Why evidence-based medicine still matters in veterinary care
A new post from SkeptVet is putting a familiar but increasingly urgent topic back in front of the profession: what evidence-based medicine is, and why it matters. Published December 3, 2025, the article frames evidence-based medicine not as a rigid rulebook, but as a practical method for separating what’s likely true from what only feels persuasive. McKenzie’s central argument is that veterinary medicine works best when clinicians integrate research evidence, clinical judgment, and the circumstances of the individual patient and client. (skeptvet.com)
That message lands at a time when evidence-based veterinary medicine has become more embedded in the profession’s institutions, even if adoption in day-to-day practice remains uneven. A 2025 commentary in Veterinary Evidence notes that EBVM has gained traction over the past two decades in academic, regulatory, and professional settings. The same paper says the RCVS has treated EBVM as part of fitness to practise expectations, while the AVMA and CVMA require veterinarians to apply scientific knowledge and make evidence-based decisions. (veterinaryevidence.org)
The underlying idea is straightforward, but important to restate. The Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Association defines EBVM as integrating the best research evidence available with clinical expertise and the unique needs or wishes of each client in clinical practice. RCVS Knowledge uses similar language, emphasizing the application of the best and most relevant scientific evidence in the context of each patient and care setting. In a 2015 paper cited widely in this area, McKenzie described EBVM as the explicit and formal integration of scientific research evidence into clinical decision-making, with the goal of improving outcomes through better information and better information management. (ebvma.org)
SkeptVet’s post also leans into the harder point: why this approach is necessary in the first place. McKenzie argues that human cognitive limitations, including confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance, make clinicians vulnerable to overvaluing personal experience and underweighting contradictory evidence. That theme is consistent with the broader EBVM literature, which has long positioned the discipline as a safeguard against decisions driven mainly by authority, tradition, or anecdote. (skeptvet.com)
Industry and professional commentary suggests the stakes now extend beyond journal clubs and conference lectures. A 2025 PubMed-indexed article on veterinary social media misinformation describes false or misleading pet health information as a pressing issue and argues that veterinarians should play an active role in debunking rumors and building transparent mechanisms for correction. AAHA has made a similar point in practice-focused coverage, noting that social platforms can spread bad advice quickly, but can also be used by veterinary professionals to counter false claims with credible education. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: For veterinary teams, evidence-based medicine is really about decision quality under uncertainty. In practice, that means knowing how much confidence to place in a study, recognizing when evidence is thin or conflicting, and communicating that uncertainty without losing client trust. It also matters operationally: EBVM underpins guideline development, continuing education, protocol design, and the profession’s response to misinformation around vaccines, nutrition, alternative therapies, and preventive care. When pet parents arrive with claims sourced from influencers, forums, or product marketing, an evidence-based framework helps clinicians respond consistently, respectfully, and clearly. (rcvsknowledge.org)
There’s also a practical tension worth noting. Even advocates of EBVM acknowledge that veterinary evidence is often incomplete, species-specific, or difficult to translate cleanly into individual cases. The goal isn’t to pretend certainty exists where it doesn’t. It’s to make the best possible decision with the best available evidence, while being honest about limitations. That may be one reason the concept keeps resurfacing: not because the profession hasn’t heard it before, but because the information environment around veterinary care keeps getting noisier. (veterinaryevidence.org)
What to watch: The next phase of this conversation is likely to focus less on defining EBVM and more on implementation, including how practices train teams to appraise evidence, how organizations package research into usable guidance, and how veterinarians communicate science-based recommendations to pet parents in a misinformation-heavy media environment. (rcvsknowledge.org)