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Brennen McKenzie

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Placebos for Pets?: The Truth About Alternative Medicine in Animals. Paperback – June 29, 2022

by Brennen McKenzie (Author)

4.7 31 ratings

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Whether online or in the local pet store, there are a bewildering variety of pet healthcare products and services to choose from. Diets and supplements, ancient herbs and folk remedies, and even high-tech treatments like hyperbaric oxygen tanks and laser therapy. Everything promises to give your pet better health and a longer life, and isn’t that what every pet owner wants?

But how do you know if all of these products do what they claim? Are they safe? If they really are miraculous cures, why are so many offered only on the Internet or by a few veterinarians specializing in “alternative medicine?”

Brennen McKenzie, a vet with twenty years of experience and the former president of the Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine Association, helps pet owners and veterinary professionals understand the claims and the evidence, allowing them to make better choices for their companions and patients.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I highly recommend this book. It's well worth reading even if you don't have a pet. It is well-written and easy to read... It's a useful compendium of information on alternative medicine for animals, and it teaches readers how to figure out for themselves whether they can believe a new health claim. Since I know animals can't read or speak for themselves, I will speak out for them: thank you, Brennen McKenzie, for this book, and for all your hard work and clear thinking!"
Harriet Hall, MD
Science-based Medicine Blog

"This is a great book for all pet owners, pet professionals, and others interested in animals who need help sifting through all the information on alternative veterinary medicine...His writing style is clear and down to earth, and he explains some very difficult concepts with grace... Reading this was a landmark life experience. Not only did I learn about a lot of specific alternative veterinary practices...I certainly added a few critical thinking tools to my toolbox!"
Eileen Anderson
Author, Remember Me?: Loving and Caring for a Dog with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

"I love the book. I think there should be a copy of this in every vet clinic. I get about every book in veterinary medicine that comes out. This one is really great. This is just an excellent resource. I think you make persuasive arguments. I really enjoyed it and I do really recommend it."Dr. Andy Roark, Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast

"The book is a delight; it is everything one would expect from one as knowledgeable on the subject as the author.

The text has a readable, common-sense style; it is enlivened throughout by anecdotes from the frontline of general veterinary practice and a number of black and white illustrations and is comprehensively referenced.

Placebos for Pets is highly recommended to anyone interested not just in a critical assessment of the use of CAM in animals but also in its general underpinnings and some of the mistaken rationalisations employed to justify its use--mistaking placebo effects for genuine improvements and apparent effectiveness in animals being proof of effectiveness, but principally just how easy it is to fool ourselves into thinking something has worked when in reality it hasn't."
Niall Taylor
Author, No Way to Treat a Friend

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ockham Publishing (June 29, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 490 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1912701367
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1912701360
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.83 x 1.23 x 8.27 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,710,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,780 in Veterinary Medicine (Books)
- #11,145 in Fauna
- #11,621 in Biology of Animals

Customer Reviews:
4.7 31 ratings

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Brennen McKenzie

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Dr. McKenzie has been in small animal general practice for eighteen years, but he has always pursued a wide range of interests, both within and outside of veterinary medicine. After completing a bachelor’s degree with majors in English Literature and Biology at the University of California at Santa Cruz, he followed his youthful dream of becoming a primatologist. He completed a Master’s Degree in Animal Behavior and worked for several years in environmental enrichment and primate behavior.

Eventually, Dr. McKenzie’s interest in animals shifted to healthcare, and he attended the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to working in private practice as a small animal vet, he has served as President of the Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Association, taught veterinary students as a clinical instructor for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences, and taught scientific writing to biology majors at San Jose State University.

Dr. McKenzie has shared his expertise in evidence-based medicine with his colleagues through lectures at veterinary conferences and a monthly column in Veterinary Practice News magazine. He has also reached out to pet owners through the SkeptVet Blog and contributions to the Science-Based Medicine Blog.

While working as a clinician, teaching, and writing, Dr. McKenzie has continued to pursue post-graduate training, and he completed his MSc in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2015.

In his sparse free time, Dr. McKenzie enjoys playing his mandolin and guitar, travelling with his family, and sitting on the couch with his dogs watching the hummingbirds and woodpeckers outside his living room window.

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Customers say

Customers find the book's information educational and well-referenced. They appreciate the clear writing style and layman's terms used by the author. The book is described as thorough yet easy to read, with sound reasoning and scientific methods explained in layman's terms.

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8 customers mention "Information quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's information quality high, with well-referenced and educational content. They appreciate the clear distinction between science-based information and opinions. The book provides a wonderful introduction and overview of many alternative medicine options. Readers describe it as thorough yet easy to read, a must-read for veterinarians, veterinary team members, and pet owners.

"This is a very thorough yet easy to read book that will help you make sense of all the different therapies you hear being touted on the internet and..." Read more

"This excellent book helps us to gain perspective and good sense in clarifying the present confusion regarding medical, organic & natural products...." Read more

"...It has been eye opening and I feel like the author is incredibly knowledgeable and has thoroughly researched the topics in the book...." Read more

"Well written, factual, clear. I got a lot out of it. Highly recommend this to any pet owner...." Read more

7 customers mention "Writing quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the clear and easy-to-read writing style of the book. They find it thorough yet interesting, with the author explaining issues in layman's terms. Readers feel the author is knowledgeable and has thoroughly researched the topic. The book provides perspective and good sense, helping readers make sense of the present.

