
To Linlin: I so appreciate your reminder that all forms of medicine have their successes and their failures. Several people commented that western medicine appears to be the rock star of acute crisis (I am especially grateful for western medicineās miraculous ability to save people who have been horribly damaged in accidents, for example) and Chinese medicine (and others) for chronic problems. No doubt that is far too simplistic, but it is something to think about. (I should also add, however, that there is controversy about Chinese medicine and some of its ingredients, which in some cases have included preparations from endangered animals or animals captured and treated horribly. Just saying that the issue can be complex, and itās important in my perspective not to idolize or demonize any field of medicine.)
To Andy: I could have edited your post and taken out the ācorrectā letter, but, well, really, weāre all grown up here and I rather enjoyed your candor.
To Jann: So sorry that you were part of a mis-understood group described by some as āWackadooā. How awful.
Time to go do laundry and take my own set of immune booster medicines/placebos/stuff to get ready for the next trip on Friday to Florida. Wheee!
Debbie S says
While the “Wackadoo Medicine” descriptor made me smile, I prefer to use Voodoo. I have always been skeptical of alternative medicine but then one of my dogs had to contend with arthritis at an early age as well as cancer & I suddenly ascribed to the “there are no atheists in foxholes” philosophy and began to try all sorts of voodoo. Has it helped? Who knows. At least it has done no harm. And, besides, eastern cultures have been using many of these alternative methods for centuries, so who am I to argue? As far as the placebo effect…..my dog participated in a clinical trial of an elbow injection to alleviate arthritis symptoms and, unfortunately, the data showed it was ineffectual. From my observations, I agreed with that conclusion. However, it was surprising to me how many owners swore their dogs showed dramatic improvement; seems that dogs themselves don’t fall victim to the placebo effect but their humans certainly do, even when they’re not the test subjects!
em says
February 2, 2015 on the post referencing the study that suggested dogs are susceptible to conditioned “placebo” response to a pill.
I have little to add to the general conversation, as I am a fairly equal-opportunity skeptic, but reading with interest!
Laura Riggs says
Thanks so much Trish for bringing up the topic of holistic/alternative veterinary medicine. I’m in the start up phase of a new Pet Food Company. Savvy Pet Foods and Meat Market. We hope to open in the upcoming Madison Public Market next year. We will offer fresh small batch raw pet foods and treats. We are looking for holistic Veterinarians interested in tweeking our receipes for pets with food sensitivities. This all came about when my cat had some health issues and I was not getting any help from traditional veterinary medicine. So, I began my own research which led me to putting him on a raw food diet. His health problems cleared up immediately. I also have a standard poodle puppy, who had issues with diarrhea, So, I decided to make my own raw food for both of them, no more GI problems for the puppy. If you haven’t seen the documentary, “Pet Fooled” I’d highly recommend it. Thanks again Trish, hope you are feeling better soon.
Sincerely,
Laura S Riggs
Savvy Pet Foods and Meat Market, LLC
Trisha says
Ah, thanks em!
Chris from Boise says
Though I’m by far more comfortable with Western, double-blind controlled research, I too have been exploring a bit of wackadoo medicine under the supervision of our traditional Western veterinarians. Our sports vet suggested T-Relief homeopathic pills for Habi’s joint pain, which seem to help when we’ve overdone it on a hike, and are supposed to be harmless to her aging kidneys. When she really tweaks something and is in acute pain, she gets carprofen (Rimadyl), despite the potential for kidney damage (we’re into quality of life here, not quantity). She definitely moves more easily after cold laser or electro-acupuncture (?) treatments at the vet; regular acupuncture doesn’t seem to have the same effect.
To me, the evidence for the placebo effect in humans is overwhelming. If it works for dogs as well (that classical conditioning evidence is interesting), that’s great. If it’s just owners and vets being fooled by our own wishful thinking, not so great.
This old aphorism is where I stand: An Indian and a white man were talking. The white man drew a little circle in the sand and said “This is what the Indian knows”. Then he drew a larger circle and said “this is what the white man knows”. The Indian took the stick and drew a huge circle around both circles, and said “And this is what the Indian and the white man don’t know”.
The best medicine, IMHO, is close observation, life enrichment in all ways, and lots and lots of TLC.
Margo Harris says
I really got a laugh out of Andy’s typo! I needed a laugh, this week.
Wow, what an interesting subject. This is good timing for me because for the last week or so I have been looking after my 14 year old dog Sam, intensively, and now he is on a pain med (Gabapentin) and is supposed to start one called Amantadine this afternoon but I’ve put in a call to the vet about worries about side effects, after reading the package insert. I usually try to not give my animals drugs, but of course if it will help him I’ll do it. His illness started with much vomiting, started to get weak…took him to the vet where he had blood tests. Came back positive for Lyme, and within the next couple of days he was pretty much unable to stand/walk. Hunched over, floppy muscles, shivering, chattering teeth…so sad to see my usually springy old boy like that.
