Is there evidence for the use of natural therapies such as herbs and acupuncture for treating pets? The answer probably depends on what is meant by evidence. A better question might be: How do holistic veterinary practitioners make ethical and best-practice decisions when recommending a treatment modality for a patient?
Integrative medicine is a curious balance. As a trained scientist, I always want to know what a treatment is and how it works. One definition of evidence-based medicine is to use good evidence to make sound clinical decisions. However, in practice, most vets also base treatment decisions on prior learning, experience and communication with their peers.
One common assumption is that the best evidence comes from double-blind randomly assigned controlled studies (RCTs). These are difficult to achieve even in conventional veterinary medicine.…
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WellBeing (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 203