"This is a very thorough yet easy to read book that will help you make sense of all the different therapies you hear being touted on the internet and..." Read more

"This excellent book helps us to gain perspective and good sense in clarifying the present confusion regarding medical, organic & natural products...." Read more

"...It has been eye opening and I feel like the author is incredibly knowledgeable and has thoroughly researched the topics in the book...." Read more

"Well written, factual, clear. I got a lot out of it. Highly recommend this to any pet owner...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

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Sarah
Excellent guide for every pet owner
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a very thorough yet easy to read book that will help you make sense of all the different therapies you hear being touted on the internet and by fellow pet owners at the dog park or in the pet store.
A few years ago I was very disturbed by some horror stories I heard from the raw feeding cult - I mean, er, community - which lead me to believe that I might be slowly killing my dog by feeding her kibble and that flea and tick repellents were highly toxic and would practically kill my dog outright if I gave them to her. I felt like a horrible dog owner for not having the time and money to make raw food for her and I delayed giving her flea and tick repellents for far longer than I should have, only giving in when I couldn't stand watching her constant scratching and chewing herself anymore. I've always thought I was a reasonable person, but as a bit of a "helicopter mom" dog owner and someone who is always concerned about taking the best possible care of my dog, the fear mongering really got to me. I wish I had this book then. Fortunately, the Skeptvet and the Science Dog blogs were voices of reason for me and helped me see through all the nonsense.
This book will help you learn the difference between actual science based information and opinions and anecdotes, and think critically about where you get your information. Highly recommend!

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6 people found this helpful

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Valeria Endicott
Extremely valuable plainly written and sane approach
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
This excellent book helps us to gain perspective and good sense in clarifying the present confusion regarding medical, organic & natural products. The author opened my eyes! He tears away all the hype that clouds our ideas about what products and approaches have genuine value. In my view the book could actually help in saving a pet’s life ( including our own.) amazingly clearly written & extremely interesting.

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One person found this helpful

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Joe
Highly Educational, Easy to Read, and Enlightening
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
I am a veterinarian who first heard of this author on the Cone of Shame podcast. I am so glad I was tuning in that day. I have really enjoyed reading Placebos for Pets. I am eager to see veterinary medicine, and human medicine, turn increasingly towards evidence and science to make better informed decisions about how we care for our pets. This book is a wonderful introduction and overview of many alternative medicine therapies. It has really helped inform me on how to approach these therapies with clients. It has been eye opening and I feel like the author is incredibly knowledgeable and has thoroughly researched the topics in the book. I highly recommend this book to pet owners and veterinary professionals!!!

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2 people found this helpful

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A. B. Balser
Fantastic Book, Great Information
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2024
Verified Purchase
Well written, factual, clear. I got a lot out of it. Highly recommend this to any pet owner. As a dog trainer, I will add it to my suggested reading list I give my clients.

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TFD
High Quality, Well Referenced Information
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
Just finished my copy this morning and couldn't wait to post a review! This book is simply a must-read for veterinarians, veterinary team members, and pet owners of all shapes and sizes!

Beyond simply dismissing alternative medicine for animals, Dr. McKenzie provides a wealth of details and references in each chapter. From homeopathy to cold lasers to dietary supplements, his approach of "What is It?", "Does It Work?" and "Is It Safe?" provides the reader with an easy to understand methodology of assessing the wide range of alternative veterinary medicine practices.

As someone who spends a great deal of time helping to educate and develop veterinary staff, this book will be an invaluable resource in helping me teach our teams about scientific method and sound reasoning.

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9 people found this helpful

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Arnold L. Goldman
Timely and accurate treatment of an important and controversial topic in veterinary medicine
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
A clear-eyed look at how science, which underpins veterinary medicine, can either be the logical basis for how it is practiced, or sometimes be the antithesis of certain veterinary practices. There's irony in the book's message, not least of which being why some veterinarians may so willingly suspend disbelief in adopting some of these techniques. We ought to inherently grasp that there really is no such thing as alternative medicine, only that medicine which works, and which has a basis in science, and that which some wish would work, but either doesn't or is as yet unproven. What we offer to the public for compensation ought to be strictly from among the former. Placebos for Pets makes this all clear. Nicely written and referenced.

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4 people found this helpful

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Still_Standin
It's dry reading
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2022
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Basically the placebo is for the owner... it tells us how many txs seem to work or not work based on the owners' perception...

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Mike Fairburn
Just as valuable for humans
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a fabulous book. The author explains in laymans terms exactly what the issues are and a very easy to understand explanation of the scientific facts surrounding the more ‘popular’ placebos. I think that this book would be just as useful to help you explain to your pseudoscientific friends and relatives exactly what it is that they’re buying.

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3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Julie P.
An invaluable resource
Reviewed in Canada on February 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
If, like me, you're frustrated by the exploitation of vulnerable dog owners who are sold mythical miracle cures, then you'll love the evidence-based writing in this book. I recommend this to all my clients who are on the brink of buying sprays, wraps, homeopathic treatments, calming chews or whatever the cure du jour might be. Highly recommended

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