Carried him outside to pee/poo, while I held him up supported by his harness and the leash wrapped under his middle, so he wouldn’t collapse. What a little trooper he was…trying so hard. I have so much admiration for dogs! Back to the vet, and we were worried she would say that we should put him to sleep. She said maybe it is at least partly severe arthritis… let’s try the pain meds. Got antibiotics for Lyme, but not to start yet till his tummy is better. Now he’s able to walk, wobbly still, seems not in a lot of pain, tummy better and eating a bit of beef/chicken & rice, and drinking well. Still wonky, but much improved. I feel uneasy about the drugs, but I read that they do help with the soreness, and I don’t know if his symptoms are connected to the positive test for Lyme, but I plan to give the antibiotics as planned, for a month, once he is a little stronger.
I read that there are natural treatments for Lyme disease in dogs, but it sounds like the antibiotics are probably more effective.
A bit of a ramble, hope that’s ok.
And, I swear by Rescue Remedy drops, by the way! Sam has always been a nervous fellow, although his mum Echo is super easy-going, and starting him on Rescue Remedy when he was younger has been great for him, especially with night time anxiety. Takes the edge off, somehow.
I should take some myself, after all my worrying about Sam and his drugs!!
One last thing… I just received the Education of Will in the mail…yay! Will make a cup of tea and start reading, while I watch over my Sammy.
Hope your cold gets better soon, Patricia, and happy travels!
HFR says
What I find interesting is when people will stop giving their dog a drug because they think it’s detrimental long term, even when that drug is working. I always think to myself, “Would your dog choose to stop taking something that makes him feel better?” I don’t think so. This is mostly true when dealing with arthritis and joint issues. Let’s face it, the anti-inflammatories around these days are pretty darned effective (if they don’t upset your dog’s stomach). My senior dog, who’s had 3 knee surgeries, obviously has some arthritis. I give him a Previcox and he’s a puppy again. I always feel guilty giving it to him tho because I know how hard these drugs can be on the liver. But, most of the time we are giving these drugs to older dogs who probably won’t live long enough to even have a chance to have long-term side effects.
I’m open to all kinds of treatments. Western or alternative. What I don’t like is when allopathic medicine is talked about as if it’s an evil conspiracy. I know too many people and animals whose lives have been dramatically extended with western medicine. Yeah, pharma companies are hard to love, but drugs are not the bad guys. I had a friend who absolutely refused to give her dog cortisone when she was chewing her paws raw . She tried every homeopathic remedy she could find. Finally she tried the steroid and within a day, her dog was relieved of her suffering.
The key is to be open to everything and to be cautious with all things.
Trisha says
Here here HFR!
Margo Harris says
I am going to write down “The key is to be open to everything and to be cautious with all things” and stick it up on my kitchen wall!
Kat says
I was talking to someone yesterday and it highlighted a big difference between the manner in which most of the people here employ wackadoo medicine and the manner the general public does it. Someone I know had adopted an adult dog that was having a hard time settling in. So they turned to the internet where someone suggested marijuana oil so they went to the local pot shop and asked the person behind the counter who assured them that this would be the cure all. They bought the oil and used it for a few weeks. The dog settled so clearly the oil was the cure all as advertised. In this case it worked out for the dog. But they got their information from a random source on the internet and a person whose job it is to sell the product.
In contrast when I wanted to try some wackadoo with Finna I started with a veterinarian I knew from presentations I’d attended. I consulted my regular vet and I discussed the question with the trainer I was working with who also used the wackadoo vet for her own dogs. (And you’d better believe I’d researched the trainer carefully before we ever started working with her.) I read up on Chinese medicine and checked out the available albeit limited research. And I tried to keep an awareness of other factors that might have explained the improvement.
In short the difference between trying something because some random person recommended it and trying something outside the mainstream after careful research and careful evaluation of the results.
Frances says
That is so very true, Kat. I did exactly the same thing – I have found Hypercal ointment very useful on my own scratches and grazes, but checked with a vet before using it on the animals (and asked about both dogs and cats); when Sophy hurt her back I was careful to choose a qualified osteopath who required a referral from my vet; before switching to a home-cooked diet I researched nutritional requirements, tabulated the values of all the meats etc I planned on feeding, and cross checked all the required vitamins and trace elements (OK, perhaps I am inclined to take things to extremes!).
There is a mass of information now available to us through the internet, good, bad and indifferent, but people need the nous and skills to evaluate it and sort the potentially useful wheat from the useless or positively harmful chaff. I recently read a very sad post from someone who used an essential oil recommended for humans to treat a minor skin problem on her cat and killed it – “be cautious with all things”.