SkeptVet essay renews debate over alternative medicine and science
A new SkeptVet essay argues that so-called complementary and alternative veterinary medicine isn’t a separate, science-compatible lane of care, but a label often used to market therapies that haven’t met the same evidentiary standards as conventional medicine. In the December 2025 post, veterinarian Brennan McKenzie says modalities such as homeopathy, Reiki, chiropractic, and many forms of acupuncture rely on claims or mechanisms that are either unproven or inconsistent with established biology and physics, and he argues that any therapy should be judged by plausibility, preclinical work, and well-designed clinical trials. That framing lands amid broader debate in the profession over how “integrative” care should be defined and governed. Merck Veterinary Manual says the key distinction between conventional and complementary or alternative care is the strength of evidence behind best practices, while AVMA policy on regenerative medicine similarly stresses that emerging therapies should be formulated using evidence-based medicine. (skeptvet.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the piece is less about one blog post than about a persistent misinformation challenge: how to talk with pet parents about therapies marketed as natural, holistic, or traditional without blurring the line between client preference and scientific validation. That tension is playing out publicly. In 2024, Vet Record reported criticism of WSAVA’s inclusion of traditional Chinese veterinary medicine content, with concerns that giving such material a platform could legitimize approaches critics say have little scientific basis. Separately, an Evidence-Based Veterinary Medical Association letter opposing AVMA specialty recognition for acupuncture argued there is no good scientific evidence that acupuncture consistently improves clinical outcomes and said specialty status should rest on a scientific knowledge base that follows evidence-based medicine. (skeptvet.com)
What to watch: Expect continued debate over AVMA policy, specialty recognition, conference programming, and how practices communicate evidence, risk, and informed consent when pet parents ask for integrative or alternative options. (ahvma.org)